Northwich

This morning Diana spotted this flat and tug hovering alongside. He was waiting for the Town Bridge to swing and timed it perfectly, well he has been boating since he was a kid.

We headed upstream to visit Matt at the Northwich Drydock Since we were here last they have got the side slip working, I can’t think where there is another working one in the UK, loads in mainland Europe.

Just beyond this is where the dredging is taking place so moorings alongside the yard are limited but we got in up near the end of the drydock.

After finding Matt and having a chat we turned round and headed back downstream, we had to wait a few minutes for the dredger driver to make safe so that we could pass.
Down at Anderton lift the Daniel Adamson  was still 

moored up. She is doing a few cruises from there over the next couple of weeks so we will probably see her on the move. We made our way downstream passing an island of Floating Pennywort before mooring for lunch . While were there Rueben came back up with his tug and an empty flat, slowing as he passed us. Soon it was time for us to set off so we went a little further downstream, passed where the dredging's were being offloaded to

wind and head back upstream. Again we had to pass under Winnington Bridge, this photo shows the arch a bit better.

We just passed the Anderton Lift and the pontoon moorings when Diana spotter the bow of a loaded flat coming round the bend. I gave a quick blast on the horn to let him know we were there and we passed with loads of room. We are now moored in exactly the same spot as last night.
At the moment you have to book Hunts and Vale Royal locks. I have booked Hunts OK for tomorrow and return Thursday but there are no bookings available at all for Vale Royal so that’s a none runner, I will ring them in the morning.

Today’s journey

 

7¾ miles with no locks in 2¼ hours