Back to Billinge Green

I've not a lot to write about today as it all went pretty much to plan, mostly. We set off just before half seven, with me steering for the first bit although it was Sheila's turn. This was because I'd promised to do both tunnels. Barnton is pretty straightforward, almost straight, in fact, so you poke the bow in, blow the horn and carry on.

I have to confess it wasn't my best ever bit of boat handling as I didn't get the sweep round towards the tunnel going properly, had to correct my heading as we entered and then picked up a bladefull so that I couldn't get her straightened up the other way.

For an awful moment, I thought that the handrail was going to scrape the arch of the portal, but a bit of fending off just saved the day. Once in, we chugged through in fine style and were soon out into the pool at the other end.

Sheila took over and made a much better job of the bridgehole at the far side. We stopped on the water point at Anderton, hooked up the hose and dumped rubbish and recycling, all except the glass for which there's no bin there (strange). The water pressure is very poor, especially when both taps are in use as they were today.

Sheila got the washing machine going and we decided to settle for the two thirds of a tank we'd got. Leaving was made a bit complicated because the ex-working boat Buckden had turned up with butty Saturn in tow and breasted up just beyond the service point moorings, waiting for our spot on the water point.

We all got sorted without bumping the boats and then we could settle down to the chug round the outskirts of Northwich, through Marston and Wincham and Broken Cross. The pub there is under new management and has been refurbished, it's looking very smart indeed. There's the old marina at Orchard Marine and then the two new ones. They all seem to go for these mega-long pontoons with rows of boats on them which frankly don't look as attractive or as convenient as the bows- or stern-on ones we have in Mercia.

By half ten we were approaching Billinge Green flash. There was just the one boat here when we arrived, but a few more have come (and in some cases gone again) since.

We've managed a walk and a couple of chats with the guy on the first boat. He moors on the Lancaster and was full of stories about the trials of the Ribble Link. Sanity Again is too long for that, of course. Can't say we're sorry after talking to this guy.

Tomorrow, on to Middlewich to finish filling the water tank, get some serious shopping done over two days and have another lunch with Peter and Jan, in the Big Lock, this time, we think.