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!)

Weaver Navigation & Chester (Monday 7/8/2017) - Winsford Bottom Flash Basin to Vale Royal Moorings

Engine hours start: 300.2 end: 301.5hr = 1.25 hours

Miles:3 Locks:0 Lock miles 3

Splendid egg, bacon and mushroom sandwiches to strengthen us for the walk up hill to Winsford Cross Shopping Centre. Not the most inspiring setting but able to stock up with groceries at Asda including the makings for crumble using the blackberries picked near Northwich!

(Winsford shopping centre also plays a crucial role in later excitements...)

A lazy morning back at the boat, cheese sandwich lunch then a slow move to Vale Royal moorings for the night. Really lovely spot.

Lovely peaceful spot at Vale Royal moorings

Tight squeeze near Winsford

On the way, took a picture of the near blockage from drooping willow and sent by Twitter to CRT. They are apparently already aware of it and local team dealing with it...

Alison went for a walk while Andrew had a siesta then both went for another walk round the lock after dinner.

Beautiful sunset.

Beautiful sunset at Vale Royal moorings

Weaver Navigation & Chester (Sunday 6/8/2017) - Dutton Mile Moorings to Winsford Flash Basin

Engine hours start: 295.4 end: 300.6hr = 5.2 hours

Miles:11 Locks:3 Lock miles 14

A gentle trip up to Saltersford Lock where we took advantage of a short wait for the lock to top up the water tank. Held the lock then for three other boats so were up near the paddles. Feared turbulence but no problem at all. We were first out of the lock but then let everyone go past - being in no mood to hurry.

Northwich Town surprisingly busy already so we made use of the services then phoned up Hunts Lock. Told not to hurry as they needed to get ready so put our nose into an epic blackberry bush and Alison picked 2lbs in as many minutes.

Worth noting that all the lockkeepers on the River Weaver Navigation have been great - cheerful, polite, helpful and very keen to promote the Navigation.

Went up to the end of the navigation at Winford Bottom Flash where we were surprised to find a nice little basin - completely devoid of boats! Recognised it as having driven past it many times on the way to Middlewich thinking it was just the river! Tied up hoping that the road noise would not be too bad (it was fine).

At 17:30 walked back to the Red Lion pub, just catching the end of lunch service - lucky as there is no food service Sunday evenings! Reasonable, good value food and good choice of ales. Main attraction is the music - live sessions all night and clearly similar all week. Great local atmosphere.

Later on Facebook spotted that we had just missed Sylvester McCoy who had apparently visited earlier in the day! (This is significant for reasons that will become clearer in later blog entries!!!).

Heavy rain overnight.


 

Weaver Navigation & Chester (Saturday 5/8/2017) - Sutton Swing Bridge to Dutton Mile Moorings

Engine hours start: 293.1 end: 295.4hr = 2.3 hours

Miles:6 Locks:1  Lock miles 7

Sutton Bridge moorings

Shopping in Frodsham in the morning. Managed to get stamps so can send postcards. Frodsham a pleasant and prosperous - plenty of pubs - no Wetherspoons (which we had been looking for for coffee...)

Lots of skiffs on the water from Runcorn Rowing Club.

Sunny periods much more prolonged but still a chill wind when sun hidden.

Noticed the engine running very hot mid voyage - helm squawked and crew ran with a large bottle of water - crisis averted...

Passed a very shiny widebeam on approach to Dutton Lock; the lockkeeper was somewhat scathing about the skipper's ability...

Had a prolonged passage up the lock as something was fouling one of the bottom gates so they had to re-empty the lock and open / close the gate to clear it. Each lock cycle uses 500,000 gallons apparently so it took 1 million gallons to raise us up 8 feet!

Heading towards the Acton Bridge moorings, they looked quite full and also very close to busy road bridge. So we did a U-turn (no need for winding holes on the Weaver Navigation!) and moored at the Dutton Mile moorings which are lovely and quiet but still in sight of and just a gentle stroll from the Leigh Arms!

Dutton Mile mooring

Had a couple of pints at the pub while we wrote our postcards.

Quiet evening and night on these lovely moorings.

Weaver Navigation & Chester (Friday 4/8/2017) - Anderton Boat Lift to Sutton Mooring

Engine hours start: 286.5 end: 293.1hr = 6.6 hours

Miles:18 Locks:2 + Anderton Boat Lift! Lock miles 20

Up early to take up position on the holding moorings for our 10:00 booking on the Anderton Boat Lift. We will be going down the lift with two other boats - Trivial Pursuit (who we met yesterday and John Dee - driven by Roy, an engineer and boater for 50 years).


Fantastic experience though 10:25 by the time we were out which meant they were already running 15 mins late after the first run of the day. 

After ominous clouds at the start, the day grew increasingly sunny but a strong wind the whole time.

Extraordinary feeling to be on such a wide waterway. We were at Saltersford Locks almost before we realised it and were kindly told by the lockkeeper that we should have telephoned ahead so the lock could be made ready. And such a lock! You could literally fit 16 of us in there!

Powered up to the far end of the Navigation, turning just before the low swing bridge at the Weston Point Docks and came back upstream (but faster due to the wind at our backs) 4.5 miles to moor at Sutton Swing Bridge moorings on the outskirts of Frodsham.

View through a gap to the Manchester Ship Canal

Saw three other boats plus a skiff on the move today!