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.

Jon & Michelle, 17th – 22nd August, 2013

Great Haywood – Ingestre Bridge – Fradley – Hopwas – Curdworth – Hopwas – Rugeley – Great Haywood

Probably about 60 miles, 26 hours.

Branston to Alrewas

Ran the engine early because we needed to do a wash. Cloudy day with a couple of short drizzly periods. Sam bored with the limitations imposed by his damaged foot. Decided to stop in Alrewas so we could post Elissa's letter home in the morning, and get something suitable from the butcher or Co-op

5.2 miles, 4 locks, 4.5 hours engine

Branston to Horninglow and back

Cloudy with some sun. Stopped for lunch at Shobnall Fields before winding at Horninglow Basin and returning to Branston water park.

5.8 miles, 4 locks, 4.3 engine hours.

Fradley to Branston

Friday 9th

Bremerton to Fradley

Sunny day until a brief shower about 6.30. Queues at the locks but an easy run through. Pump-out at Kings Bromley wharf marina – £16 and would only do Green not Blue. Shallowness of the canal opposite the entrance made turning in difficult after overshooting slightly.

Tied up on the 48 hour moorings at Fradley.

5.3 miles, 4 locks, 5 hours engine.

Wolseley Bridge to Brereton

Stopped to do a shop in Rugeley. Did a wash load. Ted up at the Ash Tree. Play area very simple but Sam really enjoyed it.

4 miles, 0 locks, 3 hours engine

Great Haywood to Wolseley Bridge

Queue at Colwich lock. Sunny day. Children were enjoying boating. Tied up just beyond Wolseley Bridge and had nearly three hours at the wildlife centre.

2.5 miles, 2 locks, 2.5 hours engine