Wednesday 30^th October 2019

Before leaving the mooring, the port hull side was sanded and primed where bare metal was showing. Leaving the mooring at Hassall Green, it is just two locks until the canal passes beneath the M6 motorway. The last lock is more or less on a level with the motorway and it is always good to pause here and reflect.

M6 Motorway with Hassall Green Locks behind

All the way to Middlewich is very familiar ground, with Sandbach to the right and the church and market hall visible. After the last of the Heartbreak Hill flight of locks, the canal passes beneath the Sandbach-Crewe road and reaches Wheelock, where we moored for the night.

Brenda went to the village store while I blackened the hull side. It is always rewarding to blacken the hull or polish the cabin sides as the boat looks so much better for it. The grouting was completed on the mosaic tiles behind the stove and the result looks really good, especially with the under gunwhale lighting on.

We then went to the Cheshire Cheese, where I created a lively conversation when I asked how long the Commercial Inn had been closed. The answer was eventually provided by some young women counting back the births of their children.

Weather: cold, but an otherwise nice sunny day. 

Day Total: 10 locks; 3 miles; 0 Tunnels; 0 Swing Bridges; 0 Lift Bridges; 0 Boat Lift; Day’s running hours 2.3

Overall Total: 806 locks; 1369 miles; 53 tunnels; 61 Swing Bridges; 17 Lift Bridges; 2 Boat Lifts; total engine running hours 870.1hrs