Saturday 28^th December 2019

We were very excited today, to be moving again as we want to be at Bramble Cutting for New Year, as we had intended ever since deciding to spend the winter in and around Middlewich. We have been moored at the Middlewich Narrowboat site for 22 nights, the longest we have yet spent in any one place, and have run the engine for 23.1 hours in that time, to charge the batteries and produce hot water. We were beginning to suffer from Tilleritis.

Being very short on coal, I went to Kings Lock Chandlery only to find them closed until 6th January. However, Anderton Marina sell coal so we will have to run there, further than we wanted to go but, unless we meet a fuel boat en-route, there is little option.

A small boat has been moored just down the canal from us and, although now being here for 22 days, nobody had been near this boat. Over Christmas some scrote had untied her and she had drifted onto the opposite bank and only today, had started moving towards the lock. I managed to climb around the fence, get a rope on her and haul her back onto her mooring, securing her with several ropes and knots.

Bridge Street was made ready to move and we quickly descended the three Middlewich Locks only to find a boat moored on the water point at Town Wharf with nobody on her, we just managed to squeeze in. A wash was put on and Brenda went shopping while the water was filling. Once full, I moved around to the Moorings to pick Brenda up in time for negotiating the Big Lock. A visit to the local dump to get rid of our rubbish saw us free and into countryside again.

The run from Middlewich to the Billinge Green Flashes has to rate as one of our favourite stretches of canal. The canal passes through some lovely country with many trees and views across the Dane Valley. While being within a mile of roads on both sides, neither intrude and the canal retains an isolated, secluded feel.

Beyond Billinge Green is the straight section where no less than three marinas are all within sight of each other. After the marinas comes the back of the huge Morrisons Distribution Centre, Rudheath and the chemical works, yet another wharf full of boats at Wincham and shortly afterwards, the Salt Barge Inn at Marston where we moored up.

After showers we went to the pub for our dinner. We had thoroughly enjoyed our day and it was lovely to have been on the move again.

We have changed our showering routine. Another job completed while in Middlewich was the resealing of the shower tray which had failed and mould had started growing behind the sealant. Not only was the tray resealed, but quadrant fitted around the tray as an added safeguard. We had been finishing showering and only then started the pump to empty the tray. Often this meant the water level being above the edge of the tray, thus relying only on the integrity of the sealant to prevent leakage. We are now running the pump as soon as water flows from the shower head and leaving the pump running throughout showering.

Weather: chilly but a lovely, clear day.

Day Total: 4 locks; 8 miles; 0 Tunnels; 0 Swing Bridges; 0 Lift Bridges; 0 Boat Lift; Day’s running hours 27.4                     (including 23.1 hours running for hot water etc giving 4.3hours running for the day)             

Overall Total: 858 locks; 1477 miles; 53 tunnels; 61 Swing Bridges; 17 Lift Bridges; 2 Boat Lifts; total engine running hours 959.5