A short run to Hall Green

You can tie closer to Harecastle than Hall Green, but there's not much point unless you need to shop at the Kidsgrove Tesco. With just a couple of hours cruising to do, we set off just after half eight. Although I had steered yesterday, I did so again today, so that Sheila will do her turn through the tunnel tomorrow. It's good of her to offer as the southbound run is more tedious than the opposite direction owing to the lack of a daylit end to aim for (the doors across the south end aren't opened until the boat is nearly there).

It was a straightforward run today in pleasant spring sunshine, albeit cold. There wasn't much traffic, just the odd hire boat, including Chas Hardern's Thorin, which was being steered by a very short, much bearded guy with bushy eyebrows and a round woolly helmet pulled well down over his ears. I couldn't see his axe, but I expect he'd left it in the cabin...

There were a couple of boats sharing the water point and a pair of liveaboards at the nearer end of the visitor moorings, but otherwise no one else around when we got to Hall Green. We tied close to the water point. After lunch, we ran the hose plus the extension hose to the tap and filled the tank right up. It may well last us until we get back to the marina, since Sheila will only be doing essential laundry on the way.

After some post prandial eyelid inspection, I filled the stern greaser which was well down. The weather having picked up a bit following the lunchtime snow, we went for a bit of a walk. We found a footpath across the fields on the far side of the railway, then another almost doubling back which took us to the bridge at Scholar Green. It's a pleasant area for a stroll, must remember it for another time and perhaps more reliable weather.

Tomorrow, we'll aim to get to the north portal of the tunnel at around half eight, the most probable time to get the first southbound convoy.