Monday 17^th February 2020

It was an uncomfortable night with the high winds buffeting the boat, very violently at times. There is a shelf below the waterline on the bank where we are moored, which we kept being knocked against. We have three different types of fender: the tubular type that we hang from the sides all the time, these save the paintwork in locks and fender on a flat sided bank; the brick type fender which are thicker than the tubular type and tyre wheel style that, at almost 12” in diameter, usually fender the boat off a shelf. Not this time though with the wind and at 4am the front ropes had to be tightened.

The morning turned out fine, although cold and the opportunity was taken to blacken the starboard side before we moved off.

This would be a lovely mooring in dry weather but the towpath had become very muddy. The views in the direction of Church Minshull are extensive, looking out towards Chester and the Wirral, the lights of which could be seen in the sky. Plenty of wildlife about too, with an owl hooting away eerily in the trees nearby.

Flooding in the Weaver Valley at Church Minshull

The flooding across the fields below us had become much worse overnight and, at the Weaver Aqueduct it was very bad on both sides of the canal, difficult almost, to comprehend what you were seeing, especially when compared to the river levels when we explored here on Thursday. The river had completely burst its banks; water was flowing swiftly across the fields and water was now flowing through the three arches of the aqueduct, the river level being about 6 feet above that of Thursday.

At Aqueduct Marina we stopped and had a chat with a CRT employee conducting a badger survey. Brenda decided to walk between Minshull and Cholmondeston Locks, a distance of almost 2 miles along the muddy towpath.

Above Cholmondeston Lock, we watered up, it took a long time, we were very low, and then moored just beyond the water point.

Day Total: 2 locks; 3 miles; 0 Tunnels; 0 Swing Bridges; 0 Lift Bridges; 0 Boat Lift; Day’s running hours 4.9    (including running for hot water etc)

Overall Total: 873 locks; 1526 miles; 53 tunnels; 61 Swing Bridges; 17 Lift Bridges; 2 Boat Lifts; total engine running hours 1022.1