Back through Harecastle

26th & 27th September

For the second day running, we made a flying start, though it was a bit harder to do yesterday than the day before. By the time we reached Hall Green stop lock, I'd finished breakfast, and after a brief struggle to persuade the offside top gate to co-operate, we were through, I'd taken over the helm and Sheila went below to eat.

As we approached Red Bull, she re-emerged, and took Sanity through the junction and up to the tunnel entrance.

Ivor Batchelor was on duty at the North end this time, so we had a chance for further chat whilst wiling away the 45 minutes until it was time to go through. He told us that the stop lock had been giving trouble all day yesterday as well.

He also passed on the news that his foreman is selling his Malcolm Braine 60 foot boat, as his wife's frailty means they can live on board no longer. At £48,000 it sounds like a good deal: fixed double, four cylinder Gardner, boatman's cabin, the whole thing. Drop me an email if you want Ivor's mobile to get more details.

At ten past nine we went in, and had a slowish passage behind a Stone Canal Cruising boat with a very woofy dog on board. We emerged an hour later, and went steadily down the Stoke locks.

It was just after 12 before we came out, so we had lunch on the go, there being few or no places in Stoke where you'd opt to stop for a picnic. This meant we'd had two meals whilst on the move on the one day.

By half two we were at the Wedgwood moorings short of Barlaston, and settled down to a very dozy afternoon, having boated for seven hours – not like us at all.

We've had a much more typical day today. Getting up at our usual time, we set off around 8.15 for a gentle chug through a classically misty Autumnal morning. It was thick enough at first that I put the tunnel and navigation lights on, but it soon cleared to a splendid day.

There was a fair bit of traffic about, but not enough to be a problem. Meaford and Stone locks went well, with a few boats coming the other way. We'd tied by 11, making it around two and a half hours, Barlaston to Stone – our idea of a reasonable day's boating.

There was a good bit of space on the moorings: the virtue of timing an arrival for mid morning at a popular spot. A quick shopping trip got things like fresh bread so that we could have lunch.

We'd tied tucked up against a BW tug, leaving a good stretch in front of us. On our return, someone had tied their boat smack in middle of the space, so that there's less than 50 foot between us, and a bare 60 on the other side.

I can't tell you the name of this awkward boat, much as I'd like to name and shame. There have been boats struggling to get into either gap all day, but the owner's gone off, and his boat has no licence, registration number nor name.

Despite this irritation, the afternoon has been too nice to hassle about it much – still sunny, sitting out on the bow weather. Sheila's been knitting, and I've done IT housekeeping stuff like updating the software.

Tomorrow we'll have another gentle day's boating hopefully, going down to Great Haywood or maybe onto Wolseley – depends how we feel, really.