Narrowboat 2008
Gongoozlers
Yesterdays Run 6 miles 10 locks
Walks and runs to the nearby villages, everyone got a bit bushed but we are all agreed that Marbury is really a very nice place. No supplies purchased but a good bacon and egg breakfast to follow leaving us with another 11 am start.
Met a couple of kiwis from Bleheim at the first lock who have been living on their boat for three years. They highly recommend the experience.
The major navigation highlight of the day was Grindley Brook Locks, three separate locks and a staircase of three. We arrived at the staircase to find the friendly lock-keeper was at lunch and the people using the lock had little or no clue and obviously had not read the instructions. A cafe latte and watching them was in order. There was also a boat at the bottom of the staircase who were disabled by a jammed rudder. Had a nice chat with them.
It's hard to imagine how people could mess up a decent so badly (water pouring over lock gates into the lock below) and then be telling those of us at the bottom to ignore the lock keeper and go up anyway. Some kind of different world view I suppose but what can they be thinking?Finally arrived at Whitchurch and sent out a walking party into the town. It's much more than half a mile and certainly not as rewarding as Nantwich although the church is interesting albeit not that old. Tesco is a good distance from the canal and there is a real nice butcher just between the Post Office and Tesco.
On the way back to the canal the rain started and after we got underway really started to set in one underway. Jennifer and Charlotte valiantly drove some for thirty minutes until we were able to moor with a crash and a bash. We're going to have to up the pace if we intend to get to Llangollen at the weekend (and get a pump out tomorrow)