Nantwich Basin -> Barbridge Inn 6/7/2019

Engine hours start: 473.6 end: 474.8 = 1.2 hours

Miles:3.5 Locks:0  Lock miles: 3.5

Arrived Friday pm - To Ebenezers and Enzos for apero and dinner. Alison then back to boat and Andrew to Oddfellows. Andrew recovering from a cold and Alison starting one.

While at Ebenezers, reading a CAMRA magazine, we discovered a beer festival at Bollington on the Macclesfield canal next weekend - much more suitable to aim for than flogging over to Bugsworth.

Saturday morning lazing and listening to heavy rain. Sandwich lunch then shopping while car available.

Cast off as skies brightened; muggy weather replaced by fresh northerly breeze. Not much traffic though herons  - one ignored and the other flew at us head on to veer across the canal.

Top mooring outside the Barbridge Inn on opposite side ready for spot of refreshment. Delicious meal: Andrew steak and bacon burger and proper Eton Mess : Alison chicken fillet with tarragon cream sauce and lemon posset.

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.

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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. 

Nantwich to Middlewich 14/4/2019

Engine hours start: 450.0 end: 457.1 = 7 hours 
Miles:13.5 Locks:8 Lock miles: 21.5 

Start of a short trip in first week of Easter break for ADS. AJS present for first day's cruising. 

We had spent the previous day at the IWA branch AGM held at Wappenshall Wharf followed by a walk to Berwick Tunnel. We did a car shuffle to leave Alison's at Middlewich ready for the next day. 

Sunday started bright and sunny with a chilly wind. By 10:45 the sky had clouded and the wind was brisk - layers piling on. 

Spoke to the Findlays on NB Muddy Puddle at their Barbridge mooring. 

Bacon butties at 12:30pm just past Aqueduct Marina. 

Cold breeze all day and sun increasingly absent. As soon as moored up below Middlewich Big Lock, we got the fire lit. 

Dinner at the Big Lock pub before AJS returned home having fetched car from street parking on arrival.

Shropshire Union - Nantwich to Audlem 28 /2-1/3/2019

Engine hours start: 443(est) end: 446
.9 = 4 hours

Miles:8.75 Locks:3  Lock miles: 11.75

Short trip during February half-term.

Arrived at boat on Wednesday evening after work.

Had planned to cruise to Audlem on Thursday but persistent heavy rain all day. So just stayed snugly on board with books and the stove lit until about 8pm when we went to the Oddfellows for the Thursday quiz night.

Didn't disgrace ourselves even though we only had two on our team compared to at least 4 on most of the others. We have to admit to being weak on sports and geography though...

The Oddfellows kitchen still a work in progress so we got pie and chips from across the road and washed them down with a couple of pints each of Razorback.

Friday morning
Both went for showers before breakfast. While Alison had hers, Andrew swept the chimney while the stove was cold.

Finally got moving about 10:45. Our newly refurbished gearbox seems responsive.

Very impressed by the work done by the Hurleston Lockkeepers to clear offside vegetation. Much easier to navigate the Nantwich to Henhull stretch as we went to the winding hole.

Winded and then Alison took the tiller to head back through Nantwich towards Audlem. Andrew got off at Marsh Lane Bridge to walk to the Hack Green locks. Got chatting with some people from the Small Task Team Volunteers who were laying some towpath.

Trouble free trip through the Hack Green locks. Couple of boats coming the other way meant the locks were both set for us.

At Audlem, Andrew had the idea of reversing up one or two locks to the visitor moorings. While he turned the boat, Alison walked up and confirmed that there are 48 hour moorings on rings above the first lock. Lovely quiet spot within easy walking distance of the village. First top mooring of the year! Engine off around 14:40.

Time to relax before checking out the pubs later!

Llangollen & Shropshire Union (26-31 Oct 2018)

Engine hours start: 421.2 end: 435.9 = 14.7 hours

Miles:16 Locks:18  Lock miles:34

Solo trip for Andrew for October half-term. Came to boat after staff development day.

Spent day in Nantwich on Saturday (27th) and stayed in basin to watch fireworks from the Spooktacular.

Bright sunny start on Sunday 28th October. Quite cold with ice on the roof. Clocks went back last night. Aiming for Wrenbury today.

Set off around 09:00. Arrived at Hurleston to find a queue of 3 boats ahead to go up the flight. Luckily with so many other boats I got lots of help with the locks and didn't have to climb a single lock ladder. Was even able to follow a boat through the first lift bridge at Wrenbury.

Only downside was getting very cold through lack of exercise! Moored up by 15:20. Fire and kettle on.

Monday 29th October
After a trouble-free trip to Wrenbury, the planned cruise then went awry...

After buying a bag of Excel from Wrenbury Wharf, set off about 10:00 and got through the main Wrenbury lift bridge without issues. However, then noticed that the alternator light was on and the rev counter was dead. Revving the engine had no effect.

Stopped as quickly as possible since one reason for alternator not working is a broken belt which would also stop the water cooling pump working. Belt was OK and no sign of loose connections but still nothing on rev counter. Battery volt meters both showed 12.5V which should have been over 14V if the alternator was working.

Rang RCR at 10:13 then settled down to wait. Had not lit fire earlier as was due to be cruising so got that lit.

Engineer (Jake) arrived around 13:15 and soon confirmed that the alternator was dead. He didn't have a suitable replacement in the van so took ours back to base in Stafford. Unlikely to be back with replacement today.

Quiet afternoon. Went to Cotton Arms for a few pints before returning to boat for pizza & salad.

Tuesday 30th October
Phone call from RCR confirming that the engineer would be at boat later so went to shop for milk, baguette and scones. Also got a bag each of kindling and logs from Wrenbury Wharf. RCR office had promised further call with engineer ETA but this didn't happen. Engineer arrived about 13:30 just as I was about to ring to chase.

Refitting the alternator was straight-forward and all now seems OK. Reviewed cruising plans. Not enough time to reach Whitchurch comfortably and there are no winding holes after Thomason's Bridge. The Wrenbury Frith lift bridge had been lowered but I noticed it was now raised so took the opportunity to go down to Thomasons winding hole and turn the boat ready for the return trip.

Considered another trip down to Cotton Arms but it started raining so stayed on board and had a nice tea of baguette, cheese, salad and jam. Text from daughter saying projected completion on her house purchase is 9th Nov! Watched Ricky Gervaise DVD Ghost Town. Very good. Some echoes of Groundhog Day: redemption through good works and Sixth Sense: I see dead people. Rather overfilled the stove and only made it under the duvet about 2am!

Weds 31st October
Set off around 09:15. Reasonably trouble-free passage through the two lift bridges; as much as single-handing through lift bridges ever is... 

Boat seems rather reluctant to engage forward gear. Need to check gear box ATF fluid level. Also lubricate gear lever cable. 

Through Baddiley 3 locks and Swanley 2 locks without issues. Some traffic in both directions so got some help with some of the locks. Considered mooring overnight before Hurleston flight but decide to push on. Very good decision as there were 4 lockies on duty so was able to stay onboard and have all the locks worked for me!

Back to base at 14:15. Fire and kettle on. Want to make a template of the bottom step drainage hole to plan the gutter arrangement that I want to make to avoid rainwater going into the engine bilge as currently happens.

Thursday 1st Nov
Packed and home in the morning.