nb Bridge Street

Wednesday 12^th February 2020

With a lull in the storms, Storm Dennis is due next weekend apparently, it was a lovely day although cold.

We had received a ‘Coalcage’ a few days back and, while we had been using it, the grate should really have been emptied first. The fire was left to go out overnight and the grate cleaned first thing. A Coalcage is basically a circular stainless steel cage open at both ends that sits in the stove and into which the coal is added. The idea is that the coal burns within the cage thus saving coal and emptying the ash directly into the pan below. It cost just £24 and has raving reviews on the internet. We shall see.

Brenda went to Morrison’s for Prosecco, on offer at £4.99 per bottle but limited to 18 bottles per person. How can they afford to sell so cheaply?

I washed the starboard side of the boat which badly needed doing. We had been moored port-side too for a long time and it was only crossing over to say our goodbye’s to Kenny and Sue on Monday, that we noticed just how bad this side was looking, with a tar stain from the fire at the hand-rail guttering and the rope work going green with algae. It is such a shame though, to see the state of the paintwork, the micro-blistering is much worse and there are now a lot more rust spots appearing. If we had not been told at Streethay Wharf the reason for this, it would be a major worry, but at least we know the reason, hence the expensive but necessary repaint booked for next February.

The grab-line was also made and fitted on this side as part of the project to make extricating somebody from the canal easier. This was fitted on the portside after Brenda fell in in early November, so shows how long since we moored this side.

We then moved on, but only a short distance as we see this transit of the Middlewich Branch, or Arm as it is more commonly known, as the opportunity to explore it. There is however, little to see on the Arm as it is very rural, passing close to just the one village, Church Minshull, but there are some lovely moorings.

It is amusing to consider, we travelled the Arm for the first time in Bridge Street last November when meeting with my cousin and his wife on Empire, and this is now our 7^th transit.

And yet, after Bridge Street was launched in May 2018, we had wanted to cross the Arm to visit Middlewich in time for the Folk and Boat Festival, but the breach prevented this. So, instead of travelling 13 miles and 9 locks, we had to go via Wolverhampton, Stafford and Stoke-on-Trent, which entailed a journey, at hire speed, of 100 miles and 91 locks, all in one week.

Stanthorne Lock was only 100 yards from where we had moored but, typically, after not seeing a moving boat for days, we met a boat coming down the lock. Chris and Lesley on Rosie, who we had first met on the G&S Canal, and had seen several times since, appeared behind us while we were waiting for the lock.

Stanthorne Lock

Last view of Middlewich from Stanthorne Lock

Stanthorne Lock has always had an appeal, we used to regularly walk the dog here. Although it could be described as just another lock, it is peaceful and picturesque and, being on the outskirts of a town, hints at things to come and places to explore.

Beyond Stanthorne, again familiar ground, we moored again, above Winsford Flashes, a favourite mooring spot just 2 miles outside Middlewich. A few moments later, Chris and Lesley moored behind us and we had a good catch-up.

Looking across the flashes towards Winsford, it is difficult to comprehend that, just a mile downriver and up to about 50years ago, ships of 2-3,00 tons used to regularly ply their trade between Winsford and the sea with cargoes of salt.

The afternoon was spent on jobs. Recently the Portugese Sennit Knot has been mastered, so extensions were made for the pram hood zips. Another idea, brought to the fore after the winds of the last few days were howling through the mushroom vents, was to make and fit a restrictor. Last winter we took the vent covers down inside the boat and fitted filter material to reduce the draughts, but condensation caught in the mesh and dripped inside the boat. This idea uses a small round plastic food container, with the bottom removed and cut to fit under the mushroom vent on the roof, with a slit for some ventilation. The arrangement can be turned to suit the prevailing wind. Of course, it could be argued that no vent should be closed off or restricted, but there is more than adequate ventilation in the winter, without having strong draughts. Just one of these was made as a trial, but the effect was immediately felt.