All the ducks in a row.

I have been planning for a while but it was only very recently that everything lined up for it to happen. We were going to cross the Mersey and travel up the Manchester Ship Canal (MSC). Firstly we needed the Sea Worthiness Certificate that was required by the MSC. This meant that I had to use an approved surveyor and I was up the Lancaster Canal it was difficult to get one to come to us at a decent price, but we did. Obviously we also had to book a passage down to Liverpool too. There is then organising the lock out of Liverpool at Brunswick Lock, and out of the MSC at Pamona Locks and then sorting out the time required to be at Eastham lock. Of course there is then the picking the right tide for a day light passage and not to high springs and also hope that the weather plays ball on the day you have set everything in train. Finally all the ducks were  in a row and we were off. Even Helen, after her passage up and down the Humber etc was not to grim faced about it all. Daughter Amy came along for the ride, but was very doubtful about it all until the off.

When I woke up the weather was a bit misty that was a bit concerning but it soon burnt off. The first lock at Brunswick Lock was 1100 so we set off from Salthouse Dock at about 1010. It is a nice view back. The southern dock complex is quite long and quiet to  walk about although there is a lot of water sports going on.

The Liverpool Marina is right at the end and there is a mixture of yachts narrow boats, wide beams and cruisers. The Lock works on Ch37 and  it is not on our hand held VHF so we were a little worried when we didn't see anybody around at 1045, and the marina office was on the answer phone. But right on time the keeper arrived and set the lock for us to enter.

Typically for yacht locks there was a floating pontoon on each side to tie up to making passing through the lock much easier. For some reason the keeper lifted the bridge up that crosses the lock, holding up pedestrians, despite the fact that it would be  well above our heads when we passed through. It must be on the tick list!

The lock gates are the quadrant sector gates that were installed in 1987 and must be cracked open to alter the water levels. I was quite clean to see what was outside when the gate opened as I really didn't know what 2.7m on the tide board meant outside. Would there be mud or not? No mud means that we didn't have to be that careful about where we went. I just had to head out aiming for the Tranmere jetties until clear of the land. I had called the Coast Guard having filled in a CG66 to tell them details of our crossing.

It was easy to pick out Tranmere as there was a great big tanker on it that looked as if it was starting to single up with tugs ready to swing her off the jetty We were about 2.5 hours before HW. once clear in deeper water the tide took us well out of the way of her before heading over to the west bank.

There was a bit of a slop on but we didn't get any spray even, it was just what little wind over tide. I called the Mersey VTS to tell them our position etc.

It was just like been at sea again with the navigating officer pretending they knew where we were. In conversation with various approved examiners we were told by some we needed a chart and others not. Similarly with navigation lights. To be sure of passing the seaworthiness Cert. I bought a cancelled chart very cheaply and also some battery navigation lights depsite the fact that I had no intention of travelling at night, and it is against the bye laws on the MSC.

I was sure that we were going to have a very heavy shower at one stage, and the worry of what that would do to visibility, but in fact we had a lovely day of dry and hot and sunny weather, all the way to Salford.

I had been in touch with Eastham Port Control at the first lock of the MSC and they told me of the expected shipping. The first had already left and we stayed out  side of the channel until they were clear, before crossing over to the Eastham channel on the west side. In fact I was almost on tick over for half the  way as there were two others to leave before us, and I didn't want to arrive too soon and get in their way.

We stayed the wrong side of the green buys so the 'Pathos' had the full width of the channel. She  had left from Eastham Dock, via Queen Elizabeth Lock with tug assistance. I'm not sure what the crew thought of us as we waved to them.

The third one was leaving the MSC ship lock and we hung a rope up on the Queen Elizabeth training wall so as to stay out of her way, rather than drifting about in the bell mouth. 'Stenstraum' also gave us a wave as we passed.

Now the 'Stenstraum' is clear we are able to run into the lock. You do get a bit of an idea of the difference in size of the two vessels. However we are a little longer than the lifeboat!

Helen and I have been in  some large locks, those on the Trent, Aire and Calder and Severn and also the Sharpness Lock down into the estuary. However this must be the largest we have been in by some stretch as they are 800' x 80 wide so we have plenty of room. There are no down wires or facilities for small craft and one of the items required is two mooring lines of 50' to be able to reach the massive. bollards ashore. In this lock we used a bow and stern line and the gates closed behind us. First part of the voyage completed.

We cleared the Brunswick Lock at 1115 and HW Liverpool was 1349. Despite going at a slow speed to allow some of the shipping to clear we were tied up on the Queen Elizabeth lead in jetty at 1200 and made our way in at 1212. We were leaving the lock at 1230. We now only had the 34 miles and four locks to go.