Marbury to Croxton

29th & 30th January

It was a pleasant, unexciting but classic boating day yesterday. We made an average start, getting away from Marbury at around 9.30, and with Sheila at the helm, chugged steadily past Marston, Wincham Wharf, Broken Cross and Billinge Green.

There were as many continuous moorers at Marston as ever – I counted ten actually by the pub, and another half dozen within half a mile either side. Near Billinge Green, Up Spirits, Braidbar 102, came past in the opposite direction. Bob and Shirley said they were on their way to Northwich, so we should see them on their return.

We've moored at Croxton again, between the flash and the aqueduct. It's quiet here, yet within walking distance of the shops in Middlewich. After lunch we went there, getting as far as the Lidl, where we started to restock after the comparative famine of Barnton and Anderton.

We got back to the boat just as it started to rain, so had a quiet afternoon on board. It's a slow internet connection here, but adequate for email and relaxed web browsing.

This morning we made a very lazy start, and weren't really properly on deck before 9.30. After breakfast. two boats that have been leap frogging with us came past. These were Cat Flap and Tinky Mac's, and for the third time in as many passages they half pulled our mooring stakes out zooming past at cruising speed. Thanks guys.

I do aim to moor such that the pins will hold in almost anything, driving them well in and tying the lines as near as possible to the ground, but it was no good. Admittedly the ground is a bit soggy, but one of the pins is two foot long and an inch in diameter, for Pete's sake.

Apart from the irritation caused by these folks' thoughtlessness, it's been another tranquil day. We made another trip into Middlewich, going right into town this time to shop at Somerfield and Bargain Booze. After lunch I went and took some photos of the aqueduct and of the long term moorings by the council tip, sorry, household refuse site.

These used to be absolutely full of slightly dilapidated boats*, one of which was always covered in fender making stuff, but they've almost all gone. Possibly BW have moved them on for not paying mooring fees, but if so, they've not managed to relet the moorings.

Despite the presence of the tip, it's not a bad site – there's a handy road, the tip isn't obtrusive, and passing boats have to slow down because of the aqueduct at one end of the site. I guess the infamous trial of sealed bid tendering for moorings, rather than using a waiting list, means that it takes that much longer to relet the moorings. It must involve a loss of revenue for BW, as well as making less efficient use of the available mooring locations.

We plan to sit tight here for another couple of days, as the weather forecast is none too good for tomorrow and Friday – rain and gales, then snow.

*No, Elanor, the moorings were full of boats, not the council tip.