I cruised through some really good weather up to Rugeley and onto Great Haywood. Being single handed I always dread the Armitage "tunnel" as I have no crew to send ahead to warn oncoming craft. Instead I hope that there is not a single hander coming the other way. Anyway I blew my rather loud airhorn and made my way through without incident.
I have been doing quite a lot of train travel this year and I have started to note just how often my trains have been cancelled or delayed, even to the point where I have had to miss my connections. I managed to claim back part of my fare twice but that doesn't compensate for what is missed by a delayed journey. I wish the powers that be would concentrate on getting the current provision up to scratch rather than cutting through swathes of our beautiful countryside with vanity projects!!
My next main stop was Stone where I met up with Maisie and her friend, Doreen, so I stayed a couple of days. We had a tasty meal at The Star one evening and Doreen made a really nice meal the next evening. We added some crotchet roses to our friend Alex's memorial just up from the pub. Alex was taken too soon in a boat fire last year. While at Stone and once again enjoying fine weather I thought I would try using Polytrol to revive the boat's paintwork which is beginning to fade and become chalky. The finish is so much better and I hope it will last well. I noticed that other boaters are using Autoglym with good results so I might also try that. It sounds as if I am one of those boat polishers but believe me I only do this once every five years or so! Maisie and Doreen helped me up the locks and off I went to Etruria via Barlaston. I had a walk around Barlaston and the back road over towards the Wedgewood Estate has a really pretty walk.
When I arrived at Harecastle tunnel the keeper was already putting the boats through so I quick "have you done this tunnel before?" and I was on my way. Didn't even have time to fetch my torch but did put on a couple of cabin lights to help light the way. There was a huge queue at the Northern portal and a bit of chaos manoeuvring there. I nipped up onto the Macclesfield canal and moored near to Heritage boats. Next day I moved up to the Congleton visitor moorings and got a bus to Crewe so that I could go to the cinema to see Fishermen's Friends. It was quite a fun film although, like all modern films, really cinematised rather than factual. I have been to a few films over the summer including Rocketman and Yesterday.
Well what can I say about the Macclesfield canal? It has so many beautiful, quiet moorings with superb walks within easy reach. I had a go at Nab Head, Tegg's Nose, Mow Cop, Lyme Park and many others. Bugsworth Basin was worth a visit and, yes, I did have a drink in the Navigation. Anyway I was there on the Friday but started back and was at Bosley locks on the following Thursday when the news broke that Whaley Bridge was to be evacuated (We had two days of persistent rain on the Sunday and following Wednesday). That was quite a worry for the townsfolk for most of that week! I had help through all the locks from volunteer Ruth who did a sterling job. Thanks Ruth.
I did the return journey back through the tunnel. I was so slow coming through as I seemed to be gliding over something, so either the water was really shallow or I had something stuck under the hull. Once through the tunnel I did a couple of bursts of reverse and progress improved so i am still not sure why we were slow but I need to apologise to the two boats that were following me. They must have been thinking wtf. Back down to Etruria where I met up with Dave and Soozie. We had a great catch up having not seen each other since the Middlewich FAB 2017.
My Paloma water heater burst around this time and I am still trying to sort it out so no nice hot showers for the moment. I have cruised back towards my winter area but as the weather has been so good I have nipped up the Ashby canal for a week or so. I am unsure where to try to book my winter mooring this year as the one I have used for the last two years has gone up in price by 25%!! Why? Supply and demand - it was popular last year. I bet it won't be this year.
When I arrived at Harecastle tunnel the keeper was already putting the boats through so I quick "have you done this tunnel before?" and I was on my way. Didn't even have time to fetch my torch but did put on a couple of cabin lights to help light the way. There was a huge queue at the Northern portal and a bit of chaos manoeuvring there. I nipped up onto the Macclesfield canal and moored near to Heritage boats. Next day I moved up to the Congleton visitor moorings and got a bus to Crewe so that I could go to the cinema to see Fishermen's Friends. It was quite a fun film although, like all modern films, really cinematised rather than factual. I have been to a few films over the summer including Rocketman and Yesterday.
Well what can I say about the Macclesfield canal? It has so many beautiful, quiet moorings with superb walks within easy reach. I had a go at Nab Head, Tegg's Nose, Mow Cop, Lyme Park and many others. Bugsworth Basin was worth a visit and, yes, I did have a drink in the Navigation. Anyway I was there on the Friday but started back and was at Bosley locks on the following Thursday when the news broke that Whaley Bridge was to be evacuated (We had two days of persistent rain on the Sunday and following Wednesday). That was quite a worry for the townsfolk for most of that week! I had help through all the locks from volunteer Ruth who did a sterling job. Thanks Ruth.
I did the return journey back through the tunnel. I was so slow coming through as I seemed to be gliding over something, so either the water was really shallow or I had something stuck under the hull. Once through the tunnel I did a couple of bursts of reverse and progress improved so i am still not sure why we were slow but I need to apologise to the two boats that were following me. They must have been thinking wtf. Back down to Etruria where I met up with Dave and Soozie. We had a great catch up having not seen each other since the Middlewich FAB 2017.
My Paloma water heater burst around this time and I am still trying to sort it out so no nice hot showers for the moment. I have cruised back towards my winter area but as the weather has been so good I have nipped up the Ashby canal for a week or so. I am unsure where to try to book my winter mooring this year as the one I have used for the last two years has gone up in price by 25%!! Why? Supply and demand - it was popular last year. I bet it won't be this year.
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