Middlewich........

....... the end of Heartbreak Hill.

Saturday the weather was decidedly damp, we opted not to move, yesterday started out the same but around 10:30 the skies cleared and we decided to head off, so at 11am we moved around to the service point to do the usual fill and empty.

Service point at Wheelock

We had about 3 miles of lock free cruising before reaching our first lock and it was quite bright although a little chilly and some dark clouds threatened as we approached the village of Ettily Heath.

Luckily the clouds seemed to pass by without discharging their contents on top of us and we were soon approaching lock 67 the first of the 3 Booth lane locks which would drop us down 28' 9".
I was leading so I set the first lock for Rod and worked him through, a boat appeared wanting to go up so I assisted them and then went through myself.

For the next 2.5 miles the busy A533 runs alongside the canal, first on the right and then after crossing over the canal, on the left, the whole section is noisy and windswept, it does not make for pleasant cruising.

This large chemical works dominates the skyline at lock 68.

At lock 69 I passed another boat, only the second one I saw moving this trip, his timing was good as he did not have to stop and he went straight into the lock after I had come out.

The A533 crosses over around here and you are then faced with the huge British salt works.

There was enormous pile of what looked like refined salt under cover and and even larger mountain of dirty looking stuff, I assume it was un-refined salt outside, I didn't take a picture as a white pile of salt did not look that aesthetically pleasing .

At the final lock of the day, Rumps Lock (70) I had a bit of fun with what looked like an escaped white ball fender, somehow it got into the lock on my blind side as I opened the bottom gates, as I moved out of the lock it became squashed between my boat and the lock side forcing me against the opposite lock wall, I had to rub along until it popped out again!

That's the offending object on the right.

It was then a bit more windy noisy cruising for the last mile to the visitor moorings above lock 71 where we have stopped.

The work needed to Rods boat is being carried out by a boatyard just the other side of the lock so he will move up when they are ready for him, provisionally booked for Thursday.

Current mooring:

It's very wide and open here so windy and noisy but it'll do for now.

Totals this post: 6 miles : 4 locks