Tuesday 29 March 2016

Easter trip to Chester (Tuesday 29/3/2016)

Engine reading at end of day: 173.0hr Miles:16.5 Locks:1 x 3 lock staircase + 9 normal + 1 x 2 lock staircase.

Long day. Set off around 09:30.

Paired up with one boat for the Northgate Staircase. Some trouble with gates due to large amount of water coming down. Also one paddle left open a crack preventing a level. The other boat stopped at Waitrose as they had been "living on ship's stores". We carried on.

Paired up with an ex-Ownerships boat "Chisbury"(?) for the locks leading out of Chester. They pulled over somewhere near Beeston. We carried on...

Wind and rain got quite persistent during the afternoon to put it mildly. The long line (over a mile) of linear moorings at Golden Nook Farm particularly tedious in those conditions...

We had to rescue a boat who had got themselves a bit confused in Bunbury Staircase. Andrew knew there was a problem when the boat which had been rising up in the lower lock suddenly started going down again!

A few polite but firm suggestions from both of us soon sorted them out. In gratitude / embarrassment, they then pulled over to help us up the staircase and then go ahead of them to Barbridge.

Arrived at Barbridge tired, cold and wet! But were able to find a decent mooring opposite the pub. Great benefit of a shorter boat!

Took Alison's bag over to her car ready for her return journey. Then into pub for a well earned dinner. Both went for the burgers which were excellent.

Andrew returned to boat via the main road and bridge 101 to avoid the worst of the muddy towpath. Raining again... Discovered that, with the new magnetic aerial mount, it is possible to fix the wifi aerial to the side of the boat without going outside!

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