Back aboard.

We came back to the boat at Swanley Bridge Marina on Sunday in time to watch 'Poldark' on the box. I was up early and left to take the car back home before catching the train back to Nantwich, via Manchester. The train from Hull to Manchester was 15 mins late, and the train to Nantwich was 3 mins late. All acceptable I suppose as I didn't miss any connections.

I got a taxi back via Johnson's of Crewe and was filling up with water at 1845, before having my tea. After sausage and mash we were letting go and off out of the marina.

The marina is very quiet and so peaceful and on a beautiful evening like tonight with a little breeze it was a shame to have to leave.

The pontoons are 60' long rather than 50' so much easier to moor up on. There seems to be a fair bit of room between the sets of pontoons which makes backing and filling down to your place in a wind should be less onerous.

Despite being a nice marina and nice folk running it this photo sort of sums it up for me. Marina living is pretty regimented with limited views out of the window, and it makes me think more of that song 'Little boxes, made out of ticky tacky', which in a 60' x 7' metal box you don't really need to be reminded of.

Is the only reason that they make the entrances to marinas so narrow to keep the cost of the bridge over it at a smaller costs too! Nobody was coming, and as I was feeling very mellow with being back cruising on a very mellow evening, I was only trickling along.

We didn't go very far and after a couple of bridges we pulled over, not 15mins after leaving, all to save £10! But is was a lovely evening with great light.

The locals were quiet and I hope that they will be when the sun comes up tomorrow. Looking forward now to tripping down the Shropshire Union starting tomorrow. Helen is getting excited about visiting the ice cream farm tomorrow.