THE BIG SUMMER CRUISE--August 18th--24th


Monday, 18th August
Today we reluctantly left the Macclesfield Canal.
Before we did so, we had an engine service at Sherborne Wharf,
and would certainly recommend them.
They did an excellent job, and the mechanic wanted to teach Trev
how to do it himself next time!
He was most impressed with our boat--he called it a Rolls Royce!
I steered all the way to the junction, but couldn't turn the boat in to the Trent & Mersey.
In fact, even Trev had difficulty, it was such a tight turn.
I had to get off at the front and heave it round with the rope.
We did the first few locks and then moored up for the night out in the countryside.

Tuesday, 19th August
We finished the locks on "Heartbreak Hill" today, and I steered through most of them.
It wasn't such hard work as we had envisaged.
Although there were more than the Hatton Flight, Hatton seemed much harder work.
The most difficult part is holding the boat steady whilst Trev is getting the lock ready.
If it's windy, the boat is pushed around like a sail, and it's hard to hold it in one place.
In the evening we had an Italian meal at La Venezia Restaurant at Wheelock, and it was delicious!

Wednesday, 20th August/Thursday, 21st August
On again, ever northwards on the Trent & Mersey.
It's a canal of mixed areas, sometimes the views are spectacular,
other times it's industrial and unattractive.
Tonight we moored up at a lovely picnic spot.
It had been created by British Waterways (hereafter referred to as BW!)
and a local boating club. Unusually, it was on the "offside" of the canal.
I don't think I've told you about mooring on the canal, have I?
The rule is that one may moor on the towpath side, but not on the other side--
that is private land. So this was a special treat!
It meant we wouldn't be bothered by joggers, cyclists, walkers, fishermen, etc.
Not that I'm complaining about them you understand!
Heaven forfend us!
We've been pleasantly surprised just how much the towpaths are used.
They're a great resource.
But, as I said, this made a pleasant change.
There were two other boats moored up as well.
One was owned by Liz and she was on holiday with her friend Sian.
They were good company and we shared a few glasses!


HERE THEY ARE! I PROMISED THEM THEY'D BE ON THE INTERNET!
Thanks for your company ladies!

The other boat had a couple and their daughter on board, from Darwen.
That's Darwen, Lancs, not Oz.
Father was fishing and amazed himself and the rest of us
by catching a carp which weighed about ten pounds.
And I promised him I would put the fish on the net!!!!!!



It was such a nice spot, we decided to stay another night.
Our boating friends moved on, but we soon had more company.
This time it was grandparents and granddaughter.
As we were eating our dinner, I heard music.
I looked out and grandad was sitting on a picnic bench, practising his accordion!



Friday, 22nd August
Today is a Great Big Day! We're going on the Anderton Boat Lift.
This amazing piece of engineering was built in 1875 to raise and lower boats fifty feet
from the Trent & Mersey to the River Weaver below.
It has laid silent for the last twenty years, as major corrosion was discovered.
It is a Scheduled Ancient Monument, and has been restored with the aid of lottery money.
Basically, there are two tanks which raise and lower boats in a tank of water.
It was quite an experience! And it was free!


THE TANK IN WHICH THE BOAT TRAVELS



LOOKING BACK AT THE LIFT
The river is wide, and it makes a pleasant change to be on a river again.
We moored just a few hundred yards upstream of the lift.

Saturday, 23rd August
First we went down to Northwich to shop.
There is a pleasant, traffic free shopping area,
and we enjoyed the novelty of shopping again, after so long!
We bought so much we could hardly carry it.
But who knows when we shall see the next Sainsbury's!
Then we went on towards Winsford, through two big locks,
which were operated for us by lock keepers.
A real treat.

Another thing I haven't told you about is the problem on the canals with youths.
It is particularly bad in the run down areas of towns and cities,
and there are some notorious spots, known as Bandit Country!
Some boaters avoid the known trouble spots, other refuse to be intimidated.
Up to now, we haven't had any real trouble.
There was an incident as we were leaving Stourport when a youth
made to jump on our boat as we were going through a bridgehole.
Fortunately he thought better of it, I think we were just too far away.
Other people we met at Pershore had been intimidated by youths,
but we had been lucky--until today.
Between the two locks, there was a group of boys, ostensibly fishing.
In fact we didn't even see them, as they were in amongst the trees on the bank.
All of a sudden, the plant pots on the top of the boat were dragged to one side.
Fortunately, they didn't fall in.
There was raucous laughing and whooping, and we realised the boys must have
somehow cast their line across the boat and pulled the pots along.
It was really quite frightening. If they had caught one of us with the line,
especially with the hook, the results might have been much worse.
We rang BW, and they said they would report the matter to the police.
BW were most concerned and rang us back a couple of times
to update us on what they were doing about it.
And this all happened in a delightful, rural spot, where the river was wide.

We carried on and moored in a lovely spot, and felt better as the evening wore on.
There was just no noise at all at the mooring, and we spent a peaceful night.
There were a few other boats moored alongside us,
and one motorboat just dropped anchor in the middle of the river and moored there in total isolation!

Sunday, 24th August
The mooring was so lovely, we decided to stay another night.
However at noon, we were visited by a group of six boys and a teenage girl
--what a strange combination! who tried to climb on the boat,
and who kept on asking questions and wanting to come on the boat
and where were we going next, and couldn't they come on the boat,
and why not, and what had we got on the boat, etc.
Then they decided to swim! So in they went, in and out and shout and bawl, etc.
So we decided maybe it was time to move on after all!

We went on upstream to the limit of the navigation at Winsford Flash.
This is a vast lagoon, but navigation is not advised, as it silts up.
So we just went on far enough to turn round and come back up the river.
On the way we had verbal abuse from a fisherman
who asked us if we knew what speed we were supposed to be doing!
One is supposed to slow down for fishermen, and we always do, and weren't going fast.
We began to feel that the Weaver was not a very friendly place,
and may be it was time to leave.
We came back past the boys, who were still swimmming,
and through the two locks.
The lock keepers asked us if we were OK after our unfortunate experiences,
and said it was most unusual to have any trouble..........

Rather than just give in, we decided to go the other direction from the Lift.
So we went on past the bottom of the lift and a couple of miles downstream.
We found a lovely mooring, there were other boats there too,
and it felt safe, so we decided to stay the night.
Tomorrow, we'll make a decision as to whether we go further on downstream
towards the junction of the Weaver and the Manchester Ship canal,
and then turn round and come back,
or just turn round now and go back up the lift.
Either way, we shan't be going out on to the Ship Canal--that's for the big boys!

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