Engine lock, Caldon canal, Tuesday 22nd September
I have now, a good internet connection, so here are the last few episodes of our adventures(?)
Leaving Whaley Bridge early on Friday morning, we were looking forward to the lovely views on the way to Marple, and on to Macclesfield. The weather had other ideas, the mist prevented the long views, the short ones are not that bad really.
Three boats passed in the opposite direction between Marple and Macclesfield, not what you could call busy; apart from the Staffs. & Worcs. Canals, we have found this to have been the normal scheme of things since April. We moored at Gurnet and enjoyed the pies at the Old Kings Head, they really are quite something.
SATURDAY morning saw us away at 6.30am arriving at the top of Bosley locks at 8.05am and a clear run down. Myra did not enjoy the Fools Nook swing bridge as she did not manage to inconvenience any drivers at that early hour!
We moored at the aqueduct and remained there for a restful weekend.
MONDAY was set for a long distance slog – over two hours! Mooring at Bridge 85 we had a wander into the hamlet of Ackers Crossing where we saw a man working in his garden. It was a mass of colour and showed how many hours the gardener had devoted to making the beautiful display. He was rightly proud and we had a good old chat before returning to the canal.
A boat was slowing down as it passed by, it was Coriolus with Martin and Anne from Crick Marina, a lovely surprise. They moored in front and joined us for a cuppa and a long chat going over each other’s journeying this year. We mentioned a private boat that we had come across twice, once at Whaley Bridge when they were messing about in the dark reversing to moor in front of us instead of tying behind us which would have been much easier. The second time, it was only tied at the front in Congleton and the back was swinging out. There were two mooring rings, one front, one back but they had used piling hooks instead. We stopped whilst they tried first the engine to bring the back in without the tiller in position, then with the tiller and finally with one of them jumping off with the centre rope and pulling it back that way. Martin said ‘Was it called *******?
Right first time! It had passed them going so fast that it had washed their boat onto a ledge.
Oh well, should we see it again we will know to keep well away…..
TODAY, another 6.30am start, Martin and Anne waved goodbye from their bedroom window (or was it good riddance at that hour?) and it was a crisp autumn morning which had enough mist to restrict the lovely views across the Cheshire plain, but could not hide Mow Cop. At Harecastle Tunnel we waited for a northbound boat to emerge before setting off into the abyss, the fumes were stinging my eyes despite the fact that only one boat had travelled through this morning.
As we approached Westport Lake, we watched a couple older than ourselves on their private boat struggling to free their ropes and move off before we arrived. He actually ran from the front to the back to undo the back rope as we approached. They pushed off as we were some four boats lengths from them. In their hurry, they had left the TV aerial still raised; any hope of just deserts failed as he scrabbled and managed to remove it as the boat began passing under the next bridge. What a pair of stupid, inconsiderate individuals. Occurrences like that do lead us to consider whether to give up boating before it become commonplace.
We turned onto the Caldon canal and had stopped at Milton for fish and chips. Whilst eating them, boat X, as discussed with Martin and Anne yesterday passed us!
Having allowed lunch to settle; we moved off and guess what. We found boat X, this time moored on a blind bend when they needed only to move two boats lengths forward to cause no problems at all! We stopped below Engine lock in pleasant rural surroundings after our longest day for some time, nearly six hours.
Thank goodness for the friendly BW men that we had met today, and yesterday’s meeting with Martin and Anne reminding us why we love boating; otherwise Martlet could have been up for sale!
2009 Totals: 511 Locks – 997 miles – 39 Bus pass uses.
