When we were there on Percy I said to Rachel this will be my new Gongoozler place of choice. (previously was Stone) and so it was today and what interesting things to see. As I have said previously the turn onto the Wardle canal is a bottleneck not helped by only one top paddle working (as was the case when we went through) When we were there last Friday evening we followed a single boat around with little delay. Today when I arrived there were three boats waiting to turn from the south and one from the north, then the lock gates opened and it was four waiting from the south.
I recon it was taking a good half hour to process a boat onto the Middlewich branch so the boat arriving in the lock would have had over 2 hours to wait to get onto the Wardle canal !
Then it was the hire boaters turn to entertain (sorry it's what gongoozlers do !) I am surprised there is not more 'planning' when they have a junction to navigate. The wind was hitting their port side causing them to kite across the canal and into the far bank. The first (what looked like a 70 footer ) was pinned to the far bank and the next one out exactly the same. A bit of forward planning and someone on the bow rope to help pull the bow around would have helped.
Another error was to have all the crew on the tow path so no one to help push/pole the bow off ...the picture below shows the little huddle of crew (middle left of the photo) watching the poor fella scrape the (tidy looking) hire boats side along all the bushes/trees while thrashing the poor engine to try and recover his skipper reputation. All been there and done it !
Then it was off to a busy Audlem where I did not stop allowing the bikes sat nav to take me to Meaford.
Here is one of my P&J's. Just right for exploring and taking it to places where the other 330kg bike would be a risk to take. This one is 239kg a mere light weight !!
Then it was a bimble home via a diversion as there must have been a nasty accident just up the road in Kingsley Moor as there was five police cars two fire engines two ambulances and the air ambulance. Sadly nothing acting in urgency, so be safe out there whatever you are doing.
5 comments:
This was us on What a Laark on 14th August last year at that junction Nev ....http://wbstillrockin.blogspot.com/2019/08/wal-day-19-queues.html - nightmare!
I’m glad we timed our arrival at the end of the day when we were there the other week. Looks like you had an interesting passage, but you did the right thing by communicating to each other what was going on..... that is what some hire boaters do not seem to do.
Used to live in the house by Br169, the most boats (trying) to move in that pound when we were there was 16 ! Boy that was a "fun" afternoon & evening !!
Hi Alf, 16 ! That must have been some gridlock. I was thinking what a great house the one was by the bridge for boat watching. I’d not much fancy having a boat on the mooring there watching the way the hire boater(s) struggled to get out and round to to north. I expect it’s an oasis of calm during the winter ..... then it just goes mad busy at times.
Yes the boat was a bit vulnerable, used to have a "string" of old wheels & tyres draped along the out side of the boat which helped (a bit !)
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