Back on CRT waters

What a good day that’s been. We set off at seven from Stockton Heath this morning, Sheila steering, and chugged our way to Moore where we stopped briefly for me to visit the paper shop.

Then it was merrily on through a classic summer’s day to Preston Brook, arriving at the tunnel portal just before nine. The washload I’d started as we went along was almost finished, so we were able to stop the engine quite quickly.

Half an hour was easily got through pottering about before Sheila made a very smooth entry to the tunnel. Whilst she steered us through, I did the breakfast washing up, finishing just in time to put my windlass belt on ready to work the stop lock.

A Worsley Boat Club boat was just working down, handily. I was just thinking that he‘d timed his arrival nicely for the ten o’clock slot northbound when he asked me to remind him of the time he was allowed into the tunnel…

/hmm

As Sanity Again approached the lock, another boat arrived above, cutting it a bit fine given that he still had to work down a remarkably slow lock considering it’s only six inches difference in levels.

After all this excitement I could get back to the boatwork whilst we carried on to the Breach moorings. We were lucky to find a 70 foot space ready for us. The boat in front is Dunrushin with Mick and Lynn on board, not to mention their dogs.

We’ve had a merry afternoon nattering to them, which is why this blog is a bit late.

Well, that’s my excuse.

The weather looks to be good tomorrow and then wet on Sunday and Monday, so we’ll go on to Anderton and sit it out there. We’ve arranged to meet Ian and Kath off our old boat Sanity in the Stanley Arms tomorrow night for a pint. I’m not sure if that’s one each or one between us; we wouldn’t want to get too carried away, obviously.

/wahaha