Summary

I have been doing the sums and checked the log, we have done the following on our summer trip.

Miles 801.

Locks 414.

3 Long Tunnels - Braunston,Blisworth and Harecastle x 2.

7 Tidal Miles - 2 River Great Ouse and 5 River Thames.

and finally about 500 litres of Diesel.

Blog Reopens

We are getting ready for another trip on the boat. This time we will be off to the Runchorn branch of the Bridgewater canal and then back to Anderton, down the lift and onto the R Weaver and then if we have the time and inclanation up the Langollen.

Dongle Check

I have just reactivated the network 3 broadband dongle in advance of next Saturday's departure. I thought that I had better check it all out B4 we set off. Seems to be working fine, will make my next update when we get to Whiteley Green next week. Untill then there is the boat to load up with clothes, food and my cameras etc. Once it is all on the water levels better be normal or we will be scraping the bottom to Bosley top lock.

2009 Cruising Blog Starts

The Blog has been resurrected from its winter slumber and in a fortnights time we will be on our Summer Cruise. We have started to get the boat ready by taking all the bedding and towels etc that we will need for about 6 weeks to the boat yesterday.
We have been out on the boat since the last blog entry in August 2008 all with the NCCC on club organised cruises. The first under the new Commodore John Suggitt was to the Services and Social club at Marple, better known as "The Legion" on Boxing day 2008.The next outing was to Bridge 20 on the Macclesfield Canal on 22nd of March the day after our 46th wedding anniversary (yes I did remember it). This was the NCCC opening cruise of the season.
At Easter we cruised South on the Macc staying at Macclesfield on Good Friday night and had my first game ever of indoor bowls using full size bowls. Saturday saw is cruising to Fools Nook and taking a bus trip to Leek (aren't Senior bus passes wonderful) followed by an evening in the pub ( wanted to call it the Royal Oak but it seems that the sign outside is now calling it The Fools Nook). On Sunday a short trip to Gurnet Aqueduct for the Easter Bonnet,Hat,Tie and decorated egg competition.
My Hat won the men's hat section much to my surprise. I thought the guy with the chicken hat should have won. Anyway Marilyn enjoyed the Chocolate egg that was the prize. Unfortunately there were no Photographs of the winning hat (thank goodness).Easter Monday was the return to High Lane. Water levels were low throughout the weekend making mooring close to the bank difficult, partucularly in Macclesfield.
Mayday Bank holiday took us to Bugsworth Basin, the water levels on the Macc and Upper Peak Forest Canals was about 4 inches lower than normal and it took us about 10 minutes to get the boat afloat at our moorings and after that a slow trip to Bugsworth. I understand that it is BW policy to lower the canal levels before a bank holiday to avoid any call outs if there is any un-forcast heavy rain, this seems madness as it is the time when the levels should be maintained to let the increased traffic pass one another without going aground. I wonder if it is the same on all canals or is it just the Macc, which is a shallow canal anyway.

We're Off (again)

Miles 22.5 Locks 12.


We have finally set off on our extended cruise to the River Thames. Today travelling South on the Macclesfield Canal descending Bosley Locks and mooring by Bridge 86 where the footpath goes off to Little Morton Hall.






First picture is of the repairs being made to the retaining wall that almost slipped into the canal in January.






This shows us moored @ Bridge 86 with Mow Cop in the background.

Polishing

I have just spent the last two days polishing the cabin sides. It all started last Monday as we were returning from our afternoon trip. the only place where we had to pass a boat coming the other way was by a large bush and a branch scratched the side of the cabin. Yesterday I decided that the scratch could be ploished out and so it could, but it made the rest look a bit tatty so the whole side got done. Today I did the other side - well you cant just do one side can U?.

Out on a Sunny afternoon

We are going "Stir Crazy" waiting for test results to find out if we can be off. This lunchtime we decided rather than go shopping etc we would go for a run out on the boat. We went from High Lane to Bridge 20 on the Macc had our sandwiches and sat around keeping cool. There was supprisingly enough quite a few other boats about with one Dawncraft going a full hull repaint on the overflow @ bridge 20 .

Pics Today show Gralyn on her moorings in the High Lane Arm and the inevitable family of Mallards that came to greet us as we moored up for our butties.

Practice Pics

Just a practice of putting pics on this blog.

Gralyn @ lock 5 on the Bosley Flight

Blog Revived

It is a long time since I have touched this Blog but as I prefere the backgrounds to the ones in Freeblogit I will continue our 2008 travels on this blog linking it to the old one