Aqueduct marina to Middlewich

Following phone calls, Kings Lock Chandlery seemed a much better bet for engine and Webasto service, so we booked in for tomorrow and went back to Middlewich. Tied up above Wardle lock, just through the next bridge. Washing went out on the drier on the BrollyMate. Tight fit.

Steve from Evesham marina sent through the details of the Sterling AB12210 device. I asked for a price for fitting, and details of where they could do it. No response yet.

Went to the White Bear to download yesterday's episode of "By Any Means". Their wifi seemed pretty good, and the BBC seem to have done something at last with the Desktop application for downloading and playing iPlayer stuff. No longer the old application and the new one said nothing about needing Adobe Air. We shall see.

Also did some database work in The White Bear. We're getting through the Three allowance quickly this month – possible the MacBook did an automatic download of the OS update.

6.5 miles, 1 lock,  3.5 hours engine

Middlewich to Aqueduct marina

Intended going to Nantwich – good for the engine and the batteries. But what with one thing and another called in at Aqueduct marina for some diesel, and they said they would see tomorrow about doing a service to both Webasto and engine. So decided to moor up near at hand to wait for a phone call around 9.30. But we have the option of going back to Middlewich for the service.

40.5 litres of diesel

7.5 miles, 1 lock, 5.5 hours engine.

Marston to Middlewich

Lovely bright day. Little traffic until we hit the reed-beds. The short pound in Middlewich was suffering was silting up and some sluice problems, so getting across it was quite dodgy. Tied up between the first two bridges on the Middlewich arm of the Shroppie.

Running the engine a lot in addition to cruising to get as much charge as possible.

9.5 miles, 5 locks, 7 hours engine.

T&M Bridge 213 to Marston

Lovely sunny day for cruising. Passed the place where the breach occurred a year ago. Went through the twisty Saltersford and Barnton tunnels. Water at Anderton. Tied up at the Marston visitor moorings on the bend just after "Big Wood".

9 miles, 0 locks, 4.5 hours engine

Lymm to T&M Bridge 213

Voltage down to 9.6 overnight – can't think of any reason for it. So we ran the engine early. But also found I'm way overdue the engine service. Thought about getting it done at Thorn Marine or Claymoore Navigation, but didn't like the prospect of that as we passed. In the end decided to get back to GH by the quickest means.

Tied up in the middle of nowhere, just south of Bridge 213, where the edging is a bit better than the site north of the bridge recommended by Nicholson's.

12. 6 miles, 1 lock, 7.5 hours engine.

Lymm

Went for coffee and cake at The Terrace.

Then stayed put in Lymm for the day. Did a load of IT work.

0 miles, 3.5 hours engine.

Dunham Woodhouses to Lymm

Went to see Dunham Massey house in the morning so started cruising after lunch. Filled up with water at Little Bollington, since we'd been able to get so little in at Waters Meeting.

Nice sunny afternoon for cruising. Tied up just after Lymm Bridge in the centre of the village.

3.6 miles, 0 locks, 3.5 hours engine.

Sale to Dunham Woodhouses

Met Office promised sun – failed to materialise, but at least it stayed dry. Ran the engine quite a while for top up and hot water. Mgt did a small shop in the Co-op in Sale, then we took off, glad to leave the King's Ransom behind on this occasion after a little trouble from guys exiting the pub at night.

Bridgewater wide and deep – good progress through Altrincham. Tied up at the aqueduct at Dunham Woodhouses, from which it's a short walk to Dunham Massey. Enjoyed the visit to the gardens. Ran the engine again for an hour to try to keep the batteries topped up.

5 miles, 0 locks, 5 hours engine.

Castlefields to Sale

Went to Christ Central church a.m. Lunch from the market, and set out about 3.  Took the north branch of the Bridgewater thinking that was where country-wine-Andy had said there was an unmentioned marina that would provide water. Had to reverse back to the junction when it became clear that was not so. Found the marina he'd obviously meant shortly after the junction, and stopped for water and a culpa.

Cruised in the sun down to Sale and tied up outside the King's Ransom.

6.5 miles, 0 locks, 4.7 hours engine time.

Castlefields

Stayed put. Used the launderette in the YHA. Explored the science and technology museum.

3 hours engine.

Piccadilly village to Castlefields

Reasonably dry. Rochdale 9 really difficult in places. Tied up in the arm going round to Grocers Warehouse.

1.5 miles, 9 locks, 4 hours engine.

Portland Basin to Piccadilly Village

A bit concerned because the battery was down to 10.5 overnight, for no reason we can think of. If it happens again, we'll need to test by selectively turning off equipment overnight – assuming the new batteries have not failed.

Down the Ashton flight, mostly in the rain. Significant rubbish round the prop at one point – would have stalled the engine if I'd tried to drive. Half an hour to cut free something that at first looked like a tent, but probably wasn't.

6 miles, 18 locks, 1 swing bridge, 10 hours engine.

Marple Aqueduct to Portland Basin

Some sunshine today. Through the Hyde Bank and Woodley tunnels.

Called in at Portland Basin marina: pump out, gas cylinder. Tied up on rings just on the Huddersfield Narrow.

7 miles, 0 locks, 1 lift bridge, 6 hours engine.

Marple to Marple Aqueduct

Still raining, but not quite as bad as promised by the Met Office. Reversed back onto the Peak Forest, and after negotiations with a lot of traffic, set off down the Marple flight. Tied up for the night shortly after the aqueduct.

Finally found how to run the engine faster in neutral for battery charging.

1.8 miles, 16 locks, 5 hours engine.

Bugsworth Basin to Marple

Alternating sunshine and freezing rain. Wind very strong. Prospects for the next few days meant there was no apparent value in staying put a further day.

Couldn't decide whether to go back down the Macc or carry straight on down the Peak Forest, so tied up on the visitor mooring opposite Marple CRT yard overnight.

7 miles, 0 locks, 2 swing bridges, 2 lift bridges, 5 hours engine

Bugsworth Basin

Gales and rain. Stayed put at Bugsworth Basin.

2 hours engine

Marple to Bugsworth Basin

Lovely day for boating. Spectacular surroundings for this trip. Whaley Bridge a disappointment, so back round to the basin after a quick trip to Tesco for steaks and Monday veggies. Really impressed with Bugsworth Basin.

Ran a wash and got it dried on the towpath at lunchtime.

7.5 miles, 0 locks, 2 lift bridges, 2 swing bridges, 5.5 hours engine.

Fourlane Ends to Marple

Still sleeping in. Must be the northern air. Brightish morning, and picked some hedgerow fruit. Lunch by Bridge 11 as the rain started. Gentle drizzle as we came through to Marple. Fillled up with water at the point there, but the flow was abysmal.

Tied up on the 48 hour section just round the corner onto the Peak Forest – it would be rather generous to call them "moorings" as such, with so much of the bank worn and falling in, rings in short supply, and the state of the bottom making it really hard to get near the bank. But tie up we did, in the rain.

Started the engine early for bread-making. Very slow travelling because of the depth of the canal, and ran the engine for an extra hour in the evening, to get some more charge into the batteries. Not sure whether running it on tickover puts much charge in.

5.6 miles, 0 locks, 7 hours engine.

Oakgrove to Fourlane Ends

Started out under clouds and with rain in the distance, but in the end it was a dry day's boating. Came through Macclesfield, and stopped to shop. Then on after a late lunch and tied up just before Bridge 18, near the Miners Arms.

9.4 miles, 0 locks, 1 swing bridge, 4 hours engine.

Bridge 52 to Oakgrove

Started the engine well before setting out, in order to run the bread-maker. Damp day, with a lot of drizzle. In the end we took Nicholson's guide's recommendation and tied up just past swing bridge 49, by The Fool's Nook.

1.7 miles, 0 locks, 1 swing bridge, 4 hours engine.

Dane Aqueduct to Bridge 52

Sunny day became cloudy, but the fine weather persuaded us to go up the Bosley flight rather than climb The Cloud. Going into the penultimate lock we encountered something with the stern gear that sounded really serious. In the end it was a length of fender cable and hanger, probably with the fender attached when we first met it.

Strenuous work going up the flight, so tied up just after the permanent moorings following Bridge 52. Washing went out on the towpath.

2 bags of SuperTherm from the Coal Boat at £10.40 a bag.

1.5 miles, 12 locks, 4 hours engine.

Congleton to Dane Aqueduct

Sunny morning squandered by walking to the Aldi in Congleton. Bus back up the hill. Three packages collected from Hightown Post Office.

Sunshine and showers – one extremely heavy. Tied up on the 48 hour moorings just before Bosley bottom lock.

4.7 miles, 0 locks, 2 hours engine

Watery Lane Aqueduct to Congleton

Beautiful clear morning. Came just a mile and a half to the 48 hour visitor moorings at the basin at Dog Lane Aqueduct, so we could get down the bank and walk along Canal Street into the town. Ran the engine again in the afternoon.

1.5 miles, 0 locks, 3 hours engine.

Westport Lake to Watery Lane Aqueduct

Not an early start, and got to Harecastle tunnel shortly after a petrol-fuelled boat had gone through, so we had to wait. It was 2 hours with the operators' mandatory lunch-break. First in the queue meant we sped through in about 30 minutes, and then turned onto the Macclesfield canal. The stop lock at Hall Green is the first we've seen with a single gate at the bottom end and double gates at the top.

Mixed weather, with showers and sunshine. Tied up just after the winding hole after Bridge 81. Surprisingly good TV and Three signals.

7 miles, 1 lock, Harecastle tunnel, 4 hours engine.

Barlaston to Westport Lake

Rainy day, but very little wind. Waited for some heavier periods to finish and set out about midday. Used the full waterproofs from Christian. Was followed through the Stoke locks by a couple on a very trad load-carrier. He was cheerful and very helpful with some of the heavier paddles and gates. Stopped at Longport Wharf for a new mooring hook, since one seems to have gone missing.

Tied up on the visitor moorings at Westport Lake, where the towpath is high relative to the water. Rings and a wooden edging over the concrete. Quite chilly, so got the first fire of the season going.

8.5 miles, 6 locks, 4 hours

Great Haywood to Barlaston

Hot / chilly day. We just kept going. Tried to get some neoprene window beading at the chandlery in Stone, but it's clearly a specialist item, peculiar to the window manufacturer.

Thought about going up to Trentham lock, but found a reasonable mooring at Barlaston. Long day's boating because we want to get t Congleton by Saturday evening.

13.8 miles, 12 locks, 7.5 hours engine time.