Tarporley Friday 5 July 2019

Day : Friday
Date : 5 July 2019
Start : 1215 hrs
Finish : 1700 hrs https://what3words.com/expressed.risks.folk

Last night we ate at the Turkish Restaurant Meze we have eaten here before a couple of times and the place has been busy, last night it was dead, with only 4 of us in there. Afterwards we went for a short wander around and saw very few people, most restaurants were almost empty but a lot of people sleeping in shop doorways.

This morning we did a bit of shopping, books and jigsaws from charity shops, and there are plenty to chose from before setting off just after mid day. We had seen a boat go up earlier so as expected the first lock was against us, but then things looked up with a boat coming towards us, so the gate was left open. The next lock had a hire boat in it so we went in when they came down, by now there were two moor waiting to come down and they helped work the lock. Passing The Bridge Inn the revellers from the Wake have all gone, there are still flower tributes in the pub and this one to "Speedy" floating in the canal, its constructed on empty water bottles. At Broughton we had a good view of the cricket ground, looks as if it was a school sports day or something, definitely not cricket.

We caught up with the boat ahead at Greenfield lock and he offered to wait at the next lock, our last lock of the day so we shared that.

As the day has gone on the weather has got hotter, it started cool but this afternoon the sun was beating down. We passed this shed that seems to have lost its rigidity a bit.

Diana steered past the Golden Nock Moorings and timed it, 40 minutes end to end. We carried on to moor almost opposite the Shady Oak pub, we managed to find a space on the 48hr mooring, why do boaters not use the very end ring on a mooring, never mind the gaps.

Today's Journey

10 Miles 5 Locks in 4¾ hours

Chester Thursday 4 July 2019

Day : Thursday
Date : 4 July 2019
Start : 1040hrs
Finish : 1620hrs https://what3words.com/loaf.lobby.cycles

We had just set off this morning when the first group of DoE. kids came back from yesterday, and then another, we counted 50 and after about a mile we passed this DoE checkpoint so I enquired, they had camped overnight and were now on their way back and there were over 70 of them.

Today it 's so warm I am wearing shorts but its been bit of a slow journey, Just past Tattenhall marina is Golden Nook far moorings with about a mile of moored boats, so this took around half an hour and we met 3 boats coming the other way.

As we made our way along the canal I heard a plane and looking round saw an Airbus Beluga going over behind us, these take Airbus parts from the UK to France.

We stopped for lunch a short way before the Cheshire Cat and then pushed on filling with water just before Christleton Lock. While we were having lunch a boat went by so we expected all locks to be against us, but as we approached Christleton Lock a boat approached from below and as they came up filled the lock ready for us. We had similar luck at the rest, we turned Greenfield Lock but as we were leaving 2 people with windlasses arrived so we could leave the gates open, they even phoned the 2 boats leaving the next lock that we were coming so they left 2 crew to close the top gates for us.

In one of the offside gardens I spotted this SUC marker post.

Passing the Bridge Inn on the outskirts of Chester there was a wake going on and they were certainly giving him a good send off with some very merry friends and relations on the towpath.

I have seen quite a few young birds about today, I suspect these are second broods, both duck and moorhen.

As we dropped into Chester we could see that work is progressing well at the old shot tower with the new housing development.

When we arrived in the town centre where we wanted to moor we were pleased to see only 3 boats there so plenty of room for us for the night.

Today's Journey

8¾ Miles 5 Locks in 4¾ hours

Tarporley Wednesday 3 July 2019

Day : Wednesday
Date : 3 July 2019
Start : 1030
Finish : 1500 https://what3words.com/feasted.turkey.lance

We had a very nice meal in The Old Barbridge Inn last night, not cheep selecting from their specials board, but I am sorry to say the service has not improved and we had to go and find out what had happened to out deserts a little before 10 pm. Maybe next time we will just have a main and no pud.

This morning was much warmer, unlike last night when an extra blanket was needed on the bed. Well it did drop to 8 Deg. C. We set off at 1030 am back the way we had come to Barbridge junction but then carried straight on towards Chester. As we passed the junction I managed this photo of the old pub sign, I wonder why its being kept.

As we approached the A51 bridge we met a couple of boats, luckily the second one told me there was a third following so I could hold back and not meet in the bridge on the bend. Just beyond the bridge there is a major development going on and it looks as if they are laying a sewer about a Mt in diameter, there is already one new large industrial unit on site so I guess its the start the Cheshire Green Industrial Park.

The services at Calveley were packed, two boats filling with water and two waiting for them to move off. As we just had some rubbish to dump I poked the bows in between two boat on the long term mooring so Diana could hop off with it.
As we approached Banbury staircase locks I could see a boat had just entered the lock, there were two Volockies on duty and kept the top gates open for us to join them, we then shared all the locks as far as Beeston Iron Lock that they wanted to do alone, so we moored up for lunch.
After lunch we shared Beeston Iron lock and the next lock with. There was a steady flow of boats coming towards us so locks were ready and gates could be left open.
At Wharton's Lock there were dozens of youngsters doing their Duck of Edinburgh award, walking from the direction of Beeston Castle and checking in with someone at the lock side before continuing west along the towpath, there has been a steady stream passing us ever since we moored up.
Its good to see that The Shady Oak is open again and offering moorings to patrons, maybe we will check it out on our way back. We carried on for another mile of so before mooring for the afternoon in the now very pleasant sun shine.

Today's Journey

7 Miles 6 Locks in 4 hours

Barbridge Inn Tuesday 2 July 2019

Day : Tuesday
Date : 2 July 2019
Start : 1100
Finish : 1535 https://what3words.com/grumbles.never.refilled

It was even cooler this morning. We delayed our departure so that we would still be cruising when the bread was baking in the bread machine.

There was quite a bit of traffic about and we soon caught up with a slow boat, luckily he turned at the next winding hole, when we arrived at Minshull lock to a very small queue, only 3 of us. Above the lock CRT have been repiling the towpath edge by the lock moorings. As we left the lock they took one of their work boats down.

There were quite a few boats moored between Minshull and Cholmondeston Lock with boats winding and generally milling about. There were two Volockies working the lock and again a very small queue, this time I had to wait for a boat to come down as well.

Above the lock we stopped for water, this waterpoint is not easily spotted and someone has painted on the grass saying "Mooring For Water Point Only " in large letters. The tap was quite slow and we had time to have lunch before the tank was full. As we approached Barbridge Junction we could see a large crane in the distance, this

turned out to be the new housing estate on the site of the old Jolly Tar pub, the pub sign is still there.

At the junction we turned left and passed The Barbridge Inn, continuing for a few hundred yards through the bridge to where the canal is wide enough to wind, we turned there and mad our way back to the pub, mooing by their garden as we plan to go for a meal there tonight. We went in and booked a table but as is our luck here, at 1930 hr they have a party of 16, so our table is booked for 2015hrs.

Today's Journey

8 Miles 2 Locks in 4 hours

Middlewich Branch SU Monday 1 July 2019

Day : Monday
Date : 1 July 2019
Start : 1050
Finish : 1630

Yesterday afternoon a fourth boat arrived and moored outside the far end boat, it turned out the owner was taking a friend out for a Birthday surprise and they stopped to cut the cake which was in the shape of a Narrowboat, although they had a boat full they still had too much cake so we were all invited to help them eat it before they set off to Middlewich to drop the friend back home.

Although we have moored here before I have never noticed that the benches are made by HM Prison service using wood reclaimed from lock gates.

Overnight the temperature dropped dramatically and we were woken by the rain but it didn't last long, but this morning it was only 15 deg C. a big change. We were away just before 11 AM and as we approached Middlewich a boat caught up with us, the plan was to fill with water below Big Lock but there was a boat already there, however there was a single boat in Big Lock so we joined them. Whilst in the lock I noticed two things, One CRT have done nothing about improving access to the offside of the lock, the bridge closed back in February and two, the lease on The Big Lock pub is up for sale.

We arrived at the second waterpoint seconds behind a boat coming the other way who also wanted water, we waited ¾ hour while he filled his tank. As we left a boat came down the lock and there were two volockies working the flight so we had a good run up. At Middlewich Junction we turned right into the 164 foot Wardle Canal, the shortest canal in the country.

While we were having lunch a single handed boat went by and surprise, surprise when we reached Stanthorne Lock the top gate was wide open, not only that but a family of swans had decided to move in. It took quite a bit of shoo'ing and coaxing to persuade them to leave before we could turn the lock.

We continued on to the 48 hr moorings overlooking the Weaver flashes where we moored for the night, since we have been here, we were the second boat to moor it has filled up. I am pleased to say that the weather picked up this afternoon and after mooring we spent a bit of time putting the seat together again on the front deck, we gave it an overhaul while the boat was being painted.

Today's Journey

5½ Miles 6 Locks in 4 hours

Bramble Cuttings Sunday 30 June 2019

Day : Sunday
Date : 30 June 2019
Start :
Finish : 1630 Hrs

We spent last night with my son in Gloucestershire so this morning it was a trip up the M5 and M6 with thankfully no hold-ups. Today started quite a bit cooler but got warmer as the day progressed but with a cooling breeze.

My first job when we got onboard was to fit the new oil cooler. The oil pipe connections lined up exactly which was good and the overall length was only slightly shorter so due to the flexible hoses on the end of the copper runs I could even get that to fit, the only real difference was the diameter of the cooler body, the old one was about 55mm and the new one only 51 mm.

The cooler is held in place with two U bolts so two new holes had to be drilled in the plate its fixed to, one hole was completed before the drill battery went flat so there was a delay in drilling the second, but by about 2pm. I had just finished as Diana came back to the boat after a trip to Tesco in Northwich. The engine was run up and all seemed well. Cleaning up it became obvious that the old cooler had leaked more than I realised due to the amount of oil in the coolant overflow bottle.

After lunch we set off out of the marina turning right towards Middlewich. As we approached Bramble Cuttings we could see there was only two boats there, so we tagged on at the far end. Once moored I checked the prop for debris but it was all clear, there was a bit of water in the bilge so I also adjusted the stuffing box, something I have only done a couple of times it the past 17 years.

Today's Journey

3 Miles 0 Locks in 1 hour

Saturday Update

Update on Saturdays Blog

We brought the oil cooler home with us so that I could check it out and hopeful prove it was the cause of the oil in the cooling water. A visual inspection following cleaning showed no obvious faults so a pressure test was required. After a bit of thought I decide to obtain a Schrader Valve as used in car wheels to connect to an air pump. I thought I may have to drill a suitable hole in something to install it, but in the end it turns out its an exact fit in the nut of a 15mm compression plumbing fitting, just a case of leaving the olive out.

The oil ports in the cooler already had 15mm compressions fitted so I put a blanked off piece of 15mm copper water pipe into one and the Schrader valve in the other, with this arrangement I could pressurise the oil side with a tyre compressor.Within seconds of pumping it up it was obvious there was a leak as the pressure dropped rapidly and I could hear a hiss, but it wasn't where I expected, it was where the end caps were attached to the barrel. The liquid I used to flush the cooler out could be seen blowing through. I was expecting to have to immerse the cooler in water and look for bubbles.

I was very pleased to find this as it proves this is where the fault was and replacing the cooler is relatively cheap and easy.

Park Farm Marina

Day : Saturday
Date : 1 June 2019
Start : 1100hrs
Finish : 1500 hrs Marina

Well its the start of yet another month so can I just remind you all to check your CO and Smoke Detectors.

A very quiet night here last night at Bramble Cuttings, even the Owls went to sleep before midnight. A big thank you should go out to The Broken Cross Boat Club for both creating and maintaining these lovely peaceful rural moorings.

It was 11 am when we left, after the rain had stopped, that wasn't the reason for the late start, we only had a short way to go and I didn't want to get back too early. It took us just over an hour to get to the winding hole at Middlewich, turn and get back to where we moored last night, someone had already taken our place arriving in good time to get a spot.

CRT have completed raising the bank at Croxton Flash, only just in time as the old concrete edging is already just submerged, last year it only overtopped with the wash from passing boats, so the ground must still be sinking.

As we passed Whatcroft flash two Grebes were showing off to each other, I would have thought it a bit late in the year now.

We stopped for lunch on a section of piling just north of bridge 177. I had met 6 between the bridge and here and probably 18 since Middlewich and not one was a hire boat.

Back at the marina we are in a different slot as they are laying the mains electricity along the pontoon we normally moor at, so it was a case of collecting the fenders and hanging them in the new spot. All we have to do now is clear up ready to go home in the morning.

Map of the whole weeks trip.

Today's Journey

Miles 6 Locks in 2½ hours

Post script

I was checking around the engine this afternoon, checked the oil as I changed that a couple of days ago then the water. Looked into the header and saw a black oily mess, engine oil in the cooling system is not good, a thousand expensive causes ran through my mind. Although it was oily it wasn't milky or gooey, just like someone had poured oil in there, bit more of a think and the obvious culprit is the oil cooler stack leaking, this is a Polar one which are not made any more. Anyway I set to and removed it without making too much mess, draining the oily coolant into a bucket which I have since separated 99% water at least and the cooler will be going home for a pressure test. Don't you just love boats.

Bramble Cuttings T&M

Day : Friday
Date : 31 May 2019
Start : 1000
Finish : 1315 Bramble Cuttings

As you may have guessed dinner was taken at The Stanley Arms last night. I had the pie, which was a good slice from a large pie, my favourite where as Diana went for the chicken Fajitas and the sizzle dish of chicken on onions and peppers was huge to go with the plate full of chips salad and fajita breads. Unfortunately the Mild was not so good but that is not unusual.

This morning we were away at 10 taking a slow chug towards Middlewich, most of the other boats had left and the first part of the journey was quiet. A chap in Northwich was hard at it removing paint from his boat rook with an electric hot air gun, I did wonder about this method for removing old blacking.

Passing the services at Anderton this bow fender on a boat taking water caught my eye, something a bit different.

The building work is ongoing opposite The Old Broken Cross pub. There is a large poster describing the development but from what I can see at the moment, their idea of Stylish and mine are quite different, it looks like a block of flats going up.

There is now quite a collection of boats moored between our marina and Oakwood Marina, I am not sure what the attraction is there. When we approached Bramble Cuttings we were pleased to see there was only one other boat there, its normally full if we want to moor. It did fill up for a while when a local boater turned up for an afternoon BBQ but they have since left.

We thought we had best wash the boat roof as it is already covered with black smuts from the exhaust, maybe light grey was the wrong colour for our roof?

I thought I had best post some photos of the boat with shiny paint, it may not last.

Click photographs to enlarge them.

Today's Journey

8 Miles 0 Locks in 3¼ hours

Thursday 30 May 2019 Stanley Arms T&M

Day : Thursday
Date : 30 May 2019
Start : 1040
Finish : 1500 Stanley Arms T&M1500

Well this morning when we got up it wasn't raining, unfortunately that didn't last long and it started just after we set off. As you can see from this photo there is no activity at all at the lock.

The reason for the late start was the bread needed making and we wanted to time our engine running with the bread baking as that is when it uses the most electricity.

Our first stop was Anderton Lift where I nipped up to see when we could come up the lift, first space was 1340 hrs. so we continued up to Hunts lock, on the way we passed this sunken barge, I hadn’t realised until this week that its actually concrete. You can see from the photo what the weather was like.

This tent has been on the river bank just before Northwich for some time now, it must have been quite grim living in there.

At the moorings in town we passed this motorised butty, it has a hydraulic motor in the rudder driving a propeller, a bit like an outboard.

As we winded just below the lock the bread was baked and it also stopped raining so we came down river to the new pontoons in Northwich and stopped for lunch.

CRT have been installing these floating habitats for wildlife along the river in Northwich, you may think its a good idea with that high hard piling along the river, but what you cant see is that the piling ends about 30 Mt to the left of it and then it's natural soft riverbank nearly all the way to Saltersford lock so the little critters are hardly short of anywhere in the area to live.
1pm we set off for Anderton lift, there was a hire boat waiting to go up when we arrived, they had done the Cheshire ring from Middlewich and just had time to come down the lift before lunch and go straight back up after lunch. The Anderton Lift trip boat was doing a good trade, they had just unloaded a boat full and these people were waiting to go. The cruise seems to last about half an hour and they don't quite go into the town which seems a shame. I am sure it would be a lot more interesting for the passengers if they just did another 5 minutes.

At 1-30 two boats came out of the lift and we were on our way in, the hire boat was a 6 berth and had t go well to the front of the caisson to have their stern clear of the white line at the back, if you are behind the line then you trip the lift and initiate an emergence stop as it comes to the top to stop the boat being crushed by the buffer. Once out of the lock it was off to Anderton services to fill with water, but what next. Dinner at the Stanley Arms seemed a good idea so we winded and headed back to the lift, then winded again and reversed through the bridge, waited for a boat towing coming the other way, passed the moored boats and moored outside the Stanley Arms. Once here I refitted the stern light, that's the last bit to go back, I think and then did an oil and filter change plus check the batteries for water, so we are good for another 250 hours again.

Today's Journey

7 Miles 0 Locks in 3¼ hours