Had a good run up the rest of the Cheshire Locks. Three before Red Bull we got a holding tank red light warning, so really perfect timing to check out the user operated pump-out at Red Bull. Worked perfectly although it took us ages to get the boat positioned for an offside access port given the rather short pipe provided in the cabinet principally because the bollards were in the wrong place. Couple of the CRT bank staff thought it was funny and that I just needed a shorter boat. Well can't complain. We did get the job done. The hire boat following us thought we were in the queue for the lock even though we had pumpout tubing all over the place and as the boat coming down said he had left the gates for us we assumed that the lock was ours. Just as everything had been put away and I started for the lock in a final approach Pat told me to back off. The lock had been taken. Red Bull Lock cannot be seen from the landing. It is round the corner, but it put me in a poor position reversing furiously and going all over the place. The secret of good canal boat handling is anticipation. Then a shopping stop for Kidsgrove TESCO, lunch and on towards the tunnel. We were second in line with a 30 minute wait.
CRT certainly have upgraded their safety advice since the old BW days. Each boat skipper was given a miniature lecture, all for the better of course, and included horn and light check. We were let in at one minute intervals with at least 3 boats behind us. By the time we got to the other end, 37 minutes later, we were 4 minutes behind the leader. Rather that than up his backside. The tunnel is very low in places requiring heads down in a half crouch, so the wind generator has to be moved. The one behind was very far behind. We stopped at Westport Lake. Good moorings in a pleasant location.
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