We pushed of in reasonable weather, really a bit nondescript at quarter to ten, we set off up stream n=to Northwich Drydock to have a word with Matt about Saturdays arrangements for going onto dock. I managed to upset a lady single handed who we met just before the Northwich services, she was ¾ of the way to the left hand side and when I was about a boat length from her she started waving to her left hand side, which was where I was going. What she meant was she was going to her left, backwards, upstream once the services were clear. Luckily Matt came out of the workshop as we arrived so was able to talk to us by standing on the foot bridge to the CRT Northwich yard. That done we dropped back, winded where the wear stream comes out and headed down stream for the day.
When were were moored in the area over some months we watched the riverside chemical works being dismantled and then the site being cleared, It now looks as if Taylor Wimpey have started developing the site.
Down at Saltersford Lock we were greeted by the lock wide open and a dredger working just in the mouth of the lock, its the same one that fished up a communication cable last week. We slid past easily into the lock, where the lock keeper asked us to go to the front of the lock and would we mind waiting while they brought the barge down, it only need another 2 bucket fulls. He also told us how slow the lock is to empty now taking at least twice as long as it should. Eventually the push tug was coupled to the mud hopper and came in beside us.
As we very slowly descended I discussed with the tug skipper who should go out first, He said he was quite fast and didn’t want to be held up by me, but as he would be stopping before Acton and I was going on it might be better if I went first. In the end we agreed I would go first , if he was catching me up he would blow his horn and I would let him past. When the gates opened I had the ropes off and was away, I never caught sight of him again. We were in the lock for a good hour in total.
Down at Dutton Lock this old hulk is rapidly falling apart and most of the superstructure has fallen off now, what remains is hanging by a thread. Thankfully Dutton lock was much faster to empty even if we did have to wait for the gates to open.
By now the sun was getting warm and there wasn’t a breath of wind, we hadn’t expected this sort of weather today. The Weaver navigation were very keen on reinforced concrete, They used it for lamp posts and for signage, unfortunately there are not many of the distance signs left .
We carried on to the end of navigation with the weather getting warmer and us removing layers, we winded at the entrance to the old Runcorn Canal and
in the time it took us to wind the weather changed, the wind picked up, it started to hail followed by rain, what surprised me was the speed in which they brought the wind generators online.
By the Runcorn Rowing club at Rock Savage there is the turning pin from an old swing bridge, but something I have noticed before, on the opposite bank inside a metal fence is what looks like a bridge deck, I have no idea if this is the deck from that bridge or not.
We continued upstream to the Sutton Weaver Visitor Moorings where we have moored for the night, we could have had the pick of any of the moorings as we have only seen two boats on visitor moorings below the lift.
Today’s Journey
19 miles, 2 locks in 5¾hours
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