Weaver: Middlewich -> Nantwich (via IWA lock wind at Cholmondeston) 5-8/8/2021

Start: Middlewich

End: Nantwich via IWA lockwind

Miles: 13

Locks: 3

Lock miles: 16

Engine hours: 652.1 start / 660ish end

Fairly leisurely start on Thursday morning as we only needed to get to the Cholmondeston visitor moorings near Venetian Marina where we were due to help with a lock wind for our Inland Waterways Association (IWA) branch. It's an annual fund raiser where we work the lock for boaters and encourage them to give a donation or buy stuff from our stall. The 2020 event was cancelled due to Covid-19 so it was good that this year's could take place.

The weather was not great and we got wet a few times but this has the upside of making boaters feel sorry for us and giving more money!

We try to have a BBQ on the evening before the lock wind but the weather did not cooperate. But we did have a nice meal at the Barbridge Inn on the Saturday evening - we walked there and the rest drove (but we beat them there!).

It was part of our retirement plans to get a bigger boat so we could go on longer cruises. Mind Like Water is basically a single room floating caravan which is fine for the 2 week cruise that we could manage while working but less practical for longer cruises (i.e. 2-3 months) that we plan to do after retirement. Andrew retired from lecturing in August 2021 and Alison will retire from the GMB union in early March 2022.

So… As we were doing this lock wind near Venetian Marina where we bought Mind Like Water, we though we could go and have a look at what they had on sale - just to start gathering information about what is around of course…

Anyway… a chap from Venetian came to look at Mind Like Water and we went to look at two boats. One was a bit too long at 60ft and also had a rather poor internal fitout done by the previous owner. But the other one was quite nice and reasonably priced. When Venetian then offered us more for Mind Like Water than we had paid for her 7 years ago, we decided to make an offer on the other boat - Ganzee.

The survey came back with no nasty surprises and less than a month after the lock wind we now own the new boat! We will be renaming her to Vegvisir (the Icelandic / Viking compass symbol which means Way Seer or Path Finder). Logs of our time on her will be on a new blog page at https://nbvegvisir.blogspot.com/.

We had a reasonable journey back to base on Mind Like Water though the weather turned and Andrew got very cold and wet by the time we were moored up.

Weaver: Lion Salt Works -> Middlewich 4/8/2021

Start: 10:00 Lion Salt Works

End: Bridge 28 Middlewich

Miles: 9

Locks: 5

Lock miles: 14

Engine hours: 646.8 start / 652.1 end

Glorious weather - sunshine and a fresh breeze - sultry when sheltered. Alison got busy in the galley making potato salad, carotted rapees, salade nicoise, emptied and cleaned the fridge, checked all contents (thrown out or returned to fridge). Bacon, egg, mushroom, onion and brown sauce sandwiches for lunch.

At one point, we were so earnestly discussing our dream boat that we almost went aground in one of the flashes : an oncoming boat going too fast to spot why we were slowly avoiding an obstruction and nearly crashed : a crabwise dayboat lent entertainment to an otherwise placid journey. Queue at Big Lock but CRT lockies on hand to oversee matters at the 3 locks (although too chatty to keep an eye on what they were doing - Alison definitely in charge). Another queue at Wardle lock and surprisingly slow to cycle through. Stopped just through Bridge 28 ready to go to shops. Done and back by 16:30, salade nicoise when a bit cooler.

Weaver: Anderton -> Lion Salt Works 3/8/2021

Start: 09:30 Anderton

End: Lion Salt Works

Miles: 2.25

Locks: 0

Lock miles: 2.25

Engine hours: 644.3 start / 646.8 end

1st trip of the day up the lift 10:00. Glorious sunshine. Both caissons at low level so we were the only one going up. Took lots of photos and video for Charlie. Once up top, the canal seemed very narrow and busy after a week on the Weaver! Alison walked ahead to see if there were any spaces outside the marina: just one at the far end away from the services; the moorings for which were jam packed. However, no problem getting showered (water still ridiculously hot), elsan and rubbish. Then Andrew walked ahead to scope out moorings at Lion Salt Works while Alison tiptoed along past oncoming traffic, moored boars and in the wake of fuel boat Halsall. Ironically was just passing her when spotted Andrew waiting at a nice mooring spot.

Still much traffic and rings not conveniently spaced so rigged up spring lines as well - much better. By 13:00, weather cloudier in parts - still fine and warm. Went to Salt Barge seeking lunch - the sole positive was working wifi… No food and beer was dull and old, the building deserted. Pleasant enough garden except for wasps (one of which found its way into Andrew's beer…). Retreated to boat (pursued by yapping dogs from a nearby house) for corned beef sandwiches).

Nice shady mooring, phoned up Laura and Megan for the quiz from the cruiser stern - Doritos & salsa, beer and good company - excellent!

Weaver: Northwich -> Anderton 2/8/2021

Start: 10:15 Northwich

End: 13:30 Anderton

Miles: 6

Locks: 0

Lock miles: 6

Engine hours: 641.1 start / 644.3 end

Brunch again! Then away past Anderton to turn just before Saltersford lock. Returned to find Anderton mooring pontoon entirely deserted so dithered outrgeously about where to stop. Finally went on the very end as we were going to leave the engine running to charge all our stuff as well as our aging batteries.

Went for a walk to explore nearby village: Barnton has all the services - Coop, hardware, chippy, pub (1960s prefab, has good reviews but we didn't fancy). Coming back the path we hoped for was barricaded off so had a jungle exploration (kudos to the cyclist we passed) and emerged back at the canal - navigation from there to the Weaver was simple. 

Weaver: Northwich 1/8/2021

Start: Northwich

End: Northwich

Miles: 0

Locks: 0

Lock miles: 0

Engine hours: 640.1 start / 641.1 end

Stayed on moorings. Brunch, shopping, chores, pub crawl. Waitrose had absurdly expensive nail clippers (needed by Andrew for guitar playing) so left those. Had a pint at the Salty Dog then left due to rather noisy duo playing. Found more reasonably priced nail clippers in Boots then went to the Barons Lounge - an even more micro pub. Acoustic session there was soft jazz, really good and a friendly bunch of locals.

Weaver: Vale Royal -> Northwich 31/7/2021

Start: 10:00 Vale Royal moorings

End: 13:15 Northwich

Miles: 8

Locks: 2

Lock miles: 10

Engine hours: 636.7 start / 640.1 end

Plans: Winsford to take Silver Propellor photos and top up water then back to Northwich. Worked like a charm. Weather dry - fresh breeze at times.

At Hunts Lock asked where we could lose our rubbish - skips on a pontoon off the old BW yard so that was a good job too.

Found a nice mooring opposite Northwich Marina.

Emptied the elsan before having lunch. Andrew, having noticed that the sink in the shower room was emptying very slowly, went to B&Q to find a plunger and flexible brush to clear it out. Bonus, was able to find tiles on sale individually to replace those that have popped off the wall. Meanwhile Alison took the finished books to a charity shop and hunted for replacements - also a nice skirt for Mum a semi-constant awareness of the need for more, bigger clothes.

18:00 Booked for a meal at Northwich's oldest pub - The Bowling Green. Thought at first oh no! No bitter, no pie, no wifi. But food and service super. Andrew had 2 pints of IPA and Alison had Symond's Yat cider. Both had belly pork - Andrew then, surprisingly, had cheesecake and Alison, fudge cake.

Weaver: Vale Royal Moorings 29-30/7/2021

Start: Vale Royal moorings

End: Vale Royal moorings

Miles: 0

Locks: 0

Lock miles: 0

Engine hours: 634.3 start / 636.7 end

29th - Walked to Winsford, left river at top of town to go to Morrisons : had coffee and cake and bought picnic things : headed back to boat. Informative information boards but really hard to imagine the leafy surroundings as intensively industrial only 100 or so years ago. That lily covered inlet? A shipbuilders dry dock in constant use. That angled line of masonry? The old line of the river before a new cut dug to reclaim land and build a new road. As it happened, we continued back to the boat and had our picnic there.

30th - Forecast for constant rain so works on bathroom planned. In fact, by the time the bodge completed, the sun was peeping through. 

When the rain failed to arrive, walked down to Northwich, visited the museum, had coffee at Bear then walked back on the other side of the river. Jungle in parts, lovely nature reserve in others. Burgers in pitta bread for dinner.

Engine run for 2.5 hours to recharge batteries and encourage fridge.