Percy: Market Drayton to Coxbank

Friday, 27 September 2024

Market Drayton to Coxbank

It was a bit touch and go this morning when I stuck my head out of the hatch. It was blowing a mean cold Northerly wind straight into our bow. Decision was taken over a bowl of steaming porridge to 'go' - well for me while Rachel made soup for lunch.

We cruised for 15 minutes then pulled in to add water loose waste etc at the services.

We stayed the signed 30 minutes then set off along the straights out of Market Drayton.

We passed a fallen tree blocking the tow path and then had a bit of a standoff as we approached the large fallen tree that blocks half the cut in the haunted woods. We took the line to show our intention and the tow path side boater eventually held for us to complete the passage - only just.

Just before the top Adderley lock on the approaching straight a share boat (can't remember the name now) came past and they had left the top gates open on the flight it would seem as we had the first three 'open for us ' It was to our advantage as some of the locks are real leakers.

Forty five minutes to do the five locks not too shabby and we then dropped the first two locks on the Audlem flight before sitting down to some hearty home made soup with home made bread - lovely.

We were 'intercepted' by a Cormorant between the lock flights. This bird had worked out the boats panicked the fish so was swimming and diving at the back of the boat as we motored on. It was moving faster than the boat and as you can see I struggled to anticipate where it might reappear. it did catch one small Roach.

As we may be out for a while I'd only packed 8 changes of essentials ( Pants socks T shirts etc) so after lunch I set to getting the twin tub put that has never been used.We think Rachel collected it from Leeds in 2014 when she was doing her masters at the Uni there and I was heading to live on the boat for a couple of years . I tried to use it when on the Llangollen back in 2020 but the bottom hose has split. Earlier this year I replaced it from an old scrapped washing machine (make do and mend) so this was its first 'run'. It all worked well and will be used again. We might just use the spin so it can be kept in the forecabin as it was a pain to get out.

It uses about 200w on the pulse wash cycle. We had a bigger version when we brought out first house long before front loaders !

To dry I adapted the brolly holder that goes on the tiller arm. The two thumb screws were weak so i drilled through one of the thumb screws ands out the other side of the brolly holder tube so I can now fix the holder with the tiller pin - sorted.