Another murky damp morning. First job today was get water. So we only needed to move around the corner to Wheelock water point. There are two water pedestals here. A boat was moored on the distant one in the photo but the near one was free only there were no bollards to secure the boat to.
The centre rope wrapped round the large rock on the left seemed to solve the problem as long as needed, so problem solved. Once the tank was full again we set off for Middlewich. A flashing “red light” appeared yesterday evening. This means that the toilet holding tank is almost full and we only get three “goes” before the flush cuts off. There are two known options at Middlewich to get the tank pumped out, so keeping our fingers and sphincters crossed. Middlewich is mostly a long run, but with 4 locks. The first were almost full, the third was readied for us by an opposite direction boat kindly waiting and the last - well Pat had to fill it. The lady at the third asked where we were going and when Pat said Liverpool she replied “That’s funny. The boat in front is headed there too”.
Kings Lock Chandlery doesn’t do pump outs. Middlewich Narrowboats, now under new management apparently is closed on Wednesday but Andersen Boats was also deserted, but after a phone call sent a man down to sort us out. Well done. Next was the Big Lock. It is big enough for two boats side by side but no wide beam would ever get there because just further on is the Croxton Aqueduct only 7ft wide. Our plan puts us at Bramble Cutting for the night. In spite of all our delays we arrived there at 12:30, although the attractive offside moorings appeared full. There are rings on the towpath side in the run up to the site, no no problem.
Checked the diesel and it looks like we have half a tank still which is about right. One tank should last us 2 weeks cruising.
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