The relocation cruise day 1

Yep, part of the news alluded to in a blog a few back -  we are relocating our mooring.

We've been in the marina prison for about 18 months  - a lovely open prison for narrowboats but if there ever was a reminder of why we don't like marina moorings it was yesterday when we arrived at Percy. I opened the galley blind and there was our neighbour at her sink peeling spuds with her tongue out in focussed concentration ....

We set to prepping the boat, water, cleaning, cooling the fridge on shore power (no money back on that) I popped over to pay for the 24 days of April just under £300 ! In fairness it was that for the month but we were leaving a week early. We paid for last year April to March just a few pounds shy of £3,000 I noticed next years fees are about £3,300  - not a poor person's passion !

Nice chat with Steve and I have to say the staff have been excellent as have the facilities and other moorers, that bit we liked. The nail in the coffin was to get a email from Lakeland Leisure who own the marina telling us that HS2 had exercised their 'right' to take the land they would need to bring HS2 over the side of the marina. This is effect takes all the lovely wood and hillocks to the north of the marina including the car park for our pontoon C.... that was with immediate effect and the real nonsense was HS2 then said they'd not be working in this area for over 2 years.... they want the land and remove the ammeniety of the woods etc for the boaters but nothing will happen for two years... shocking. HS2 will ruin this part of the canal and this marina. 

Anyhow we did the slow maneuver out of the marina ( I'll not miss that) and headed south turning with a good air horn signal onto the Staffs and Worcester only to be met by a hire boat coming past the Great Haywood Anglo Welsh fleet. He panic'd I stopped and reversed out of the junction to allow him to turn North. 

All this is being taken by HS2

Percy waiting to get her Freedom 

Bye Great Haywood marina, lovely place nice people

Glad we are not 70 feet !

Then it was what I reflect to be one of the most travelled by us bits of canal. That's no hardship as this canal is one of the best from Great Haywood to Stourport. The only bit I don't like is the Pendleford narrows. 

Met a boat as I was coming off the aqueduct he was coming far to fast and ended up stuck as he could not make the turn ... that's happened a few times. As I approached the Moorings at Milton I watched a heron dive in and bring out a very big Roach. He/she then flew off to the far bank to consume its breakfast/dinner/tea in one and promptly dropped the fish back into the canal  - as I went past 'if looks could kill'!  

The top end is quite lovely 

Click on the picture below and you'll see the fish ....

Deptmore lock had the largest pi$$er from the top gate. Anyone going down on a big boat would get wet through. We held back coming up the lock.

Rachel expertly bringing Percy into the lock in the early spring evening 

We've moored here a few times. Nice as the cold northerly wind was blowing the M6 noise away from us. never a real problem here but nice to not hear it.