Northwich Dry Dock Paint Shop

Day : Sunday
Date : 7 April 2019
Start : 1000 hrs
Finish : 1330 hrs Northwich Drydock paint shop

We were hoping for a better nights sleep last night, but the geese and aircraft had other ideas.
This morning I rang the Vale Royal lock keeper to tell him we were on our way, his reply come slowly as there are a load of rowing boats below my lock. It seems that the Northwich Rowing Club were holding races but hadn't informed the lock keepers.
By the time they had locked us down there wasn't a rowing boat in sight and as we passed under the railway viaduct a gent informed us that the next race would start at 11 am so we may meet some coming up the river, as it turned we just entered Hunts lock they were about to set of from the rowing club in the weir stream.
Once through the lock we moored on the new mooring in front of the cinema while we dismantled the bench from the front deck, then up to the water point to fill right up, this would keep the stern a bit higher fro Steve when he paints the tunnel bands. Just as we were finishing watering up a wide beam arrived to use the services and we moved up to the 48 hr moorings where we continued pack things away in the boat and covering things with dust sheets. Even when we finished and moved off the wide beam was still at the services. It was only a short way up the river to the wet dock, this time at the bottom of the weir stream.
Harnser will be here in the warm and dry for about 6 week and will be all shiny when it leaves.

This trip as well as spending a week in a dry dock we have done 112 miles and 11 locks, we have been to Lymm and Runcorn on the Bridgewater and from Saltersford to Winsford on the river Weaver.

Today's Journey

3¾ Miles, 2 Locks in 1¾ hours

Vale Royal

Day : Saturday
Date : 6 April 2019
Start : 0920
Finish : 1530 Vale Royal moorings

Well this morning we escaped from the dry dock, Matt came along about 8 is and got things ready and we vacated the boat so the steps could be removed.
When Matt drew the paddle in the gate the water came in at quite a rate hitting the first bostock which takes the sting out of it, it was

  then a matter of waiting until Harnser was afloat and the lock full so that she could be draw to the side so we could re board.

Then at 9-20 AM. we set off backwards out of the lock turning in the weir stream, I was quite pleased that the sluices were closed down this morning so there was little flow. You can see how the mouth of the dry dock is just in front and one side of the sluice gates.

There were plenty of rowers about when we made our way out onto the river and headed upstream to Vale Royal lock. When we arrived the keepers were about to open the gate for us as the lock keeper at Hunts had given him a ring to say we were coming.
Once clear of the lock we went to the head of navigation at Winsford and filled with water, the first fill up since last Friday afternoon. We then dropped down to The Red Lion moorings and went in for lunch. After bit of a lengthy break we carried on down stream to the Vale Royal visitor moorings where we have stopped for the night.

Today's Journey

6¼ Miles 2 Locks in 3¼ hours