The Crew

Traaaa-laaah, here's our new look boat, on the Leeds & Liverpool Canal, Newburgh. 

Last week we had our super crew with us. Nikita & Heather dropped the boys off, but didn’t stay.

They joined us at the beginning of the Bridgewater Canal, where we moored a short stroll from a station & they went home from Wigan.

We moored just by this aqueduct and John took the boys exploring under it.

Only one really wet day for the visitors. Magnus braved the rain for a whole day’s cruise. Whereas Lance popped out for a short while & stayed playing by the fire.

The rain luckily eased as we approached Barton Swing Aqueduct, where we were treated to seeing a big boat’s mast whizz by down on the Manchester Ship Canal. The road swing bridge I guess is more of a priority than the canal, and we had a good wait while the chaps swung it back into place & then walked to the aqueduct.

It was super warm most days, and we just HAD to stop in Lymm for ice creams.

 

 We had some culinary delights, Magnus made a big batch of hot cross-buns. However, not quite so delightful (in my opinion) was their morning cup of tea with squirty cream & marshmallows!!!

 

 

We moored for a night near Little Bollington, where we went down to have a look at the river and where the Bridgewater Canal goes over the River Bollin. As quick as anything, the boys were climbing the trees!! The river bank was very sandy, softer than at the beach.

Our crew are literally learning the ropes.

The boys were really pleased to get a bit of lock action on their last day. There aren’t any locks on the Bridgewater Canal, and to get into Wigan we went up 2 and down 1 lock. Once in Wigan we had a towpath picnic before they went home.

 

It is such a joyous occasion to see the first ducklings of the year and the weather is warming as spring progresses.

I’m not sure I’d like these squatters at the bottom of my garden!!

We have travelled northwards along the Trent & Mersey Canal, with its unusual sights.

We were very sad to see this lock cottage, near Great Hayward barricaded off & uninhabited due to HS2 construction nearby. It appeared the line is going over the access road to the cottage. We don’t have a car and absolutely love travelling by train, but find seeing the massive upheaval the HS2 is having, quite distressing, all for a slightly faster journey.

The Trent & Mersey Canal has narrow locks, unlike most other narrow ones it doesn’t have bridges to cross the locks when the bottom mitre gates are open. I choose to take the boat through all these locks, as I can’t step across the gates. Edmund came for a few days which really assisted us with Atherstone flight of locks and like his dad is able to step over the gap.

 

We were really pleased we fitted through the rather low Harecastle Tunnel with our new solar panels. As we neared the end, the water had turned into tomato soup, due to run off from disused mines.

We stayed a few days at Kidsgrove on the north side of the tunnel to await fuel boat Halsall. John also did an engine service and oil change, which is required every 250 running hours.