The Wigan 21.

 Wednesday 12th May 2022 near Wigan.

Opposite our overnight mooring at the bottom of the flight of locks is a huge industrial site that turns out to be the European headquarters of Nice-Pak International, manufacturers of all sorts of "wet-wipes" - over 600 million each year in Europe alone! The site is clearly well patrolled security-wise, as there were chaps in hi-viz jackets in the smoking kiosk by the canal all the time.

We waited for an hour or so in the hopes that someone else would come along to share the locks but nobody appeared. In fact, we were the only boat to go up the locks all day, so had we waited, we would still have been there the following morning!. Eventually we went into the first lock of the flight.

The first eight locks were against us and we were surprised to find that there are no rings or bollards on the lock moorings, so there always had to be one of us holding MM on the rope while the other set the lock. It was a very slow process. Because one person had to hold MM, it was just like trying to single hand these very deep locks. Also, there are no walkways across the top gates so that going from one side to the other meant walking all the way round to the bottom gates and back.

After about the first six locks, which took almost three hours, R started walking up to the next lock to set it once MM was stable in the lock that was filling. With such deep locks, averageing over ten feet deep, and with ground and gate paddles giving very strong flows, it wasn't until the lock was at least half full that MM was stable. Once the new lock was set, R drove MM up to it while M closed the lock behind. Some of the gates were so heavy and stiff that M couldn't close them and R was only just able to open them. On one lock, opening gears are provided like this:

Or, on a couple more, a sort of winch arrangement was there to help you open the gate:

This made opening these gates much easier but these aids were only fitted to a few gates. The rest needed all the strength we could muster. Once or twice even both of us couldn't budge them and it was only when a passer-by stopped to help that we could get them open or closed.

When R took MM into the lock he had to throw ropes up, so he could stop MM from bouncing around in the lock, and then climb out of the lock up one of the ladders up the side. The locks are very deep!

To say that the locks are not very well maintained, would be a massive understatement. While there are a few newer lock gates, most of them are in much need of TLC. Some would yield a good crop of hay!

After the eighth lock, we met two boats coming down, so the remaining thirteen locks were more or less with us (allowing for leakage), which sped things up considerably.

The locks pass by some very typical Wigan workers row houses, which probably have not changed much over time. The end one was very wedge-shaped!

Nearer the top was a warehouse with a lovely mural painted on its end wall showing traditional local industries centred round the canal. The art work was beautiful.

Finally, after eight hours without a break, we arrived at the top lock. No lunch, only two small soft drinks and a pee break (NOT in the bushes!) snatched berween locks all day!

R took MM out of the top lock and moored her round the corner for the night.

The flight is only two miles long but M's phone confirmed that she had walked five and a half miles going round and between the locks. While in each lock, R switched MM's engine off. So, although it took us eight hours to get to the top, MM's engine only ran for 1.7 hours!

It had been back breaking, very hard physical work, probably the hardest that we have done in a long time ("if not ever", said M). But supper, a hot shower and an early night soon put us right!

Today: 2 miles, 21 locks and 1.7 hours (engine running).

Trip: 93 miles, 78 locks and 47.4 hours.