Park Farm Marina Friday 23 March 2018

This morning we walked to the Middlewich Branch to what progress was being made refloating the stranded boats.

CRT have 3 electric pumps below Wardle lock pumping water back above the lock to fill the section from here to a dam just before the breach.

The pumps are electrically powered from a generator on a boat sitting on the Trent and Mersey canal near the entrance to Wardle lock.

Someone from CRT has been along all the boats and fitted a bung in their exhaust pipes to stop water entering as the level rises.

They have had to station personnel all the way up the Cheshire locks to ensure that they don't draw the small pound below Kings lock down. We walked along the towpath as far as the dam where the towpath is now closed off. On the way back we passed on of the appeal notices that CRT have erected and just as we left they were erecting a Gazebo on the towpath where I expect they will be fund raising.

Hopefully all the stranded boats will be out by Monday morning.

We walked back to the boat and set off for a very slow cruse back to Park farm Marina, slow because we need to recharge the batteries and if we just cruise ant normal speed they will be nowhere near charged when we arrive. As the day progressed the weather warmed up and we stopped for a while by Whatcroft Flash while I did a couple of jobs on the boat. One was to fit a new 13A socket in the bedroom, the one we had was wired before the bedroom was redesigned so the socket was not in the most convenient place. The socket I fitted also has double USB ports which will be handy for powering the Ipad.

I also repaired the anemometer transmitter, well bodged actually. The bearing is shot but a dribble of WD40 soon had it spinning away again. The question is, should I try and fit a new bearing or try to get a new head. It came from Maplin so I am not holding my breath.

Also while we were moored we cleared up the rubbish that some other boater just left on the towpath, we will drop this at Anderton services Sunday.

Today's Journey 4.9 miles, 1 lock in 2¼ hours.