Did a weed hatch job last night and retrieved a heavy plastic bag and some strong waterweed stems wrapped around needing the diving knife to free them. So all was well once we started the cruise this morning and we should not have a lot of further trouble. The Trent and Mersey Canal on which we are now on is much narrower and shallower than the Bridgewater we have just left. Reeds are proliferating and narrowing the channel in places in one instance where there is a line of moored boats reducing it to single line working and on a bend too, so that there is no sign of an opposite direction until too late. The views however are stunning, when the hedgerow permits you to see them, over the Weaver Valley from 50 feet above as the canal winds along the hillside. We arrived at Saltisford Tunnel (N) with only 5 minutes to go for the timed entrance needed. (20 minutes from the half hour). The tunnel is quite bent at the end, and as the book says, the other end is not visible from the North. I realise now why I had so much trouble getting control of the boat when entering from the south. The sudden change from full daylight to darkness, even with the headlight, takes a few seconds for the eyes to adapt nad then you find the tunnel isn’t leading where you thought it was.
Barton Tunnel is still a bit wiggly and there is no time restriction. The only problem is that one cannot see if it is clear until already in it due to the 90 degree turn necessary at the entrance.
We found the rubbish drop at Anderson’s Service (thank you Sue) and had a pretty uneventful run down to Middlewich. Expecting most moorings to be taken (it was lunchtime) we stopped short and tied up just after the Croxted Aqueduct. At least we are in the shade after another sultry hot day, however it was much further from the supermarket stop which I had hoped for and after a mile walk almost found that the moorings are plentiful and pleasant above the Big Lock.
Comments