Easter and May Day Bank holidays

EASTER
We sailed from our moorings in Highlane to Bugsworth Basin on Thursday in the main to get a mooring as we knew there would be lots of boats there as the Nccc were having their annual competitions and would be putting on two evenings of entertainment. Both events were well attended as there was an open invitation for all boaters to attend the events as a fund raising effort for IWPS the group that look after and develop the basin.

Boats in the Middle Basin by the small arm.
Gralyn Moored in the Lower Arm
Boats in the lower basin

The weather stayed fine all the weekend and everyone seemed to enjoy themselves. There was also contingents of boats from Tudor Boat Club ( Ashton Canal) and Stoke Boat Club (Caldon canal).
MAY DAY
Like most, for us the May Day Holiday started with the Royal Wedding and a BBQ at Highlane followed by a cruise to Whiteley Green by bridge 24 on the Macclesfield canal. After our BBQ on the Friday evening , Saturday was spent on an earlier than planned pre-summer maintenance session as the engine died at the start of the battery recharging session with fuel problems. Both water trap and engine fuel filters were filled with gunge. These were eventually replaced and the bottom of the fuel tank cleared of sludge and water ( not much as expected though we think that what there was had been moved as a result of the boat sitting on the bottom at its moorings). Still lesson learn, keep spare fuel filters on board and check them more frequently.

This Years Cruising Plans

We are joining the NCCC cruise to the Caldon Canal on the Spring Bank Holiday and then heading South and East to Lincoln and Boston with the intention of making a "New Run" on the South 40 ft Drain or Black Dyke as I think it is also called. The return will also include the River Soar and the GU Leicester section to Norton Junction (also a New Run). Once at Braunston plans are then open - depending on how we feel as the Thames is only a 3 day cruise away and we do like the Thames.

Next Blog entry should be as we set off on the Caldon trip