Long day to Lyme Green

By our standards, we did a lot of boating today, especially as Sheila's bruised ribs, though recovering, still limit her ability to work locks. We set out just after seven and boated the half hour or so to the water point at Buglawton. It didn't take long to top up the tank and we were soon on our way again.

Sheila was steering, so it fell to me to get the washload going as soon as most of the battery charging was done and the water was hot. This was all sorted well before we got to the foot of Bosley, where we found the first few locks against us but the next few empty. The mystery was explained when we met a volocky half way up. Apparently, someone had gone down the flight overnight (no problem with that) and had left some paddles up (idiot!).

As a result, three of the pounds were dry this morning and the volockies had had to run water down to refill them. No doubt they had also emptied some of the locks in the process. We started meeting boats coming down at lock 5. Things were that bit easier as a result, most of the boats being hirers and therefore keen to do things the right way.

The only exception was a shiny privateer with all the trimmings, trad engine in engine 'ole, the whole bit, who turned a lock in front of us even though there was a hire boat already waiting to go into the lock we were coming up. As a result, Mr Dimble Brain had to squeeze himself onto the towpath in a very short pound instead of waiting in comfort in the long pound above.

It's not as if it gained him any time, he still had to wait for the lock below to be worked and turned again.

No matter, it was too nice a day to stay irritated for long, it's just the bad manners and bad example set by a boater who really should know better.

Despite us not trying to set any records, we only took two hours for the whole flight and then had a pleasant chug, albeit through some shallow bridgeholes, to the Royal Oak swing bridge. Once through that, I managed to get the breakfast washing up done before we got to the manual swing bridge just before the Lyme Green moorings. That one, bridge 47, is still very heavy to work, I'm sorry to say, especially after working a dozen locks first...

There was a load of room here on arrival and it's not filled up very much since. We've done a bit of shopping and otherwise have been loafing about recovering from our exertions. Tomorrow, a couple of hours should see us to Riley Green beyond Bollington.