Welsh waters: Day 14

With a forecast that said rain from late morning and strong winds from this evening, we thought we’d be best to get going sharpish today — so we were pulling away from our mooring at 8.30 in dry conditions without a breath of wind.  In the field behind the canal is a big solar farm; in fact rhere’s one on the other side too.

Between the lift bridge which is left up and the next bridge, there were two kingfishers.  At the lift bridge that needs lifting, Adrian did the honours.  When we got to Maesbury Marsh, we pulled onto the water point and got the washing machine going.  We then had a real struggle to get the brass cap on the water tank to unscrew.  As it’s brass, and so is the tool used to undo it, both have become worn over the years so neither the slot not the tool have any crisp edges on them any more.  After a good long while, it came loose and we could top up the tank, although it meant our stop was a bit longer than anticipated.

Before the locks, we met a boat in a fairly awkward place, although I could pull in between two moored boats to let them pass.  To be honest, there were worse places we could have met.  But at least it meant the locks were in our favour.  The house just blow the top lock has a false window in the end wall, and there’s another round the back.

The paddlesports club at Queen’s head were out in force, and the CRT work boat that’s moored there has a new crew member.

The next stretch is straight and alongside a road, and there are more long straight sections ahead.  This canal is definitely more appealing below the locks.  We met a couple more boats heading the other way.  There had been a couple of rather feeble showers, but as we approached Graham Palmer Lock it started to try harder to rain.  We did the lock, and were then hoping there would be a mooring in the Weston Arm, which used to be the start of the now-abandoned canal to Weston.  There was space, so we spun around and reversed in, so that if it’s as windy as forecast tomorrow we can just go straight out forwards — as we’re booked in to go back up the locks.

Since we’ve been here the rain has really come on, so we managed the timings pretty well again.  We’ve also lit the fire for the first time this season, which should also help get the washing dry.

7 miles, 4 locks.  (52 miles, 31 locks)