Shackerstone Wednesday 25 December 2019

Day : Wednesday
Date : 25 December 2019
Start : 1000
Finish : 1315 Shackerstone

Firstly a merry Christmas to you all.

I went for my early morning wee and the sky was blood read along the eastern horizon, I really should have got the camera an taken a photo, but I went back to bed.

We set off at 10 am. in bright sun and it stayed out for most of the day making it feel quite warm, but this after noon the temperature made a marked drop. First job was to top up with water at Sutton Wharf, before you get to the wharf you pass a long line of offside long term moorings, one of the boats had an interesting fender on the bows., there is also another interesting boat but more about that on the return journey. The moorers here are also very specific at what speeds they would like boaters passing their moorings, I don't think I can actually go that slow without dropping out of gear.

As we filled with water I looked over to the rubbish disposal compound, they have a real problem with rats here with fresh holes all over the place and quite a bit of soil on the concrete base inside the compound. There are ten poison boxes around the perimeter, whether they are being kept fully baited I don't know. As we filled with water a hire boat came by, the only boat we saw moving all day. Once full we push on and soon passed that single hire boat as he was mooring up.

It wasn't long before we entered the SSSI that this canal runs through, its a good job its not positively policed as the official as there are not that many official moorings and I don't know what they expect to happen to the grey water.

We decided not to stop for an early lunch as the sun was getting lower in the sky but to continue on to Shackerstone visitor moorings where we have stopped for the night. We just had a light Christmas lunch with fresh fruit salad made wit slow gin for desert. The vegetables are now on the top of the Dickinson and the Turkey roll is in the oven, so we have that to look forward to later.

Today's Journey8¾ Miles 0 Locks in 3¼ hours.

IMPORTANT NOTICE All of the above is my personal opinion and does not represent those of any official body or notices. All comments made to this blog are checked before being accepted any made anonymously are accepted but if you leave a name I could say thanks.