Friday 18 August 2017

Two alternates and a third choice

We made a prompt start this morning with our alternate targets in mind. If there was room when we got there, we’d tie on the new pontoon moorings in Macclesfield and have a trip to Tesco. Alternatively, we’d press on to Riley Green and visit the Co-op in Bollington. So we got going just before eight, passing the other moored boats quietly, including Amy Jo which looked dark and dreamy still.

It’s a bit of a plod to Gurnett Aqueduct along a length that always seems to need dredging. At least it wasn't as windy today as it usually is. The visitor moorings on Gurnett were full on the unrestricted section but with a lot of space on the 48 hour part. It’s always quite a challenge tying there, as I’ve said before. There are rings but at awkward spacing and the ground is very reluctant to admit a pin. It’s a hard concrete edge that extends back under the grass for some distance.

On we plodded along the side embankment with a view over the town. We were following Belle of the Dachshund Carrying Company, a deep draughted boat that was struggling to make any way at all. Finally, her steerer waved us past, explaining that he had a blade full and would just have to stop in mid channel to clear it, the towpath being hopelessly inaccessible with shallow reeds along that stretch.

The bridge holes were very bunged up as usual and needed the boatman’s strategy of cracking on at them until you get the bow well in the hole, then shut the throttle so that the stern lifts and you slide through.

Hopefully.

Mostly it worked but it wasn't the fastest trip. When we got there, there was no question of tying on the pontoon moorings. If the two splitters GRP boats and a canoe occupying two pontoons between them had been tied more considerately, a 60 footer might well have got in, but not Sanity Again. So we pressed on on a reasonably pleasant morning, if a little cool.

A boat going the other way warned us that CRT are dredging the canal by Clarence Mill, so we were prepared to be held up for a bit in a good cause. However, as we approached, a boat was just leaving the far end of the moorings on the aqueduct and we were able to drop into the space she had left. This is the only way to get a mooring here, basically get lucky with a boat leaving. There are rings but no time limit beyond the default 14 days, so they are very popular. We’ve tied just in front of Braidbar number 8, The Iron Maiden.

It was now just after half ten and the sky was clouding over. The forecast is pretty soggy for the weekend and we are about two hours cruising time from Poynton. We’ve decided to stay put here for the weekend and finish the trip on Tuesday, arriving just one day early. I’ll probably just do brief blogs between now and then as there won’t be much boating to report.



Location:Bollington

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