Helping Seyella

It was early yesterday morning when I arrived in Wigan by train.  I was on the way to help Geoff and Mags on Seyella come down the Wigan Flight.

I paused to say hello to Jan on Waiouru as I walked past on the way to the top of the Wigan Flight.

Meg spotted my arrival at the top of the flight as she waited patiently outside Seyella.

It was a lovely day once the sun had come out and Wigan Top Lock looked very welcoming.

There were no boats within the flight so I lifted one top paddle on the locks near the top of the flight so they would be full by the time we came down.  Geoff went ahead to open the gate and see the boat in safely as Mags steered Seyella and I shut the paddles and gates behind.

Geoff and Mags are used to working together and there was no need to hold the boat on the centre rope as the locks are gentle when emptying.

Jan walked up from Waiouru and met us part way down the flight, providing another pair of hands.

Some of the locks have winding hear to help close the gates.

Jan seems to be having fun – it’s not often that happens on the heavy locks of the Wigan Flight.

Jan left us at the bottom lock of the main flight and I stayed on board to help with the two Poolstock Locks.

I left Meg, Geoff and Mags looking very happy at Poolstock Bottom Lock.  It took four and a half hours from top to bottom, including a stop for a brew half way down with four of us working well together – it would have taken Geoff and Mags much longer on their own.  The 21 locks in the main Wigan Flight, plus two at Poolstock, are hard work, with some of them being very hard work.

I paused to help Jan with a minor problem as I walked back to the station and caught the train home.