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!