Painting which I hate

My last entry was detailing our return from the failed Chester cruise. Things went from bad to worse with Rachel leaving the boat to get an uber from Market Drayton to Royal Stoke to get her neck checked out leaving me to ascend the not favourite Tyrley flight solo. 

The bottom lock can be a pig with a nasty bywash that likes to direct entering boats into the rock face opposite. A lot depends on whats coming down the flight, a busy flight with boaters emptying the locks sends a lot of water through that bywash. 

I managed it on my own with no drama as the flight was only just waking up  -when i did meet a boater they understood the advice about not trying to moor in the last pound. Bizarrely there was one boater who was walking his cruiser down the flight not wishing to start the engine . 

Woodseaves cutting had a couple of boats in it and they held in the passing places allowing me to plod on through 

I was soon back at the mooring and as per normal is was a pig to get into  - no way can we motor in from the north we have to pass and reverse in ... 

I had to leave Percy on loose ropes to slowly settle back into the silt that is the 'well kept canal real value for money licence experience'. I loaded the van and cleaned the boat and headed home to meet the patient who'd got a taxi home from hospital wth checks done and advice and drugs given 

Next day I was back as the grass needed a cut  - you can see the painting project.... ironically a couple of scars from when trying to get the boat into the silt when the gang plank ran into the bulkhead. 

A bit disillusioned to be honest, the canals are in a poor state and we are every more restricted as to where we can go or rather risk where we go in case there is a failure on the infrastructure or as is the recent case navigation restrictions due to poor water supply. A good example of the stupidity ( I can't think of another description) of C&RT spending policy is this ....

They call them accessible bollards ffs... I did have to check the date in case we'd dropped back to the 1st April. They are closing rubbish points all over the system, the Elsan's just never see a cleaner ... Market Drayton on our recent cruise was appalling  - yes some boaters don't respect it but its hard to use and stay 'clean' 

and showers and toilets are being locked off but we have these ....nothing more than C&RT virtue signalling.

Yes there is a sense of complete disillusionment of the once lovely and well cared for system. I have been on it for many years and have seen the rapid decline under C&RT watch and they knew it was coming but like current politics just kicked the can down the cut.

I did appear in July to once again cut the grass.

So we are back on board, not moving the boat just maintenance. Its a nice mooring once the boat is tied up. We had a walk to the Anchor the other evening for a pint and the canals made sense again or rather our continued ownership of a boat on the canals did... but like many others   - and I'm sure it's an age thing the clock it ticking .....