My old Gralyn blog seems to have been hijacked

Stone to Rugely

Locks 6 Miles 14.9

Taking on water at Stone. The main town area is behind the willow tree and star Lock is under the bridge

I suppose it was to be expected, after a good day with boat travelling in the opposite direction, today we were queuing at most locks to get through to Rugely. The sun came out which made the waiting bearable but no pics today so I will try and upload the ones I couldn't upload yesterday.

Etruria to Stone

Locks 13 Miles 9.7

A good run today at last we are seeing other boats on the cut, fortunately at locks where we can halve the effort of locking by using the lock after a boat has left it or by leaving a lock for another boat to use.

The following pictures are of some pottery kilns that are still visible in Stoke -on-Trent.

These two now stand alone in the midst of a housing development.

How long this one will keep is factory surroundings is anyone's guess.

Bosley Top to Etruria

Locks 13 Miles 14.8 1 long Tunnel

I have worn two hats today one to keep off the rain and one to keep off the sun. The day startedwith some sunshine to see us down Bosley locks. Every lock was already full and locks 8,9,10 & 12 even had their gates open. It made me feel quite guilty using 12 locksworth of water to make our descent, no-one coming up to take ovr the empties either. Harecastle tunnel was similar straight in as no one was waiting at either end, took 35 mins to get through.

Thursday 13 June 2013
High Lane to Bosley Top
Locks 0 Miles 12.3 1 Swing Bridge

At least we set off in the dry. The forecast all week was for rain on Thursday and this was the week they got it right. We got as far as Whiteley Green before the rain started and it was a downpour all the way through Bollington. As all the photos from my previous years blogs appear to be lost in PICASA I was hoping to get plenty of up-to-date photographs of local places as well as some from further afield without repeating what I had done in earlier blog postings. At the moment the rain has kept the camera inside.

Gralyn for Sale

As stated in my last post we have decided to sell GRALYN at the end of our cruise to the Thames this year. I will be advertising the fact in the windows inviting interested parties to request a leaflet with further details. The leaflet also has some photographs of the inside on the back but to do them justice as far as size goes I can only get four pictures on the page. There are several that I took that show some of the internal features more closely and I have included an invite on the leaflet to look here to see more

I have just been reviewing the blog before I start on the 2013 trip report and it looks like I didn't finish last years trip report and I seem to have lost all the pictures. I will look into this and see what I can do to catch up and find the pictures.
In the meantime we are getting ready for our summer trip, this year it is to be our final long outing in Gralyn as we have decided to sell the boat at the end of this years cruising season.
The reason we are so late setting off is  medical appointment for the friends we hope to travel with. If all is well we should be off by the 12 June

Friday 10 August 2012

Dover Lock to Dunham Massey
Miles21.5, Locks 0 Lift Bridges 1
An early start today to get to Plank Lane Lift Bridge before "Rush Hour" starts at 8 am. Then a short stop in Leigh for groceries and then on into the heat of the day and the long booring runs to Worsley through Trafford Park and Sale. We were amazed that as we were going over the Barton swing bridge we met two boats coming in the opposite direction. There is still not a good enough connection for pictures but they will come.
Yesterday Thursday 9 August 2012
Duttons Farm to Dover Lock
Miles 12.7 Locks 8 Swing Bridges 2
We have come through Wigan today and are on the Leigh Branch of the Leeds and Liverpool Canal. We spent the day travelling behind a couple from Wales who had been on the Lancaster Canal for 2 months. The lady was working the locks with the "Help" of her 2 young grandchildren so wre very slow . We met up with them at each lock and helped them through..
End

Wednesday 8 August 2011

Melling to Burscough
Miles 14.5, Swing bridges 8
We stayed at bridge 10 near Melling last night and set off early to do the 12 miles to Bridge 31 before noon when the CaRT (BW) staff operating the lock, because of a control panel failure, went off for he afternoon. We made that and stopped briefly in Burscough to visit the shops and have lunch. After we went on to moor opposite Duttons farm near Bridge 35. M and B went to look at the reconstruction of a neolithic hut in the field opposite. They came back full of praises for the site which is the work of the owner after the discovery of several sites in the field where there was evidence that huts had been built there.
Yesterday
Liverpool to Melling
Miles 12.2 Locks 6 Swing bridges 3
A Rainy day for our departure hence no pictures. Apart from the weather the trip went well and we once again had the fun of navigating the deep docks as we made our way to Stanley dock locks. Once on the Leeds and  Liverpool canal we had a problem with plastic bags on the prop and one got on so badly that
we had to stop and go down the weed hatch to get it off.
I will try and get some photos of the Liverpool visit ready for tomorrow.
End

Wednesday August 1 2012

Litherland to Salthouse Dock Liverpool
Miles 6.2 Locks 6
6 Pictures today of our arrival in Liverpool
Approaching Princes Dock Lock with the Liver Building in the background

 Waiting at Canning Dock Lock. There was some traffic on and off the River Mersey meaning we had about an hour wait to pass into Canning Dock

 Moving into Canning Half Tide Dock. On the left are the buildings of the Albert Dock.

 Passing through Albert Dock with one of the DUKW vehicles, in the far distance, full of tourists.

 Another DUKW passing our mooring in Salthouse Dock

 The moorings in Salthouse Dock

I will post some pictures of our passage from the Leeds & Liverpool canal to Princes Dock Lock tomorrow.
End

Tuesday 31 July 2012 Part 2

Aintree to Litherland
Miles 6 Swing Bridges 1
A change of plan. just after midday when th NCCC crowd had joined us at bridge 9, a couple of C&RT guys turned up and asked if we were prepared to start our trip early by travelling to Litherland today. We all agreed and off we set. The canal has lots of rubbish in it and th4 cruisers had lots of trouble with plastic bags on their props. Once at Litherland we did a pump-out and moored up for the night. This post is being composed and sent from the nearby Tesco coffee shop that has free WiFi
End

Tuesday 31 July 2012

Maghull to Aintree
1 Mile, 1 Swing Bridge
We have moved up to bridge 9 in anticipation of the arrival of the rest of the NCCC convoy. It only took about 20 mins not even long enough for M to dry her hair so she did that after we had moored up. Waiting for our passage along the Liverpool Link starting at 9 am tomorrow.

Monday 30 July 2012

Burscough to Maghull
Miles 12.9 Locks 0 Swing Bridges 7
We are on our way again and at last we have managed to post updates to the blog so looke further down to catch up with our trip from the time we were in Lymm. I can now thank S for bringing the Nicholsons guides that we had left at home I never realized how much I referre to them whilst we are travelling. todays pic is of us moored by bridge 10 (close to Aintree Race Course) where we will wait until Wednesday Morning when we start our trip on the Liverpool Link

I Will not post tomorrow but will hopefully be posting lots of pics of our trip through Liverpool Docks and in front of the Three Graces on Wednesday evening
End

Sunday 29 July 2012

At Burscough
The boat stayed at Burscough all day whilst we went to the seaside on the train. Southport is only 13 mins away and the fare was cheaper than that on the tram that takes you to the end of the pier.

Saturday 28 July 2012

Crooke to Burscough

Miles8.4 Locks 2 Swing bridges 3

The scenery changes quite dramatically as we descended the River Douglas valley. Starting with rolling hills and finishing on a fen like plain. we have now entered the land of swing bridges we can expect more to come. The plus side is that we will next meet locks on Wednesday when we start the Liverpool Link

Friday 27 July 2012

Worsley to Crooke
Miles 26.1, Locks 6 and one lift bridge
We are now on the Leeds and Liverpool Canal just west of Wigan
We passed the famous "Wigan Pier" The one below is the real one

 And this is the pretender

End

Thursday 26 July 2012

Lymm to Worsley
Miles 15.7 Locks 0 Swing Bridges 1
Today's trip saw us crossing the western edge of Greater Manchester passing through sale stretford and worsley. We crossed the  Manchester Ship Canal at Barton

 Passed a lighthouse near Patricroft

Moored by Worsley Delf and had a visit from Ex 90th friends P&P.

End

Anderton to Lymm

Miles 17.3 Locks 1 Tunnels 3.

Shortly after leaving Anderton we passed through Dutton and  Saltisford tunnels then a long run and a lock with a fall of 3 inches and we were at Preston Brook tunnel the longest of the day. The pic is of us waiting to go through. The timing for the trip north is on the hour for 10 minuets then wait for the next hour.

 Once through we were on the Bridgewater Canal in most parts deep and wide. The remaining pictures are of the moorings at Lymm.

 Yesterday
 Middlewich to Anderton
Miles 9.9 Locks 1
We were joined by our friends on Elizabeth and shared the only lock of the day, the Big Lock in Middlewich. A clear run saw us mooring just north of the boat lift. Pic of the day is of the run up pounds to the lift caissons.

End

Flashes to Middlewich
Miles3.2, locks 4

The last of our short trip days as we will join our friends tomorrow for the journey to Liverpool. We split our day travelling to Middlewich first thing this morning, going shopping having our lunch (fish and chips) sat on a bench below Kings Lock. After lunch we moved down 4 locks but only traveled about a mile befor mooring again on the Town Moorings close to the "Big Lock". The picture tonight taken about 15 mins ago is looking north from our mooring

End

Weaver Aqueduct to The Flashes.
Miles 3.8 locks 0
Such a short trip today I didn't even take any photo's so I will put up some of the crossing of the Pontcysyllte Aqueduct I didn't show earlier.

 We think that the black boxes in the field were for the lighting up session that was to be held later that day to celebrate the first day of The canal & River Trust.

 The River Dee below.

 Almost across.

This final picture is of the mooring in the CaRT basin at Llangollen.
A short trip into Middlewich tomorrow hopefully S will be visiting us. I will try and persuade him to bring the Nicholson's Guides I left at home.
End.

Nantwich to The R Weaver Aqueduct on the Middlewich Branch
Miles 8.5, Locks 2 days 2
No post last night as there was no signal to connect to the internet. It is looking good tonight so i will try some pictures. WE spent the first part of the day in Chester. The picture below shows the can as it runs along the city wall

 today we passed Venetian Marina and there are some big changes going on. About a third of the mooring pontoons have been replaced , a third have been removed and are in the process of being replaced and the rest will, I suppose , be replaced later.

 We bought some diesel at Aqueduct Marina adn moored up a short distance away on the River Weaver Aqueduct 48 Hr moorings at about 10.45 and did  --- well not much for the rest of the day.

final picture is of the clock on the wall over the High street in Chester.
We plan to do about 2hrs cruising tomorrow in order to make Middlewich by Monday.