Kay Parry

After a freezing, rain-soaked, and pitch-black drive up North, reality began to hit. Between researching canal apps, figuring out the safest route back, what to do if the canal freezes (to not burst pipes/water tank), and keeping the diesel topped up (as it would be my lifeline for heating – and oh boy it literally was a lifeline for a few days), I started to realise just what I’d gotten myself into. I was about to navigate a 57ft narrowboat back from the Leeds & Liverpool Canal to Preston Brook near Chester in the worst weather imaginable. Little did I know, I was about to face not one, not two, but four storms, with temperatures plunging to -10°C. With barely any daylight, minimal experience, and now zero confidence, I was diving headfirst into an adventure that was about to test every ounce of my resilience, literally.

The first night took a sharp turn, as Storm Gerrit made its grand entrance. Stranded out in the open, just behind a swing bridge that refused to move in 69mph winds, I had no choice but to stop and quickly figure out how to tie the Juni up—praying I wouldn’t lose her to the storm (I almost did several times). In my panic, I overdid it, tying her way too tight, completely ignoring all the advice about not securing the centre line too tight, and all the rest of it. I’ve never felt terror like that before. Needless to say, I barely slept a wink that night.

The next morning, the sun was finally out, and there it was—my first lock in sight. Yet another obstacle I hadn’t faced before. As another boat approached, I threw myself in with them, feeling the need to give a quick disclaimer, like an award show introduction: “Yes, this boat is mine. No, I haven’t hired it. And no, I’ve never done a lock before. Please kind strangers, tell me what the actual DUCK do I do?”

The main piece of advice I got was simple enough—stay away from the cill. Okay, great, I can do that! Since I was going upwards in the lock, the cill wasn’t really an ‘issue’, and before I knew it, I was on my way. The next few days were filled with kind and supportive boaters, and I couldn’t have felt luckier to have met such an incredible community. As it turned out, I ended up traveling most of the journey back alongside some of them, learning a little more with each mile. The destination to reach, as there was a pretty bad closure was Foulridge tunnel. This took two months to reach after lock closures, frozen canals and limited mooring spots, not bad really as I remember telling my family, “Oh don’t worry, I will have the boat back within the next two weeks”…how naive was I?!

From Foulridge Tunnel onwards, the journey was generally pleasant and scenic. I had been advised to travel through certain areas—such as Burnley and Blackburn—alongside other boats for safety, which I did. However, I personally encountered no issues. Keep in mind that some locks are inaccessible after certain hours, as they are locked by the Canal & River Trust (CRT). If you’re planning a stop, I highly recommend The Top Lock pub (Lock 58, Top Lock) at Hillock Top Lock on the Leeds & Liverpool Canal, this was one of my favourite resting spots before waiting for the Wigan Flight to open. Wigan Flight itself was absolutely fine. I had heard horror stories about it, but aside from one of the locks flooding—making it From there, it was pretty much plain sailing onto the Bridgewater Canal—except for one surprise. I hadn’t realized it was a separate waterway from the CRT and required booking in advance (I still can’t believe I didn’t know that!). Fortunately, it was easily sorted.

From there, it was pretty much plain sailing onto the Bridgewater Canal—except for one surprise. I hadn’t realized it was a separate waterway from the CRT and required booking in advance (I still can’t believe I didn’t know that!). Fortunately, it was easily sorted. The route was incredibly scenic, with no locks or tunnels in sight—just a viaduct over the Manchester Ship Canal, which was absolutely terrifying! In the end, I was just relieved to get her to her temporary home in Preston Brook Marine, ready for a few updates.