Rain first thing but it stopped before we set off and didn’t return, however there was a cold wind and inspire of warm coats we were both shivering by journey end. Since we arrived at Barlaston a long line of moored boats had appeared ahead of us. Once this was passed we reached Trentham Lock and unusually at this early time of the morning whereas we would expect to have a free run, there was a boat just entering above. On the run to Stoke on Trent we passed just one boat and the deep Stoke Bottom Lock was ours for the taking, as was the next with its gloomy approach under a very low railway bridge. I had taken the precaution of removing the wind generator fin for this one as I remember a previous occasion when it cleared by a whisker. 
Much to Pat’s delight the deep top lock at Etruria was manned by 3 volunteers. Pressing on we encountered a small opposite direction flotilla after Westport Lake which was encouraging because they would have emerged from the tunnel giving us a good chance of no delay. So it was. Just two two other boats waiting to go in and one still to emerge. After the usual briefing, life jacked donned and an extra roof light readied we were off. The tunnel has very little roof clearance in the central section marked by reflective paint where it changes contour. A roof light (actually my bike headlight) sitting on the roof is invaluable for highlighting these sudden changes. A few years back a helmsman disappeared en-route and was found dead sometime later possibly after being struck on the head. The boat had carried on and only because it was bouncing back and forth on the tunnel sides was there any clue that something disastrous had happened. We dropped one lock to moor for the night. We are still one day and one lock ahead of plan.
A rather murky snap out of the top lock at Etruria illustrates the weather today
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