Floating about: Day 18

There was rain forecast from about 11, so we thought we’d try to get where we were going before it started.  Consequently, we got some washing going about 8.15, and set off around 8.30 — under blue skies and sunshine.  As we approached Minshull Lock a boat was just going in.  Adrian got off at the bridge and walked up, then turned the lock for us.

Above the lock, Bridge 7 has such a big crack in the parapet you can see daylight through it.  It looks as though something has hit it, and I don’t remember it being this bad last time we came this way.

At the railway bridge, we again coincided with a train.  This one was a Chester to London Euston.

We pulled in at the chandlery at Venitian Marina, mostly for yet another gas bottle, but also a small top up of diesel.  When we changed gas bottles about three weeks ago, I thought the new one didn’t feel heavy enough; when we replaced the empty one about two weeks ago, shuffling the bottles around also suggested the one we were then using was surprisingly empty.  It ran out a couple of days ago, after only three weeks, whereas the previous one had lasted three months.  Ruth at the chandlery suspects it had a faulty valve, and has probably been gently leaking since we bought it in May (and possibly before then too, I suppose).  She’s going to stick a label on it, so it can be checked before it’s refilled.  Once all that was sorted out, Adrian walked round to the lock, where a boat was just coming out.  I signalled to them that we would be coming in, so we could swap.

There were two boats waiting at the top.  One was an Andersen hire boat, so Adrian asked them where they were going back to — given that they’re at the bottom of the now-closed Middlewich Locks.  The hirers said they hadn’t been told anything.  The other one was  Cheshire Cat hire boat, who asked how far they’d be able to go before hitting closures; they’ll be able to go as far as Middlewich Junction, where they’ll have to turn around.  We also noticed that some of the Black Prince boats from Acton Bridge are now at Venitian.

We carried on to Barbridge Junction and turned left.  Our usual spot on the northern Hurleston Junction moorings was taken  and there was another boat at the other end, so we came through the bridge to the southern moorings instead.  It’s nice here, but being a bit more shielded from the junction means the entertainment value is much less!  Since we got here, Adrian has been doing some charity admin, and I’ve been doing some interviews for a future podcast on the water shortages.  There have been a few showers but nothing very significant, but it has been very windy again.

6 miles, 2 locks.  (101 miles, 23 locks)