Middlewich -> Nantwich Basin 18/7/2019

Engine hours start: 523.7 end: 530.4 = 6.7 hours

Miles:11.5 Locks:3  Lock miles: 14.5

Off at 09:30. Generally fine, though now always convinced it would remain so. Queues for locks the main feature of the day.

Paused for lunch and water pump window shopping at Aqueduct Marina. A wide variety of skippers encountered , included the Novice Snail for the couple of miles. Everyone starts somewhere, I guess. 

The following day, we used the launderette at the Basin - very impressed - in order to have some clean clothes for a family gathering in Gloucester at the weekend.

On the way to Gloucester, stopped at Midland Chandlers at Penkridge to get a new water pump and accumulator tank. Managed to accidently pick up two accumulator tanks (but only paid for one). The following week Andrew stopped off to return the surplus one and the chap was so impressed that he gave us a 10% discount voucher!

Wheelock -> Middlewich 17/7/2019

Engine hours start: 519.2 end: 523.7 = 4.5 hours

Miles:6 Locks:6  Lock miles: 12


Light overcast, could easily burn off and scorch - or not. Wheelock services an absolute anthill of activity as we left. Alison's bee-sting still a little swollen, found some witch hazel cream which should help. Hot rather than painful, a little itchy as it heals.

An enjoyable day's cruising with little traffic the other way but plenty all going the same way which made for queues at locks - so Andrew did the equivalent of at least 10 locks helping  and being helped by overlapping crews. Barbara of Take Too was particularly helpful. Lock landings inadequate all the way so lots of fannying around mid-stream while waiting.

 

At the Kings Lock turn there was a Black Prince boat with no idea of how to turn into the Wardle canal so Alison grabbed their nose rope and got them round with a judicious push and pull. Andrew then tutored them through the lock and stayed back to work Barbara and Bob up the lock while Alison pottered along - stopped just beyond bridge 28 on the edge of town. Andrew then walked back for some water pump market research - came back with cake!

Rain then set in so settled down for some good ol' home cooking, beer and DVD.

Rode Heath -> Wheelock 16/7/2019

Engine hours start: 514.8 end: 519.2 = 4.6 hours

Miles:4 Locks:14  Lock miles: 18

Rain overnight swiftly cleared to give a lovely warm day. Alison's turn to do locks. A boat pulled out as Alison walking down to the first lock and another closed up as we were queuing - then we closed up on a single-handler and before long we were in a convoy.

Approach Hassall's Green Alison dropped the long throw windlass in the lock - the following boat went by in the other lock while we went magnet-fishing. Success!

Then a couple of locks further on, a bee managed to get stuck in Alison's sandal and sting the side of her big toe. Soaked the place with vinegar and Andrew got the sting out with a multi-tool so very little damage done. However Andrew very kindly said we should swap so he worked the last three locks into Wheelock where we found a lovely shaded mooring, handy for the service block and pub. The boat ahead were brilliant too, lifting a paddle as they left each lock so they were all but set as we arrived - fab.

Filled our bottles and Andrew got some more from the shop. Then did some hand washing to set us straight in underwear. Nearly Nicoise salad for lunch. Andrew revelled in hot shower - praise be to the services - and we had dinner and a lovely chat with Bob and Barabara  nb Take Too at the Cheshire Cheese - new owners, good menu, good value.

Macclesfield -> Rode Heath 15/5/2019

Engine hours start: 507.4 end: 514.8 = 7.5 hours

Miles:12 Locks:13  Lock miles: 25

A glorious evening at last yesterday and we woke to solid blue sky!

 

Final failure of water pump yesterday so early start and cracking on to Red Bull for a shower and shopping. 7 litres of bottled water on board so basics OK. 

Passed Congleton at 09:00: only place to moor is a 2 day stretch between bridges 75 and 76. Also very handy for railway station if further travel required. Possibly not overnight though - better by aqueduct / bridge 73.

Paused for shopping and lunch at Red Bull aqueduct where the Macclesfield crosses the Trent and Mersey. First, a short walk to Tesco then lunch : then Alison walked down to Red Bull services for a proper shower while Andrew single-handed down to the locks. In the event Alison was in time to close the gates of the first lock.

It being beautifully warm, Andrew then suggested doing the locks onwards (the next 11 as it turned out...).  Rewarded by a top mooring directly opposite the Broughton Arms.

 

Rode Heath -> Lamas Bridge 9/7/2019

Engine hours start: 486.7 end: 93.9 = 7.2 hours

Miles:12 Locks:13  Lock miles:25

Rain overnight, greyer and cooler. A gentle start and Andrew's back seems a little improved. AJS no ill effects apart from a bit of stiffness around shoulder and lower back.

Decided that Andrew benefit from gentle exercise walking the towpath - and wound up doing the locks (carefully) as well. Once again some convenient boat crossings reduced the need for gate closing and opening.

 

Reached the junction of Macclesfield canal at 11am. Slow through very reedy section but foraged raspberries at the stop lock.

Sandwiches 12:30, a shower of rain at 13:30. Quite a lot of moored boats. Although housing quite close at times, mostly a very green and rural feeling stretch.

Rain set in for remainder of cruise.

Bridge 28, Middlewich -> Rode Heath 8/7/2019

Engine hours start: 479.6 end: 486.7 = 7.1 hours

Miles:9 Locks:20  Lock miles:29

 

Early start (07:30) First couple of hours pretty quiet, a bit more traffic come 09:30 when we were 6 locks done and ready for a coffee. Andrew's back went first thing - in pain all day.

Traffic not nearly as heavy as the weekend but a number of convenient crossings between locks. Weather mostly sunny but after lunch cloudier and a bit steamy.

Wonderful display from house martins diving around us - extraordinary aerobatics.

Got the very last spot on rings at Rode Heath so felt vindicated for our early start!

A read and siesta before meal at the Broughton Arms - excellent quality and value (except not a proper New York style baked cheesebake as advertised).

Back to boat 19:45 - Andrew's back really struggling...

Barbridge Inn -> Bridge 28, Middlewich 7/7/2019

Engine hours start: 474.8 end: 479.6 = 4.8 hours

Miles:9 Locks:3  Lock miles: 12

Sunnystart today, clouds bubbling up. Toasting in sunshine. Met a hotel boat pair at end of Barbridge moorings.

Through Cholmondeston lock by 11am and sun back out  - temperature rising beuatifully.

Sandwich lunch on the move, no faurther delay at locks and moored in outskirts of Middlewich just after 2pm for fiesta.

Important to use local businesses so down Kings Lock for a pint or 2 and coffee & walnut cake to go for pudding - a fine follow up to chicken wings and salad on board.

An early night with a long day scheduled tomorrow - aiming for Rode Heath to get well beyond the M6.

Middlewich to Nantwich 18/4/2019

Engine hours start: 467.3 end: 473.6 = 6.3 hours

Miles:12 Locks:3  Lock miles: 15

Solo trip back to Nantwich ready for the start of the Nantwich Jazz and Blues Festival. AJS due to arrive late tomorrow (Friday) after a gig!

Early start to try and avoid lock queues.

Very quiet for first 2-2.5 hours. Only passed one other boat.

Livened up after 11:00 with lots of boats moving. Volunteer lockkeeper at Cholmondeston said he had already helped 16 boats by 12:00ish. 

Lots of lockies working Hurleston bottom lock and they have a portaloo installed so are well provided for...

Back on mooring by 13:45. Lunch onboard then into town for some groceries and to pick up festival wristbands.

Tried the live music at the Oddfellows at 9pm but the band had a stupidly loud bass drum which was nearly giving me palpitations so gave up after the first pint and went back to the boat.

====

The festival was great with lots of good music, beer and food!

Anderton to Middlewich branch by Bridge 28

Engine hours start: 461.0 end: 467.3 = 6.3 hours

Miles:10 Locks:5  Lock miles: 15

Start of solo cruise back towards Nantwich ready for the Jazz and Blues festival

Bright start. Up around 08:00. Several boats already past. Breakfasted on porridge BBE end 2017! Tasted alright...

Aiming for Middlewich branch visitor moorings today. Set off about 08:50.

Trouble free journey to Big Lock at Middlewich apart from getting stuck behind a very slow and erratically steered hireboat at one of the new marinas near Billinge Green Flash.

Straight into Big Lock sharing with another boat. Then ran into queue for the Middlewich 3 locks. Boat in front had been waiting for an hour. Turned engine off and had lunch. Only took about 30 mins to move up to first lock. Single handed the first two and then got help from a volunteer lockkeeper for the final one.

Short wait at Wardle Lock as chap had lock waiting for a boat coming down. Single handed through with no problem. Moored just beyond Bridge 28. A warm afternoon.

Later walked down for a couple of pints in the Kings Lock and took fish and chips home from the Kings Lock chippy!

Middlewich to Anderton 15/4/2019

Engine hours start: 457.1 end: 461.1 = 4 hours
Miles:10 Locks:0 Lock miles: 10

Solo cruise for ADS from Middlewich to Anderton.

Up quite early to internal alarm clock.  Walked to Morrisons and was there by about 07:50! Did battle with self-service tills and only needed assistance twice... Used shore facilities before returning to boat for breakfast. Another boat arrived at the mooring last night.

Set off at 09:00. Stopped for coffee 11:00. Moored outside Anderton Marina 13:00 after winding at the Boat Lift.

Checked to see if there were any films on at Northwich Odeon that I wanted to see. Fishermens Friends caught my eye so I decided to book a ticket for tomorrow.

However in and amongst internet signal problems, I managed to book for 15:00 today... This meant I had to hotfoot it into town. Pleasant walk through the nature park to arrive at the car park near the Asda fuel station.

Got some sweets and a drink before heading for the screen. Very few people in: I was the first!

Enjoyable film with a good smattering of sea shanties in the soundtrack as might be expected.

Afterwards I had a little look round and found the Salty Dog Alehouse. Monday is real ale night so got two pints of a very nice locally brewed pale all for just £2 a pint!

After that wandered back to the boat then straight off to the services for a shower. Didn't bother lighting the fire as 14 degrees inside and I was warm from the hot shower.

Planning to have a sort out of the front starboard locker tomorrow morning then heading back into town for lunch etc. 

Weaver Navigation & Chester (Wednesday 9/8/2017) - Trent and Mersey Canel (Between Bridges 181 - 180a) to Church Minshull

Engine hours start: 306.8 end: 312.2 = 5.4 hours

Miles:10 Locks:5  Lock miles 15

Lovely quiet mooring - the adjacent railway line barely used. Heavy rain overnight clearing to sunny periods and warmer temperatures.

No major delay at Middlewich Locks: paused to see if Kings Lock Chandlery had some mooring pins with rings - no luck (will try Venetian later).

Encountered a boater who was was trying their first lock ever - at Big Lock of all places - despite having their boat for 3 years. Gave them some help and tuition; guess we all have to start somewhere!

Paused near Bridge 28 on the Middlewich Arm for shopping run to Tesco. Lunch back at boat then on our way again.

Another overheat and 2 litres of water added. Need to find out where it is going! There is a small dribble round the jubilee clips but they seem pretty tight....

Arrived 16:00 at our favourite moorings overlooking Church Minshull.

Alison finally got to visit the Badger in Church Minshull - Andrew had been once but a later joint visit got rained off... Fine pints of Badgers Best and Off the Rails (switching to Titanic when Off the Rails ran out...).

While enjoying our pints we noticed a lady at a nearby table addressing large envelopes and wondered what she was up to. Looked similar to when Alison sends out sheet music for various choral events.

Anyway, she is then approached by a gentleman asking her, in a Scottish accent, whether she wanted a drink. Turned out to be Sylvester McCoy (who we had narrowly missed seeing at the Red Lion, Winsford)!

Then a few minutes later, another chap arrived and we realised that it was Robert Picardo (Star Trek Voyager & Stargate Atlantis among others!). Andrew remembered reading on Twitter that he was doing some sort of show with Sylvester McCoy but had not realised that it was here and now.

They then sat down with the third person in the show (Richard Oliver) to run through a script!

Some quick Googling revealed that they were taking a show to Edinburgh Festival and about to do two preview nights at the weekend in a small community theatre venue in Winsford of all places!

So as we sat listening we researched public transport to see if we could get from Chester where we plan to be at the weekend to Winsford. Booked train tickets Chester to Winsford via Crewe and two tickets for the show. Got to love the internet and Paypal!

After their run through Andrew was brave enough to ask for a photo of the Two Doctors!

Totally random and surreal experience!!!!

Weaver Navigation & Chester (Tuesday 8/8/2017) - Vale Royal Moorings to Trent and Mersey Canel (Between Bridges 181 - 180a)

Engine hours start: 301.5 end: 306.8 = 5.3 hours

Miles:10 Locks:1 + Anderton Boat Lift Lock miles 11

Set off from Vale Royal Moorings around 10 at the head of a convoy of three boats.

Short wait on the floating pontoon for the lock to be ready.

Hunts Lock

Went into the lock 3 abreast. On this lock and Hunts Lock they are using the smaller lock rather than the large one in use at Saltersford and Dutton locks.

Left lock in reverse order so we were last in the convoy to Hunts Lock ending up snugly between the other boats.


Went straight through Northwich and tied up at the Anderton visitor moorings. Walked up to Stanley Arms for a drink before returning to the boat for lunch and to wait for our passage up the lift. 

Walking up through Anderton Nature Park for a drink at Stanley Arms

The phone lines in the area have been out for some time so Stanley Arms has no wifi, can't accept phone bookings or order supplies. What a thin veneer civilisation is!

The magnificent Anderton Boat Lift

Trouble-free solo trip back up the lift. Once back on the Trent & Mersey canal, made a short stop at the Anderton Services to empty the toilet then onwards to moor at a quiet spot between Bridges 181 and 180a. Railway very close but hopefully not too much traffic at night...

Alison yomped off to seek forage (damsons and blackberries). Andrew lit the fire as it is definitely not warm enough for August!)