Sutton Bridge Wednesday 28 March 2018

Will it rained again last night, and still my body is not in line with the clock so had trouble waking up this morning. Departure was again delayed, not due to rain but hail. When it finally stopped at 1030 I contacted the Saltersford Lock Keeper to say we were on our way, he told me other boats were coming down but if we were there before the others he would work me down, however just as I was dropping the stern rope of this pair came along.

It would be bad manners to pull out in front of them so I let them by and followed them down to the lock. If you look closely you can see Roger doing the brass on Clematis in the rain. As usual she was paired with the butty Ilford They went right to the front of the lock and I came in behind them, a few minutes later another ex working boat Alcor arrived and lay beside us. They are heading for Ellesmere Port via the Manchester Ship Canal for Easter.

Being on the inside at the back we were last out of the lock but it wasn't long beforeAlcor was winding it on and heading ahead only to be waiting for us in Dutton Lock. As they were all mooring overnight below Dutton Lock I was invited to leave first, looking back you can see just how big this lock is.

Unfortunately the Peregrine Falcons have not returned to the viaduct this year, however the Ravens have nested and an Egret has also been seen in the area as will as a Short eared Owl.

I assume it was CRT or someone working for them carrying out a survey at the old demolished Pickerings Bridge. At first as we approached I thought it was someone with a model boat crossing the river but when we got closer we could see the operators and the boat more clearly. There is more information about it HERE.

We carried on to our planned mooring for the night just before Sutton swing bridge, there were several boats moored hear and there was just room for us between the first two. The chap on the first boat came out and kindly took my stern line so it didn't take us long to make fast. We hadn't been here long when we heard the barriers of the bridge go down so we wondered who was coming through, but they just opened and then closed the bridge again.

It will be opening again tomorrow to let the Daniel Adamson through, a stem powered historic vessel, so maybe they were just checking it still worked before it arrived.

Today's Journey 8 miles, 2 locks in 2¾ hours