I hope 2018 is a good one.

After three years of writing this blog I have decided that I've run out of steam, it was fun, but it's now done, thank you for looking in.

Fuel........

......what fuel, it's there somewhere!

Sunday morning we went for a stroll around the not village, I say that because there was little evidence of a village, just quite a few houses tucked away off the main road, we went back and walked past the C&RT service point and along the towpath before Jack got bored and we headed back to the boat.

Fuel boat Halsall arrived around 3:45, it was getting dark as he serviced Rod's boat first and then moved along to deal with me, 10 bags of smokeless coal first, then the diesel, and at this point we had a problem, there was no diesel, well there was but it could not be persuaded to leave it's large spacious tank on Halsall and take up residence in my not so large tank! A decision was made that Lee from Halsall would fix the issue in the morning and text me to confirm and I could then pull up alongside them as I passed the services where they would be taking on a coal delivery, all seemed fine.

At 9am today we were ready to leave once the all clear to proceed came through, by 10am not message so I texted for an update, no reply, at 11am Rod decided to walk to them and find out what was happening, it turned out they had no phone signal but were ready for us, so Rod (who realised his fuel fill was not completed) headed off first, I followed 15 minutes later, both boats fueled up we also both topped up the water tanks and I lead off around 12, a late start but we had finally achieved our reason for the wet cruise previously and were happy again.

The foggy chilly trip heading south back along the Shropshire was quiet and with few picture opportunities.

Passing the Middlewich branch at Barbridge junction, scene of my unintentional 360 degree manoeuvre previously.

 And then past the Barbridge services.

 With Rod following through in the mist.

 And passing the Barbridge Inn

We continued along the very pleasant section and past Hurleston Junction which takes you onto the Llangollen canal, now closed for winter repairs on the Hurleston locks and I forget to take any pictures as I looked at progress from a distance remembering my previous trip along that lovely canal.

I remembered admiring this property last trip, it was still looking good to me in it's very pleasant setting.

Reaching Nantwich it was as usual busy with all the visitor moorings North of the basin occupied, I continued on over the aqueduct and past the permit holder moorings to the long section of almost totally empty visitor moorings high up on the embankment where I had moored before.

Another bit of bad luck for Rod as he could not switch his engine off, but luck was also with him, his engineer was actually on a boat we had just passed and had waved hello, so Rod walked back and asked for assistance, which was given, a part must be obtained but a work around was found for now.

Current Mooring:

Totals today: 4.5miles

Rain........

......what a lot of rain!

Yesterday morning while I took Jack for a walk along the tow path Rod had a look at his gearbox problem, it turned out to be something requiring expert attention, he phoned an engineer he knew and luckily he was able to get along and sort out the problem, but by then it was early afternoon so we decided to move today, the forecast looked ok.

The forecast changed by this morning, it wasn't looking great, rain and possibly lots of it, but if we wanted to catch the fuel boat we needed to at least make some progress, so we donned wet weather gear and set off just after 9am, at first it wasn't too bad and we had about five lock free miles to before we needed to decide whether to continue working locks in the rain or not. But the rain chased us along, we were both ok apart from cold wet hands, gloves may say water resistant but they really aren't. We had to pass the very long line of permanent moorings again, it really feels a lot longer when it's raining as well, they took ages to pass but the rain really started to come down hard once we had cleared them, and so it went on, the five miles or so took about two and a half hours because half of it was passing boats on tick over. We stopped on the visitor moorings at The Shady Oak pub, I'd had an idea we would stop here for lunch on our return from Chester but it wasn't happening today!

After a cuppa and a chat we decided the weather had improved enough for us to continue and get to the meeting place with the fuel boat today, the forecast for tomorrow was pretty dire as well so better to get cold and wet once and rest up tomorrow.

After going through 4 locks (10-13) and Bunbury staircase lock without further rain I was very pleased to see space on the same visitor mooring we had used on the journey down just before Calveley services, the fuel boat should be passing here tomorrow afternoon before winding (turning) just past our position and heading back down the Shropshire canal.

It was just about 4pm so a long day, but with a break halfway it didn't seem too bad, but I don't want to repeat cruising in the rain like this morning again in a hurry!

No pictures, the camera and Jack stayed below deck in the dry today.

Totals today: 9.5miles : 6 locks (1 a staircase of 2)

We were ready to move…….

….…..Mother nature had other ideas.

It’s been a few days since my last post, we had originally intended to move last Saturday, the Northgate staircase lock repairs finished on schedule on Friday, but the weather took a turn for the worse. Saturday was wet and windy with sleety showers, Sunday the snow came, we were according to the weathermen in the middle of the worst area, but we actually fared quite well compared to some, with only a couple of inches of snow falling and laying, it was however bitterly cold, the central heating was put on overnight for two nights, along with the stove!

Anyway we finally decided to move today, I emptied the cassette before setting off up the staircase lock, it took a while again, something is definitely not right with the levels or paddles or something! But we got through ok in the end and I emptied my rubbish before heading off alongside the city walls to set the next lock leaving Rod to close up the top gates.

Having passed the city walls it was then past the converted buildings,
this one was the old Steam Mill.

Approaching Hoole Lane lock (5) with the waterworks tower beyond.

It was quite bright, obviously chilly but I was wrapped up and Jack was happily sleeping as we negotiated the next five locks (5-9), we had a little system going, I set the lock and worked us through with Rod staying on his boat and then Rod closed up while I moved on to the next lock.

After Christleton lock, no. 9, we both needed water so I moved on to the water point while Rod waited on the lock landing, once I was full I moved off to find a mooring and Rod filled up following on afterwards.

I didn’t like the look of this tree, a large section of it had snapped and was just hanging there supported only by the surrounding branches, I had just passed a C&RT workboat trimming overhanging trees so hopefully there will deal with it when they get to it.

 We wanted to moor at Egg Bridge but the moorings we thought we could stop on were restricted to C&RT work boats, I tried further along about three times to get to the bank where there was piling but it was too shallow and we ended up a way past the village, I will have to walk back tomorrow for bread and milk.

It was a pleasant cruise, but Rod had intermittent problems getting reverse gear to work, not something you want as it is your brake!, so first job tomorrow is to investigate that, we want to meet a fuel boat before he turns around so it might be a busy few days.

Current mooring:

Totals today: 4.5miles : 8 locks (1 a staircase of 3)

Back at Chester.

We left our mooring at Stoak village on Tuesday and headed back towards Chester, it was an overcast day but nowhere near as chilly as it was on the journey down, there are a few scattered canal side houses but not much else of interest.

Passing the line of moored boats again added some interest.

I wonder what you're doing when you are Moomin?

And I was able to get a few pictures of the steam narrow boat along with it’s name!

I would imagine it is a project boat but sometimes it’s hard to tell.

This one made me smile.

Continuing along back the way we came gives you another perspective of the landscape, bridges and house etc., but not much else.

When we arrived at Tower Wharf Rod pulled over and took a temporary mooring waving me ahead to the grassy area which would be better for Jack, when I got there I rang him and told him there was in fact room for two boats (it wasn’t easy to see from where he had stopped) and he came over to join me virtually where we were before although I am on mooring pins this time, the ground seems good and firm which it will need to be with storm Caroline heading our way! It is very buffety today and worse is yet to come along with much colder weather, I'll have to stoke that fire tonight!

We are here until Saturday when the Northgate staircase locks re-open following repairs, hopefully, and then we will head back along the Shropshire canal with another stoppage ahead which should clear on December 15^th.

Ellesmere Port......

......and back!

Yesterday we cast off for the final short cruise to take us into Ellesmere Port, I was looking forward to this destination and at about 3½ miles we would do it in just under an hour, I lead off again along the wide open stretch past the water works and oil storage depot, not really worthy of a picture but at least the weather was dry if a little chilly so cruising was quite pleasant.

The second half of the trip we were joined by the busy noisy M53 which runs alongside the canal, passing over it twice as you approach Ellesmere Port.

Under the M53 once.

A little bit of canal side decoration just prior to arrival before passing beneath the motorway again.

And under the M53 for a second time.

 Arriving and looking for a mooring I was disappointed, there was space for one boat on what was described as a water point/visitor to the museum, signage was sparse and limited! I pulled in and Rod brested temporarily alongside me while we decided what to do, fortunately the boat taking up the other visitor mooring came along and said he was leaving, so after he had gone I reversed us back around a carcass of a plastic cruiser and into the now free berth.

Yesterday’s mooring:

 Once we had sorted ourselves out we went to look around, for £9:75 you could visit the National Waterways Museum, not my thing but great for those interested in canal history etc, this also allowed access through two locks and down into the lower basin, I’m not sure if there was an additional mooring charge because in the event we decided to stay where we were.

National Waterways Museum

We had a look around at the lower basin and the Manchester Ship Canal with the River Mersey beyond it, access to walk along was again very limited, anyway here are a few pictures.

Manchester Ship Canal

Lower Basin with Hotel on left.

Large swing bridge which gave access to the hotel by car, it would also give
access to boats wishing to go on to the Ship canal, 24 hours notice and other
requirements including a £200 fee meant I would not be braving this waterway.

A couple of large ships which appeared not to have moved in some time.

Lower basin with moorings for visitors, it did not appeal to me being
 surrounded by large blocks of flats and the hotel. 

Telfords light house, again access was not possible I took this picture through
the bars of a large padlocked pair of iron gates.

The Manchester Ship canal with the river Mersey beyond.

Having looked around I was left feeling it could have been made a whole lot more welcoming for visiting boaters, understandably few venture along this final section from Chester to Ellesmere Port, if ‘they’ want more visitors they need to improve signage, facilities and moorings, I was happy to agree with Rod that we just stay the one night.

This morning we tried again to walk along the Manchester Ship Canal in the other direction, but it just seemed like you couldn’t, maybe if we’d been in a car we might have found access further along but we gave up and around 12 o’clock we winded (turned around) and headed back to the village of Stoak and our previous mooring, where I feel much more content.

Passing beneath the M53 on our way back to a rural mooring.

Totals this post : 7 Miles

Away from the City......

....to a rural mooring.

Yesterday Rod moved up to the water point first as we both needed to fill and empty, I moved up when he was finished and we set off in bright sunshine on a beautiful clear day, but it was very cold especially when passing shady areas or open fields with the wind blowing, so that pretty much meant the whole cruise was bitterly cold, luckily I wrap up warmly.

On the water point with the covered dry dock ahead.

Lock 1 on the Dee branch had plenty of water over spilling the gates.

Moving off under the bridge and away from Chester.

Taylor's Boatyard. 

Having done the necessary we headed off, I lead in case I needed to stop for Jack but he soon assumed the position and was well behaved for the trip.

I promise not too many more of these!

We passed over Deva aqueduct soon after leaving Chester.

There is little to say about the cruise, open countryside, fairly wide straight lengths of canal and no other moving boats, peaceful I guess, oh and did I say cold?

We did have to slow to tick over for some long term moored boats and one was moored about 3 feet further out from the bank than the rest which had me wondering why, I guess it was deep drafted, on reaching it I saw from the writing on the side that it was a steam narrow boat, I have already forgotten the name, old age does that!, and I was too busy looking at it before getting a not great picture looking back.

This one must be owned by a romantic.

Arriving at the village of Stoak, our intended stop, I couldn’t see any rings to moor to, it is shown in my guide as a mooring spot so I had hoped for rings but in the event I settled on an open area with a nice piled edge with a view of Helsby Hill, it looks better than the picture which is often the case.

Current mooring:

Totals this post: 4 miles : 0 locks

Today I took a wander into the village with Jack , not much there but a Church and a pub,the Bunbury Arms, which evidently has a mention in the good beer guide, it looked very pretty from outside.