Another day with only a modest target, so another pretty relaxed start. We got another load of washing going so we’re pretty much caught up now, then set off about 9.30. It was warm but rather overcast to start with. A couple of bridges further on are the other Church Minshull moorings, which have a view across the valley, with the village looking a bit like a model.
There had been a few boats about this morning, but one of those in front of us turned into Aqueduct Marina. But at Minshull Lock we still had a boat ahead; Adrian went to help, and discovered it was a Texan with a short Aintree Beetle. Then it was our turn to go up, with no traffic coming the other way.
Immediately before the next lock we pulled onto the fuel point at Chamberlain Chandlers at Venetian Marina. Diesel is 97p domestic, which is both a reasonable price and the most expensive we’ve bought since setting out at the end of March.
Being on the wharf seems like quite a vulnerable place to be when boats are coming out the lock. As we were tying up a hire boat came out and only narrowly avoided hitting us, and when we were ready to go another took a similar line. Adrian had walked up to the lock and had warned me there was a boat coming down, so I just waited where I was. Fortunately there were no other boats wanting to go up. There were two volunteer lock keepers on duty, one of whom we’d seen at Middlewich on Tuesday. Once up the lock we moved onto the water point. It’s not a particularly fast tap, and we’ve done two loads of washing since we last filled so we knew it would take a while. When the tank was eventually full, we moved a couple of hundred metres along onto a nice spot on the moorings.
After lunch, I thought I’d do a job that’s been on the to do list for a while — repainting part of the handrails. We’d picked up a few scuffs and scratches on the ones behind the boatman’s beam, and I’d done Fertan, primer, and undercoat ages ago. But since then it’s either been too hot for painting or too likely to rain. Today was warm but not hot, and there’s no rain in the forecast today or tomorrow, so I masked up the edges, gave them all a light sand, dusted them off, and got the roller out. Of course the sun had come out so by the time the prep was finished it was perhaps a bit warmer than I would have liked, but they definitely look better, and will be better again when the masking tape comes off, which I will do this evening when the paint is dry but not too hard.
Later in the afternoon we walked back to the marina for an ice cream, and watched the new hybrid Avanti trains on the line that crosses the far end of the marina. Adrian has alsobeen doing charity accounts, so between us we’ve had a fairly productive afternoon.
4 miles, 2 locks. (64 miles, 20 locks)
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