Then another very slow paced day to Worsley where we moored up for the night.
Then came the busy day, Woke by the good ???? captain at 5.20am and set sail at 5.30am. We went over Barton aqua duct over the ship canal and into Trafford park, passing united's stadium and on into Manchester and the first lock where we were greeted by a choice of three different possible directions, each as promising as the next. We chose well and the nightmare began. It didn't bode well as the first lock despite the torrents of water gushing into it took an eternity to fill. Eventually we were underway again. For a canal that goes straight through the city centre you'd struggle to find it. It's tucked away out of sight and passes underneath many of the buildings. Working locks underground was a new experience. Finally we saw the sun again and stopped for a brew.
Refuelled by a cuppa and rested from the nine wide locks through town, we hung a right onto the Ashton canal, an our first venture onto a narrow canal, by eck it were tight! For our next new experience we arrived at our first narrow lock and rattled our way through the jaws, unavoidable much to the annoyance of the captain! I like narrow locks, Easy to work and fill up quickly and they were also hydraulic which made life a lot easier. Though they are very tight and on a couple of occasions got the boat wedged in on its fenders, still learning. Another eighteen locks done and no more until Marple, Twenty seven in a morning is more than enough.
Then we arrived at the Peak Forest canal and it got even tighter just making the turn onto it was a challenge! The next surprise was a lift bridge, crewman Kelly was sent ashore to deal with it, carry on that man. Just in time to raise it stopping some policemen that wanted to cross.
By this time I was at the helm and got to take us through our first tunnel with only a couple of inches either side and not much more above you don't get any room for manoeuvre over chimneys either, oh dear, still learning!
Today has been a day of rest recuperation ready for the sixteen locks up to Marple tomorrow, oh joy.
