Chapter 2: Lewis Sails a Longboat

The same Sunday, Lewis decided he would make the most of the sunshine and go out for the day on his bike. About five miles from home there was a canal, which he had seen in passing several times, but never got around to exploring, despite having enough interest in the canal system to have read a couple of books on it. He was also an avid watcher of “Great Canal Journeys” on tv.

He soon covered the five miles to the bridge over the canal. He dismounted and wheeled his bike down the access ramp to the canal towpath. The canal disappeared into the distance in both directions, so he chose a direction at random, then as there were no walkers around, he cycled along until he saw in the distance a lock.

Canal locks are a sort of lift which allows a canal boat to go up, or down between two different levels of canal. Canals naturally having to be almost level, regardless of the surrounding terrain.

Lewis had never seen one in the flesh, although he knew exactly how they worked. He was fascinated to walk around it, crossing over the narrow little walkway over the lock gates that seem to have escaped the attention of the health and safety brigade. Each pair of gates closed together in a “V” shape pointing towards the highest water so that the water pressure against them kept them tightly closed.

Each gate had a paddle built into it which could be raised or lowered by a handle to let water into the lock if you wanted your boat to go up, or out of the lock if you were going down. There was a bench seat alongside the lock so Lewis decided to sit for a while and admire the view in the hope that a longboat would appear.

A couple appeared in the distance walking the towpath. When they got closer, he could see they were a few years older than him and walking hand in hand. It made his think how nice it would be to have a girlfriend and be able to go out together. As they passed, they both said hi, and smiled at him. He smiled and replied the same, thinking to himself how lovely the girl was. He might well have let his thoughts on the girl follow an erotic path, but in the distance, he spotted a longboat headed his way.

He sat and watched it make its way along at the sedate speed of three to four miles an hour, four mph being the maximum permitted speed. It was nearly half an hour before the boat pulled up and moored just short of the lock. It was on the lower level and the lock was full of water, the last user having gone out to the higher level, so the lower-level gates were closed.

The guy off the boat came up to the lock, he looked to be early twenties and seemed to be on his own. He was carrying his winding handle ready to operate the paddles. Lewis had got up as he was mooring and met his as he reached the lock. They both said hi, then Lewis asked, “Do you mind if I watch you go through the lock, I’ve never seen one in use before.” “I’ll do better than that,” he said, “Would you like to help me?” “Wow, yes please, I’d love to,” Lewis told him. He introduced himself as Ron. Lewis told him his name and they shook hands. Ron told him, “Because the lock is full of water, I have to close the other gates, then open the paddles on the lower gates to let the water out.”

Ron told Lewis to go to the other side of the lock and to be careful on the narrow walkway across the gates. Once Lewis was by the upper-level gates, Ron said, “Watch how I close the gate, then you do the same.” Ron put his back against the long arm of the gate and pushed with his feet on the ridged path specially for that purpose. The gate slowly closed to. Lewis copied him on his side and soon both gates were touching in the middle.

Ron called him across and showed him how to use the winder to close the gate paddle. Handing him the winder, he said, “Now you do the same on the other gate, but make sure you don’t dop it in the canal.” Lewis struggled a little to start with but having seen Ron do it, he soon managed.

Ron told him that now both paddles were closed, no more water could get into the lock, so now they could go to the other end and open the paddles to let the water out. They opened a paddle each, Lewis could see the water gushing out into the canal near the moored boat. Within minutes the water level started going down. Five minutes later the water in the lock was down to the same level as the lower canal and the gates showed daylight between them, now there was no pressure on them. They closed the paddles they had just opened, otherwise the lock wouldn’t fill up once the boat was in.

Ron asked Lewis to stay the far side and open the gate, then once he had driven the boat in, to close it behind him. He opened the gate his side of the canal, then went back to the boat, untied it and drove it slowly into the lock. He climbed up the ladder in the lock side and closed the gate behind him. Lewis had already closed the other one.

They both went to the gates at the other end and Ron opened the paddle his side, then passed the winder to Lewis who opened the one on his side, this time with no problem. They could see the water gushing into the lock in front of the boat and the boat soon started to rise up as the lock filled.

Lewis watched, fascinated. Soon the lock was full, and the boat was now level with the next section of the canal. They closed the paddles, then each opened a gate. All Ron had to do now was to get on the boat and sail away. He hopped onto the back end of the boat by the tiller. Lewis was on the far side of the canal, Ron invited him on board and said, “I take it you’ve never been on a longboat before.” Lewis shook his head. “Would you like to sail with me for a while?” Ron asked him, you can put your bike on the roof so you can get back again.”

Lewis was thrilled to bits, “I’d love to,” he said,” Thank you so much.” “You go and get your bike,” Ron told him, “I can stay here because there’s no one coming either way.” Lewis was so excited he nearly fell in as he got off the boat. He fetched his bike and Ron put it up on the roof. The rail at the back of the boat doubled as a seat, so they were both able to sit each side of the tiller. Ron started the engine and they sailed away and out of the lock.

“We’ll sail for half an hour,” Ron told him, “Then I’ll moor up and make us a drink, then you can have a look around inside.” As they sailed along, Ron told him that it was his own boat and his floating home. “I sail around the country, stop when and where I like and if I stop near anywhere, I can usually pick up a bit of casual work,” he said. Ron went on to tell him he was twenty-two and had been left the boat by an uncle a year ago. “I came on holiday on it for a few weeks, then decided to make it my home. Even at four miles an hour, I’ve seen more of the country in this past year than I ever did before,” he said with a smile.

“Don’t you get lonely?” Lewis asked him. “Sometimes, Ron replied, but I’ve always been a bit of a loner, so it doesn’t bother me too much. Anyway, when I reach a town, I see loads of people.” Lewis looked out on the countryside they were sailing through and felt the warm sun beating down on him. “It’s lovely now,” He said, “But what about the days when it’s pouring rain, or freezing cold?”

“I have my computer,” Ron told him, “I try my hand at writing, and I read a lot. The boat has central heating too, so it’s not much of a hardship.” Then he added, “As long as I remember to top up with fuel of course.” Lewis had never given a thought to fuel, “Do they have filling stations on the canal?” he asked. Ron smiled at him, “Yes, but they’re often at boat repair yards, marinas and boat hire depot’s so they’re not as noticeable as roadside filling stations.”