Wednesday 22nd January 2020       



A drizzly start to the day had given way to fog by the time we left the mooring. At times the fog was so bad visibility was only just as far as the front of the boat. So the headlight was on and speed kept to tick-over.

Work is still progressing at the Hurleston Junction with the Llangollen Canal where one of the locks is being rebuilt due to the sides moving towards each other preventing passage for some wider boats. There had been a lot of oil on the surface of the canal but much worse here and smelling quite badly.

Presently we came to Nantwich where we first stopped at the service station for water, dump rubbish and empty the loo. We met Plum here who we had bought our solar panels from, a great character. He explained a fix to prevent the formation of tar deposits on the roof about the chimney. An inner liner that passes from inside the chimney flue and through the removable chimney on the roof. Should be worth a try but might have trouble sourcing parts.

After the service point, we were very lucky to be able to moor just before Nantwich aqueduct with room for Kenny and Sue ahead of us.

The embankment here is beginning to slip with the asphalt surface of the towpath rippling and cracking with a lot of evidence of slippage. Markers have been fixed into the asphalt and these are monitored to determine any further movement in the ground. If this embankment were to go, it would be a disaster, there are many new houses being built directly below were the water would come flooding down.



     

Marker Pins, Rippling and Cracking in the Towpath of Nantwich Embankment



Brenda and Sue went shopping once moored, while Kenny and myself partook of a beer and I then washed the roof and boat side down. In the evening the four of us had a lovely meal in the Black Lion on Welsh Row and a few pints on the way back.



Weather: drizzly first thing, giving way to fog although mild.



Day Total: 0 locks; 3 miles; 0 Tunnels; 0 Swing Bridges; 0 Lift Bridges; 0 Boat Lift; Day’s running hours 2.0    

Overall Total: 865 locks; 1502 miles; 53 tunnels; 61 Swing Bridges; 17 Lift Bridges; 2 Boat Lifts; total engine running hours 992.5     








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