After a very enjoyable week spent in Liverpool helped by some decent weather it is time to go. My daughter and family joined us for a few days by train from Kent. Four Narrowboats and a broad beam were scheduled to leave today. We were with the second pair and we were advised to give the first 10 minutes to clear Mann Island Lock with is small rise. Sid, the C&RT guy in charge was there to set the lock for us and told us that the first two boats ahead of us had been asked to set Princes Lock for us. The landing stage below Mann Island is well accessible on the left side, but Princes Lock can be a little more difficult as it is just a stair access quite close to the bottom lock gates. One can easily step off from the bow. Less easily from the stern which is way back for a 60 foot boat. As it happened, the previous boats were just clearing the lock, so there was some delay getting it ready. The channel through Princes Dock and beyond is marked by orange buoys, but it is not immediately clear on which side they should be passed. Better they were cans or cones with conventional colours which makes it easy. Arriving at the bottom of the Stanley Flight we were happy to see a full team of volunteer Lock Keepers and the bottom Lock was being prepared for us. On our journey last week these locks, and indeed the canal main line above, were weed infested. The bottom lock still had a bit of a problem, but further up it improved and the canal above was clear. It seems that all the weed had been driven down towards Eldonian Basin by a change of wind, or it had been cleared, although there was no sign of that. Consequently, no weed hatch trip was necessary, and once on the move again we made very good time to Litherland. The moorings there were deserted. We need a pump out here as there are few opportunities further on apart from the boat club at Scarisbrick where a phone call might prove the desired result.
So we stop here the night and it puts us within 2 hours or so of Bridge 9 with its restricted operating hours.
The photo: Early morning at Litherland C&RT secure moorings.
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