This morning we set off at 9-15 am the short trip the lift holding moorings, there was already a hire boat waiting. It was just on half nine when we had tied up and I went down to the office to see if we could get on the 10 am transit, we were in luck and soon loaded into the left hand caisson.
By quarter past ten we were down on the Weaver and it started to rain. On leaving the lift we turned upstream and stopped at Northwich for services. There have been some new pontoons installed near the bottom of the lift but they are not open for use yet.
We chugged up through the town to Hunts Lock, I hadn’t bothered to ring the keeper so we had to wait for the lock to be made ready. We must have made an impression as the keeper remembered us from last year. While we were locking up he rang the keeper at vale Royal lock so that one was ready for us. There use to be a bridge across both lock chambers at Vale Royal lock but for some years the one crossing the small lock has be derelict
and out of use. When the bridge is repaired and put back in place the temporary footbridge over the tail of the small lock will be removed. This will mean the the bridge will need to be opened for every lock usage and pedestrian traffic will have to stop. The weather still couldn’t make its mind up, a bit of drizzle and a bit of fine with a cold breeze. We continued to just passed the official head of navigation again leaving CRT controlled waters to just enter the Winsford Flashes before turning hard left to moor on
the Winsford Marina visitor moorings. The photograph shows the moorings as you approach the flash still on the river, we still had to go further up river and turn back into them at the far end. Although bay is surrounded by decking and moorings the only bit deep enough is along the park edge. There were two Narrowboats already there but there was just room for us to get in on the end. I understand these new moorings are going to be opened by Timothy West next week, I hope they clean the decking before then as its like a skating rink and Diana nearly fell over on it.
Once moored we went to The Red Lion for Sunday Lunch, while we were there the sky’s opened and it pored with rain. I can’t think of a better place to be when its like that.
Today’s Journey 
7½ miles, 1 canal, 1 river, 2 locks, 1 boat lift in 3¾ hours
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