Lottie leaves the boat

our overnight mooring

going up

It was a frosty night with Lottie asking to have her quilt pulled over her but a clear sky and sunshine greeted us in the morning. The boat behind us cast off first but it didn’t benefit from leading as all the locks were full.



waiting for lock gates to open

When I emerged from the first lock a boat was locking down towards me so I waited by the lock I had just exited. Unfortunately the bow of the boat was sucked over by a strong currant pouring over the by-wash and it grounded. I tried reversing off but I was stuck. How embarrassing. The boat coming down couldn’t get past our boat’s rear as it had swung out while I was trying to get free.

The Captain jumped aboard, reversed back into the lock (which is what I had tried to do) then powered forwards past the by-wash making me look even more like a helpless woman. I am consoled by the fact that even the Captain gets stuck some times.

getting higher

The Captain and I took it in turns to work two locks then drive two locks which gave both of us a break from locking. Other than me getting the boat stuck on the by-wash our climb up the locks was uneventful. We passed one boat coming down when we were half way up and another at the top. Where is everybody?



leaving the top lock

Lottie enjoyed herself on the flight even though she had to be put on a lead at a couple of them due to the sheep grazing in the fields. At one lock she was exploring the off side when the boat pulled away from the lock. Instead of charging back along the lock side and crossing over the bridge she took a short cut by leaping across the front of the lock. I felt the wind as she soared past me. Trust her to prove she can still jump in style.



houses below the aqueduct

One boater warned us that the Royal Oak Swing Bridge was temperamental and could stick in the open position but it behaved beautifully. Lottie jumped like a startled deer when the safety barriers clanged down and hid in the bushes while the boat passed through the gap. Even though the road wasn’t busy there was still a modest queue of three cars by the time the barriers rose. We moored by the bridge – another peaceful spot in spite of the nearby road.

relaxed cruising

As supplies were running low and we had no idea where to shop after the Marple flight we set off to shop in Macclesfield. It took just over an hour to reach the town and moor on the new pontoons provided for visitors. Last time we came through it was hard to moor there as the bank had caved in and the canal was shallow. However it was a long walk to the supermarket downhill all the way.

We bought the bare minimum as it was a stiff fifteen minute climb back to the canal. The Captain was hot and glowing when he reached the boat- that’s the first time this trip he has complained about the heat not the cold. Once recovered the Captain decided to move on to somewhere quieter as we (especially Lottie)prefer a mooring in the countryside.



its easy to leave the boat in bridge holes

It was a lovely cruise but Lottie lay quietly. I was concerned she felt ill but she stood up stretched and stepped off without warning at the next bridge hole. The Captain gave chase and found Lottie needed the toilet.

“There was a big lump of foil in her poo,” he announced when he rejoined the boat. Good. It seems our hound has a cast iron stomach.



passing through the snake bridge hole

The Captain tried to moor up as we approached Bollington in case the popular moorings were full. He run aground even though other boats were moored there. Obviously they had taken the only deep places as our boat isn’t deep drafted. He moored around the corner and switched off his engine. Almost immediately the boat in front of us started up a noisy generator. “I’m not listening to that!” the Captain declared and promptly cast off. He cruised round the corner and found plenty of room on the Bollington aqueduct where he had wanted to moor anyway.



mooring on Bollington Aqueduct

“Typical,” the Captain observed. “But if I had cruised past those moorings and found this full I would have had to go on a long way.” The moorings were quiet and idyllic but the Captain clattered around with his coal bucket and tended the fire all evening as it was a cold night.


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