Against my better judgement ...and some cruising

The alarm did not go off this morning because Rachel beat it to its job and woke me with a cup of tea rather than a chiming phone - always better.

This was 6.45 am and by the time I had lubed up the engine and fed myself with some porridge laced with tinned Raspberries and banana (not tinned !) it was 7.55am before we were on our way. But my it was blowing a hoolie and I nearly moored straight back up. The benefit of Percy over Waterlily is she is much much heavier and also much lower  (more tug style) so catches less wind. I cruised on a little against my inclination for lazyness and safety and it proved the right decision.

We were lucky not meeting any boats in the narrows or on the horrid turn off the Shroppie with the wind against us (Rachel) as well as an angle of the exit from one canal to the other.

I have been accused by Rachel of being a bit of a saddo when it comes to canal stuff. I recognise a lot of boats and on approaching this one it looked a lot like Pendle the boat of Emma and her mum who is the youngest and keenest vlogger I follow.

More boats moving today but no anything more than a normal cruising season. Interestingly there seems less hire boats still but I guess they are out there. Now just as we turned onto the Staffs and Worcester we met a boat that turned out to be an Anglo Welsh boat.... I have to assume it had been hired from Great Haywood Yesterday afternoon. Looking at CanalPlanAC it advises..

This is a trip of 20 miles, 3¾ furlongs and 12 locks from Great Haywood Basin to Autherley Junction travelling southwest on theStaffordshire and Worcestershire Canal (Main Line: Autherley to Great Haywood).

This will take 10 hours and 35 minutes which is 1 day, 3 hours and 35 minutes at 7 hours per day

So They must have cruised into the dark yesterday and up at first light today to be there for 9am.... I presume a four counties in a week boater. We also met a Stone hire boat at Penkridge, again no small distance in less than 24 hours.

As for us, after saying six hours was a long day yesterday we did seven and a half day today... Even the wind did not put us off and we kept on for a 15 miles and nine lock day !

We are at where our first boat was made  (I presume) at Teddersley boat yard, Comet was a Teddersley plastic top.

This gives us options, we were originally going for an out and back trip but I seem to have a phobia of using the same route twice (hard on a canal I know)  so the distance we have made in two days gives us an option for the four counties at about 6 hours a day.... we can still turn around in a day or so or as we were discussing drop Percy into Aquaduct marina or Overwater marina  if we get delayed or tired of the 6 hour days. For now it is a great novelty to be out cruising again.