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

Desperately hot at Dutton Breach

These hot nights do make sleeping tricky at times; it’s been even hotter today and we’ve been moored in the full sun, so it’s 36ºC in the bedroom as I type; we may have to stay up late tonight whilst things cool down…

Because I’m nobly suffering in a stuffy study to do this, it’s going to be a bit telegraphic.

We had a good start, entering Saltersford at 8 and afterwards chugging along a disgracefully overgrown canal for some time:

This goes on for about a mile

Passing boats coming the other way was was a real challenge, you might as well be on the Caldon. Things improved a bit after the Acton Bridge Black Prince base. I’d started a washload, but it wasn’t nearly finished when the repaired breach at Dutton came in view. There were a number of boats here but some were just leaving, and there’s been just the two of us most of the day.

Our companion is Unowatzizname from Mercia, with Pam and Ted on board. We’ve had a very pleasant day, nattering to them quite a lot and trying to stay in the shade of the trees.

Here are some more photos with comments to finish off:

Nice use of carved wood to make a bench seat

Wot, no rings on the straight bit? Did CRT run out of money?

Just two of us enjoying a brilliant location

View from our mooring

The line you can see across the field with better grass beyond shows how far the collapsing embankment reached.

Tomorrow, on through Preston Brook and onto the Bridgewater again.