We moored last night not far after Preston Brook Tunnel and it was a lovely warm evening. Helen set to making up the nets to keep the flies etc out of the boat. Needless to say the weather changed! We had a bit of excitement later on as a boater moored a hundred yards away came knocking and asking if we had any Asprin? It seems his neighbour was suffering from chest pains and he had had them before. I thought that he was on his own and being a typical bloke didn't want to call the Doctor or ambulance. I had some to pass on but later we went and checked him. It turns out his wife was there too and he looked okay, not on deaths door. Anyway he was still walking about when we passed in the morning. It had rained off and on from about 0630 to about 0930. We set off about 1000 so managed without the waterproofs.
Helen making up the fly nets to cover the doors and side hatch. The evening was so still that the interesting vapour trails were repeated in the water.
On this stretch of the Trent and Mersey Canal there are several lengths of very narrows where the reeds have encroached. It means for concentration and good timing when meeting boats coming the other way. I seemed to meet several boats at tight spots. I stopped and went astern at a bridge hole for a boat, I was just getting underway and heading for the bridge again when another one came round the blind corner, and then again for a third. I have no idea why the first two weren't able to tell me that there was another boat just behind them. Helen was ironing , making jam and cleaning through the boat after our guest has left.
Reedy narrows.
We went past the site of the Dutton Breach again and noticed that mooring rings have appeared where as when we passed about 5 days ago there were none. There was also a commemorative plaque marking the centre of the breach and the dates. On this stretch I saw three kingfishers hunting, but unfortunately not close enough to get a good photograph.
To make up for the meeting of boats at bridge holes I hit the Saltersford Tunnel bang on time so there was no waiting. Mind you I did have to reverse out of the mouth of the Barnton Tunnel as there was a boat already in there. We passed the Anderton Lift and with the traffic I was expecting the services to be busy but there was nobody there. We pulled up to fill up with water and get rid of a fair bit of rubbish. The washer and drier have been removed from the services as they are too expensive to replace again. The pump-out was also out of order so not that useful really. We had put on a wash and whilst we were there we put the second wash on.
On Anderton Services taking water.
After taking water we decided to carry on a little to find a mooring. We aren't far from Marston where the Lion Salt Works museum is. We were going to walk down but the boat's horn wasn't working properly so I thought I had better have a look at it. As with every small job it became a large job as the bilge pump and headlamp fused and so getting everything sorted took time. By tea time though everything was working well.
Holderness looking like a chinese laundry as we use the 'wirlly gig' for the first time and the clothes horse is on the bow.
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