Bollington to Buxworth basin - a long long day

Before I start here is a shot from the stern doors before bed last night ''

If anyone ever tells you the Shroppie is full of moored boats - tell them to go a count the boats on the upper Macclesfield and Lower Peak Forest. 

I should have taken heed of the excellent CanalplanAC web side for planning canal journeys - it said 7 hours I said surely not 15 + miles no locks 15/3 =  5 (3 being an average 3mph ) Nope they were spot on. We left at 12   - see below and arrived at just after 7pm in the dark. I've moored in the lower basin just past the services under the bridge - might get a knock on the boat am to say - you can't moor there, sod em I was knackered cold and fed up with so many moored boats off side, tow path side, speed up slow down, reverse to clear the leaves. The bridge holes are well silted up as well so slow to a crawl going through them ... yes having a moan but I've just poured a large whiskey as the beer is all drunk, it'll be find in a short while ! 

Anyhow to start the day we said we'd head off to the post office at 9.30 to post a letter come back to the boat, cruise to the cafe boat for coffee and cake then head off - Ha! . Left the boat at 10.15, eventually found the post office that was shut despite Google saying it was open.... back to the boat then moored at Bollington wharf, we brought kindling and fire lighters but they still said ensure its a take away coffee  nice !! Despite that and the lovely service and excellent coffee from Vic and Jo Rachel left £3 for a coffee for the yard staff as it was "be kind to someone day" !! 

 Latest episode in the link

Vic and Jo's boat

Our cake and coffee on the move as requested from the staff at Bollington Wharf ! 

We did but stuff from the wharf as well as coffee and cake 

They were very busy

Anyhow coffee and cake on board we were happy and we set off at 12.05pm fools !! 

The first section was nice. 

C&RT need to spend some time cutting the offside on the bride holes - an email I'll send 

This is the furthest we got in 2008 ( Four Lane Ends winding hole )... in hindsight I think the lower part of the Macc is the nicest 

But then as we left Bollington and towards the upper Macc it got busier with boats moored in marinas that seemed to go on for ever and on the off side also. This went and it felt like to the end of the canal with the junction of the Peak Forest.... good we thought others ( YouTubers  - Floating out boat) said the Peak forest was better than the Shroppie  - no way ever ! 

Braidbar boats, much loved of the Late Bruce Napier of NB Sanity. I was reading some of his old blog posts this morning, much missed Bruce  

Off up to Marple and Manchester  if you fancy it  - we didn't

The junction approach - there were some nice BW facilities between the bridges 1 and 2 

We turned at the junction at 3.30pm so three and a half hours for just over eight and a half  miles ! Ok we'll cover the six and a half from the junction to the basin in a couple of hours, nope another three and a half got us arriving at 7pm in the dark. Small delay at the junction with the Whaley Bridge arm as in the gloom a cruiser appeared from the basin direction no lights.... he saw me I was in reverse as I'd spotted him and then he put a light on ... no harm done other than time ! 

There are two lift bridges - one takes 85 turns to lift it ... the other is electric thankfully. Also two swing bridges much easier, I wonder why the difference ?

The picture belies the darkness of the last mile or two ! 

Destination reached  - a day off tomorrow all being well. I set to securing the boat and putting away the cruising 'stuff' and Rachel had been busy making tea to come into, team work !  

So we've made our terminus destination and finally completed the Macclesfied and Lower Peak Forest, something we set out to do over 16 years ago ! Despite all the moaning I kept reminding myself Carpe Diem as there as so many out there in out country (we passed a few) and in the world with so little and we have so much. It's blowing a bit now and we could not get a front rope on so are bumping a little which I may have to sort later. There is a hire boat in front of us and so I hope they move tomorrow and we can move up a bit as we are planning a day off tomorrow.

Our return is in a mess time wise as we were constrained by leaving late and then having to come back earlier than planned ( hence for us the feeling we are rushing !!) The plan we thought we had has now been thrown a curve ball with an arranged event now being bumped a week... so we've trades to the house, grandchildren's parties, hospital appointments and other pre booked events all pins on the calendar we now have to work around ... as I said above when compared to other peoples challenges ours are not important.

We do have to get Percy back to her moorings for a good clean and some jobs. We can retrace our journey here and do heartbreak hill again or complete the four counties which was the original plan. Interestingly CanalPlan says going back the way we came is a trip of 80 miles, 2¾ furlongs and 75 locks from Navigation Inn (Buxworth) to Shebdon Winding Hole.

This will take 44 hours and 58 minutes which is 4 hours and 29 minutes for each of 10 days.

= 155 lock miles 

Our preferred route ..

This is a trip of 98 miles, 4½ furlongs and 45 locks from Navigation Inn (Buxworth) to Shebdon Winding Hole.

This will take 49 hours and 6 minutes which is 4 hours and 54 minutes for each of 10 days.

= 143 lock miles 

So less lock miles but longer ... I think it'll be the four counties as it'll be variety and not heartbreak hill !! 

Just depends if we leave Percy in a marina for a week or so or finish the trip in one hit... we need to discuss all options and constraints !

Let's see what we wake up to tomorrow !