Stanthorn lock Middlewich - to Stanthorn lock Middlewich Rain batteries and solar panels !

As forecast it's rained all day from when we rose this morning to now as I'm typing the just after 8pm. 

So we've had quite a lazy day. Last night it was a bit full on with real strong winds rocking the boat and heavy rain lashing against the side. We took a walk into Middlewich not having stopped here before. I've ridden my bike here before and watched the summer antics at the junction. Antics as there is only one place to moor for the Wardle lock which is about 80 yards in with two approaches on the Trent and Mersey, north and south obviously. It's a reason we do the four counties clock wise as one year we did it the other way and were involved in a large and difficult queue for Wardle lock with boaters having to agree who's turn it is and boats coming out of the Kings lock with no where to moor for the turn - it was chaotic. Lets hope its as quiet as its been today but I suspect there will be a lot more boats moving for the next few days  catching up as we will be trying to get off the T&M in two days onto the Macclesfield canal.

Looking back to the lock on opening the stern doors this morning - our boaty neighbour left early 

We walked to Morrisons for supplies and then had food in the big lock pub which was fair priced and good. We eventually found the town centre and Rachel did a charity shop or two. Then a wet walk back to Percy. 

Having days off puts pressure on the batteries and knowing we were planning this cruise and also our batteries we starting to show their age so early August I swapped out the two big AGM's for similar spec. I thought about going hybrid lithium but my charging and monitoring is well set up and we got 5 years out of the last batteries Last battery install in finding that link they went in February 2019 so five and a half years. They were measured as the new ones were a tad bigger in physical size but they slotted in and were swapped over on a hour or so. But they were flippin heavy I took my time getting them in and out of the boat  think they were about 40kg a piece.

Waiting for their turn .. ordered at 11am and delivered 10am the next day.

The old ones looking forward to going to the scrap yard 15 quid a piece iirc

Queued up ready

They came full charged

A nice fit  - only just 

A little earlier in July I swapped out the old now 14 years? 140w solar panel that was really used to keep the batteries topped up while we were away from the boat with a new 380w spare I had from a test install at home. Not the prettiest but very efficient. It was wackin in over 14 amps and the new batteries love it !!

Right lets hope we get a good road tomorrow ...

Just outside Nantwich to Stanthorn lock Middlewich - wind !!

We cycled the Northumberland coast a few weeks ago and was beset with strong northerly winds into our faces most of the way - a blog to follow no doubt. Today the wind was mean and I as type this my face feels well wind burnt having been out sine 9.30 am. 

We set off spot on 10am with our end stop just before Middlewich as we were expecting another day off tomorrow as there is rain given literally all day !! I was surprised how 'full' Nantwich was especially as it seems they have turned their 48 hour moorings into all year 48 hours. Normally the 48 hour mooring revert to 14 days in the winter  - not ideal for business but I  doubt they are policed. 

We stopped at Nantwich boat yard for diesel and gas and a few other bits. £164 quid later !! A very nice youngish ( they are all young !) fella served us and sorted my gas out and a nice lady in the shop apologised as she took my money - she did ask for the split on the diesel but it was still expensive at £1 for domestic and £1.28 for propulsion iirc. I went 80/20 I can't imagine the tax man checks and surely now we are not in the EU  it should revert ? 

It was 78 litres of diesel to fill up for the record and the hours counter is now on 1093. Last time we filled up was April 2023 on our way back from the Ashby. The engine hours then was 1017. So consumption wise 76 hours for 78 litres delivering a litre an hour running. Interesting (to me) as the last fill up was closer to 2 litres an hour which I put down to the shallow Ashby canal but in all reality it'll be more due to less locks and more cruising speed cruising rather than the locking type we've been doing since the Ashby. 

I chatted to a fella who was on Hunky Dory I think and serial hybrid boat sounded very nice ( and expensive ) I was ok until he told me he was burning his turds ( my description not his) as he had an incinerator toilet ! It smelt like Hamlet cigars !! 

Relieved of my money and topped up we headed off after allowing a fella on his lovely boat to pass  - he was very careful and used his horn more in 2 miles than I have in the last 10 years !! Eventually he winded before Hurleston junction and was pleased to receive my congratulations on a wind well done. We let the day boat over take us as they were on our rear fender.

The Llangollen, maybe spring ....

I twatted the bow on the turn onto the the Middlewich arm as the wind ( honest) fought my turn... 

Then it was racing the impending rain ( we lost) across the 10 miles and 3 locks. It just started to rain as we left Stanthorn lock and we mored up on one ring and pins for the next 36 hours based on the weather forecast for tomorrow of 80% rain all day and 40 mph winds tonight.  As I type this its pinging it down and the wind has not abated. 

The Middlewich branch locks are a lot deeper than the main line ones 

The sun belied the cold wind and pendidng storm 

It chased us and won  - only just 

We had a bit of a moment after I hit the turn ( literally) as it appears we have a weep on the hydraulic motor. There is a metal catch tray that does get a few drips but I've not checked it for what must be over a year and it was holding more than it should so signalled it needed emptying after my bump ! I do need to check the hydraulics and understand them better. I spoke to someone in the hamlet where we live who services JCB's and he told me there are two types of hydraulic oil 32  (older thicker)  and 46 newer thinner. I'll investigate more tomorrow as I  suspect the reservoir needs a top up. If you know about hydraulic motors and pumps happy to receive advice !! 

So we'll set how tomorrow fairs - we have new batteries  - another blog I've brought my Ecoflows search the blog for info on them and half a tank of water and two empty cassettes so no urgency to move  - we'll have a mooch around Middlewich tomorrow if nothing else.

Right lets ride out tonights storm.

Should have noted Rachel made a love tea of proper baked spuds and Frittata   and is experimenting with sourdough loaf !  

Coxbank to Bridge 89 just outside Nantwitch

I lay awake this morning wondering what time I should disturb Rachel. I heard a boat go past so though it must be gone 7 as I'd set my alarm for 8.15 ( yep retired) How surprised was I when my phone said it was 9.15 am and I'd not saved my alarm changes ! 

We didn't rush and set ourselves a go time of about 11am... I did the engine checks, annoyingly despite the forecast saying no rain last night it did rain and I'd left the exhaust chimney stack on so there was a bit of 'black' muck on the engine from the exhaust on cylinder 2.

I set the boat but as we were no more than 100 yards from lock three on the Audlem flight I waited for Rachel  which gave enough time for a boat to appear out of lock 2 so I held for them to pass which resulted in us having to turn 11 of the 13 locks remaining on the flight.

No hardship as the flight was quiet and is always nice to ascend or in our case today descend.

I tried agin to find our friends much loved and lost windlass on the flight but its a bit of needle and haystack and was a fail 

Could this be Toms old boat ? 

We hit the visitor mooring and decided to take food rather than press on so we did just that. We left Coxbank at 11.30 and arrived at the visitor moorings 1.15 so not too bad. We set off into Audlem for stamps and for Rachel to browse the tat market. Suitably shopped we set off as a boat came up lock 12 and a boat was dropping lock 11 so it was not rude for us to step out onto the lock landing. 

The Shroppie Fly was pleasingly busy as it was last night when we ate there.

I emptied a half filled cassette at lock 13 by the services while in the lock as you do...   then we motored on down the last two locks with one that was not actually leaking. !! 

Last time we were this way it was for blacking and we turned into the marina so it was nice to press on to waters last travelled in 2020  - the plague year when we took Percy up the llangollen in September and did the four counties in July. 

Our loose target for today was the embankment in Nantwich but I spotted a nice mooring by bridge 89 which is adjacent to 89a a railway bridge so we are hearing the odd train which I don't mind. 

Tomorrow we need to get across the Middlewich arm as Monday is looking decidedly wet so might be a no move day ! Nice to have options  

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.

I ran out of pegs so the socks are drying in the engine room !! 

Just deciding if we eat on the boat tonight, go to the chippy in Audlem of go to the pub !! 

Left Market Drayton visitor moorings at 9.45am

Arrived at the services 10am left 10.30 am

An hour and a quarter to Adderley top lock 11.45 arrival 

Moored up on the Coxbank visitor moorings 13.30 pm 

So only three and a quarter hours cruising today .... 

Yep walked to the pub and had a lovely steak 

Market Drayton still - A rare’ish lazy day

Our plan was to sit out the rain today and as I type this it a lovely sunny afternoon ( it was now pinging it down) ! Never mind we got on with jobs as planned. In fact after emerging from the engine room I felt a bit like Alan Millyard ( he’s a biking engineering genius so I’m not like him at all but he toils away in his garage while his wife bakes cakes in the kitchen …. Have a watch if you like engineering ) There will be a cake ref in there. The connection was me fettling Percy’s engine while Rachel made a lovely Date and Walnut cake… 

Percy’s ‘donk’ was well overdue a fettle so with the rain forecast I set to giving the under engine a good clean as well as checking the tappets and nipping up a  few weeping water pipes. The water pump is a bit of a frustration but of my making  - when I had the pump off earlier in the year to check the vanes I think I overtightened the pump onto the belt putting pressure on the pump shaft and so the shaft seal - told you I wasn't an engineering genius. It weeps a bit but stops something to keep an eye on.   The engine is lubed ready for an early start as if the weather gods permit we’d like to get to the lower Audlem visor mooring tomorrow. 

We were feeling very good about being out for us on an extended trip and Halfie and Jan have just cruised past on Jubilee arriving home at their lovely canal side place having been out since April they just told me …. Serious cruising .. 

We are off for a walk to town again shortly and I’ve rubbish and a cassette to empty. 

For pictures I mentioned our mooring was a pig to get in and out of.. I set about sorting it in mid June. Only way was to get in with a spade and fork to loosen the sediment that had built up quite badly. In the end the most effecting was 'walking  up' the hard silt using the course soles on the chest waders I'd brought for the job - they were effective and it was quite an experience being in the canal but dry ! 

A man enjoying his work but it was flippin hot that day - might have been summer !!

This was as close as we could get in and that was with some effort 

We were back at it in July as 'gardening' was needed. Luckily it didn't take too long to get it looking tidy and you can see how much closer we can get Percy in and she floats when on the mooring now. 

Tomorrow we'll head off early ish as the forecast has changed again  to give us two dry days to get down the Adderley and Audlem flight and on towards Barbridge Junction. We may stop at Nantwich depending on the moorings.

Shebdon to Market Drayton Autumn 2024

We've planned this or rather not planned it for a while, I'll explain. 

We've always wanted to 'extend' our cruising but stuff has always got in the way, mainly good stuff. We have one less restriction that it's not my place to explain but suffice to say we can now enjoy extended cruising if we wish to so we had planned to finally complete the Macclesfield canal and venture onto the Peak Forest canal - a canal I was told was nicer than the Shroppie  (Floating our boat Youtubers) !! 

We were last on the Macclesfield on Waterlily in August 2008. As I type this as look back at the blog post for our old Waterlily blog site I'm saddened to reflect on the fact Leia was just a pup and left us two years ago. Ross my mums companion died in 2015 and my mum in the pictures if you follow the link is now suffering dementia in a care home in Derby. All give massive signals to get on with life before life and death overtakes you.

Here is the link ...Waterlily on the Macclesfield

We've taken the conscious decision to go with the flow and the weather this trip. We arrived Monday evening late as always and Rachel set to making up the bed and putting away the food we brought and I ran the genny while the fridge was cooling down and filled the water tank. While said tank was filling I removed our worn out front fender  - fitted when we had the boat painted in 2015 and made by Joe Hollisworth a real old boater born on NB Victoria outside the Mucky duck in Fradley I had previously been over to Pillinglock marina to see Geoff and Maggs who were a favourite blogging couple when doing the system on their narrowboat Seyella.They have a wide beam now at the marina... another blog post to put in later but I brought a very lightly used bow fender off Geoff which I fitted last night.

Geoff looking good next to his Dutch Barge in August 

The fitting needs work as I need some shackles and I also need to introduce two cuts in the chain to allow it to break if it gets snagged... work in progress

We set off after engine lubed and checked at 10.30 heading for market Drayton as we knew it would be heavy rain after 3pm so that was todays target. 

Despite my dredging efforts - blog to fit in after this trip, getting Percy out was a pig, but we did and off we went.

Some pics ....

Looks nice but a pig to get out of 

The Wrekin...it can be seen up near our cottage at Cauldon Low as we drive from Ashbourne to where we live 

Rachel approaching Goldstone wharf - plenty of moorings and tempting but there is a half day stoppage at Tyrley locks tomorrow 

We met two boats in Woodseaves cutting the first held for us and the second reversed eventually for us  - both hire boats thank you.  

It's only a matter of time before these come down and close the canal for an extended time

Tyrley flight was good to us mainly because there was no following boat dropping locks full of water thru the bywashes - if you are a boater you'll know !!

Despite the calm'ish bywashes the last /first lock still moved Percy about

The lock entrance has taken some bashing as have the boats. -its a poor design and needs the baffle improving 

We arrived 2.20 pm so just under 4 hours. Went shopping and had coffee and cake ...

To Goldstome 2 hours

To the top lock 2 hours 40 mins

To mooring up on visitors 3 hours 50 mins

Tomorrow is given a lot of rain so we'll have a lazy start - I've engine room jobs to do, empty the cassette and do some shopping. If it brightens up we'll head for the top of the Adderley flight or maybe stop short in the haunted woods !!