Plan C

 It was cold and very misty yesterday morning when we left our mooring at Coole Pilate, the temperature was below 3 degrees and stayed that way all day!

A few pictures along the way …

Stark ….

The Gorse is providing some lovely colour along the banks and there are still a few rose-hips left for the birds 

Cormorant in the mist

Look at his horns!

Don’t you just love an optimist!

Now moored in Nantwich (we actually managed to get on the 48-hour visitor moorings).

We’ve got problems with 2 of our our batteries but fortunately we’ve been able to order new ones from the chandlery here, they should arrive by the weekend.  We may have to let C&RT know that we need stay over on the moorings until they do arrive and are fitted as we don’t want to be too far away if the ice forms on the canal and we can’t move at all.

Plan C - see previous post for A and B!

We soon realised that the Trent and Mersey down to Harecastle/Caldon Canal is also closed for winter maintenance so another plan was required!  We’ve decided to spend the next month or so cruising up the Shroppie to Chester and maybe to Ellesmere Port too then we’ll revert to plan ‘A' hoping that the breach above Preston Brook is completed on time (due to be ready at Easter (end of March)).  Well, that’s the plan anyway … it may change again!

On the move once again

Our time was up; we’ve had a great Christmas with son Mark and family; a good start to 2013 meeting up with Ann and Chas on New Year’s Eve afternoon and taking them to see Mags and Geoff at Barton Marina (Mags looking so well too) on New Year’s Day; visiting George’s brother and sister and their families, and the Enterprise hire car has now been returned.  The washing is all up to date and the money has nearly run out of the electricity meter at OverWater Marina on the Shropshire Union Canal near Audlem … so yesterday afternoon it was time to move on …

The sun is setting at 10 past 6

and the sky has changed dramatically by 7:15

… where are we?

Just a mile or so down the deep, gloopy, muddy towpath to Coole Pilate visitor moorings!

Plans for 2013 cruising …

We’ve decided this year to stay away from the rivers … that’s a definite!

Instead …

Up the Bridgewater, across the Ashton, through Standedge Tunnel (just 'cus we can) wind (turn), and back again (we’re too long for the next set of locks), down Lower Peak Forest Canal and the Macclesfield back onto the Trent and Mersey calling to see family on the way on the Caldon Canal.

Spot our error?

I woke George up last night and asked him if we were really going to turn left at the Wardle end on the Middlewich?  ‘Yes’ came the sleepy reply.  ‘We can’t’ says I … ‘because of the huge stoppage at Dutton until Easter (end of March)’ … so plan B …

We’ll just do it the other way round!!

2013 ...

… started with a bang!

at midnight with fireworks over Audlem ...

and today we (George and I) and Ann and Chas (who had arrived in Audlem a couple of days ago) took advantage of us still having a hire car …

to pop over to Barton Marina ...

where  NB Seyella is currently moored ...

and where we saw Mags recuperating really well after a stroke back in November and looking as lovely as ever.  It was great to meet up with the ‘gang’ again!

A fantastic start to what I hope will be a fantastic new year for all of us.

Happy New Year!

Wishing all our blog followers a

Cracking 2013!

May your road be a good one

be it on the water

or on the road

Best Wishes

George, Carol and Molly

(the Rockers!)

8 o’clock this morning

at  OverWater Marina

Free photo slideshow created with Smilebox

As night follows day ...

Monday morning from our mooring at the River Weaver Aqueduct on the Middlewich Branch of the Shropshire Union Canal

… and Monday evening at Nantwich Aqueduct …. the bit in-between these two pictures was just ... well …. wet!!

Awoke to a very pretty morning today though … looking towards the aqueduct

… and from whence we came - very nice indeed!

Uneventful cruise today to Overwater Marina except that for the majority of the way it seemed that the whole world was still asleep it was so beautifully quiet!

We’ve settled in this afternoon, electric hookup etc., and will leave Rock n Roll here whilst we spend Christmas with our son and family, hopefully by then we’ll both be fully over our flu bug and starting to feel much more relaxed.

Locked out!

After spending a week at Middlewich some of them stuck in the ice and a couple of them (one was my birthday) stuck in bed with flu, we managed to move off yesterday

Not far though just up one lock and a couple of miles before we moor up

… overlooking Winsford Top Flash

Lights of Winsford this morning at 08:30

A cold but bright day just 3 miles to Minshall Aqueduct.

We can’t go any further now until Minshall Lock opens after maintenance to the gates, hopefully tomorrow.

Firmly in the grips

… of the ice this morning - it was minus 7 a 6am and as I write (10:52) it still only minus point 6, but George informs me that down at Wardle Lock and in the T & M basin the ice has melted in the once again brilliant sunshine.  Temperatures below freezing are expected again tonight and tomorrow but lots of rain is forecast for Thursday night/Friday so it's ‘ration water’ time until we can reverse down the lock to refill the tank before moving on.

Narrowboat Elizabeth - update

This morning George chanced to speak to our over the water neighbour about his boat (click here) for yesterday’s posting where I stated that I’d love to have a peek.  George told him how interested I was in his boat and was told to look on the web for NB Elizabeth in France and all the pictures posted here are from that website - 

History & Heritage Rivers & Canals

(Click on translate once on the website)

Well worth a read - written in French and translated into ‘pigeon’ English!

Buttes, Namours, France 2001.  NB Elizabeth has travelled the canals of England, France, Belgium, Germany and Luxembourg.

Considered by the author (of the website) to be the 'oldest narrowboat on still water', and he’s probably right - built around 1860 and still going strong today - 152 years!

Elizabeth’s owner Jimmy McDonald on-board in the galley/dining area ...

… and at his piano

Elizabeth’s bathroom is the bow.

Jimmy was telling George that for 47 years he operated a boat wharf in Watford but then found out that some idiot one had planned to run a railway straight through his business.  He moved from there to a house here in Middlewich just 2-months ago where Elizabeth is moored at the bottom of his garden.  He added that he’s made more friends in those 2 months than in all those years in Watford!

NB Elizabeth was certainly attracting lots of attention from towpath walkers over the weekend being so new to the area.

A long cruise ...

… it wasn’t!!  We’ve moved just under the next bridge because on Saturday and Sunday mornings when we drew the curtains on Rock n Roll there was fresh dog poo outside and we were sick of it, this morning though it’s ok so far.  Why do dog owners allow it - if I catch anyone I won’t be able to hold my tongue.

 We’re currently moored opposite NB Elizabeth

 Believed to have been built circa 1860 Elizabeth started life as an unnamed 70’ horse-drawn cargo vessel on the Birmingham Navigations, her final job was carrying coal from Neachells to Saltney for FMC’s long haul steam boats.

Her cabin is mahogany and her hull was originally made entirely of riveted iron but later work used riveted and welded steel

In 1928 she was sold by FMC to Robert Teal of Newport and used for carrying gravel on the Kelham (?) cut until it was deep enough to take larger boats such as Trent Barges until …

… around 1935 when she finished her commercial services and was taken to Warren’s Shipyard in New Holland where she was shortened to 61’9” and the original horseboat stern removed.  Propulsion was by sail and engine from 1936.

In 1938 modifications were done underwater to a more conventional narrow boat counter and a more powerful engine installed.

In 1966 Elizabeth was purchased by it’s current owners (correct at 2009) as a houseboat and their first home.  Apparently the saloon and living quarters have been kept to a 1930’s style and has two central heating systems, one running off waste engine heat and both designed in 1936.

I would love to have a peek!