Birthdays and bilges

Hello from sunny Wolverhampton,

Yesterday new crew were enlisted for a very special birthday voyage. Replete with picnic and birthday cake.




The new cabin boy tried to abandon ship,




The rest of the crew seemed to enjoy themselves.





We said goodbye to them at Wheaton Aston and settled in for a thunder storm that never arrived.

In the morning we gave the engine a service. Topped up the gearbox oil, thanks support crew, then changed the oil and filter. Then the good captain donned her trusty boiler suit and went below to clear the bilges.



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There was a bit of background action too, Mabel was pushed into the cut by Daisy.



The fire brigade came along and fished her out.



It all ended happily and the farmer got shouted at by the firemen to take more care of his cows.


We couldn't take much more excitement so headed for Wolverhampton. If you have ever gone to Telford on the A5 you'll have passed under this rather fine Thomas Telford bridge. Here's what it looks like from the top.




We are now moored up just outside Wolverhampton ready for an early morning dash through the town.

Service day

Hi gongoozlers,

Not many miles done today but plenty of jobs done.

We set off from our over night moorings and passed through even more cuttings. One bridge is rather interesting as it has a telegraph pole in the middle of it.



Which led us to Norbury junction. Not a junction anymore as the branch that used to run to Telford has long since closed.



Though there is still lots going on there. We had a shower and dropped our laundry off for a service wash, and had an ice cream in the sun. There was also a very good chandlers where I got some ropes and grease.

We then sat on the boat and waited for the washing while we watched the boats go by. A couple of hours later we collected the washing, filled up with diesel, cheapest we've seen so far and headed off in search of solitude.

We moored up just outside of Gnosall, where I put my new rope, chain and anchor together.


The good captain resisted the temptation to push me over the edge and send me to Davey Jones locker. Just hope my splicing is up to the job or when we get to a river this blog may end.

Cut 'n' cycle

Hi everybody,

Today we started with a bit of product testing, here are our results




Then a visit to Market Draytons market.







Where we bought a pair of two way radios. Lack of direct communication has lead to a couple of awkward moments. Now we can keep in touch even out of sight. We also got a shopping trolley, tartan and everything. Practical too, load it up with many bags of shopping and roll back to the boat. It's heavy duty, the bag is contained within a cage. Which given a glance over with my expert eye, should fit a 13kg gas bottle inside.


We had a spot of lunch then set off for tyrley locks to play with our new radios. Roger roger over and out! worked a treat.

Then we plunged into Woodseaves cutting. All hewn from solid rock by hand. Over a mile long and the bridge gives you some idea of the depth.



It was a very beautiful place, woods and water merging into one.



A little spooky too, there be beasties in them there woods



We came through it and the captain got on her bike and headed for the pub.





The anchor Inn a charming little place with only room at the bar for one.

The 15 locks of Audlem

The lock keeper surveyed his day ahead,








and thought to himself "Bugger"

Back on the Shropshire Union

Hi gang,

Sorry it's been a while, comms have been a little hit and miss lately. There is either no signal or the blog site has been down.

We are back on the Shrop and back to civilisation.

We booked our passage again through the flight of locks at Frankton to leave the Montgomery and get back onto the Llangollen.



Which took the best part of two hours; on the way down we'd been at the head of the queue and went down in half an hour. Going up we weren't so lucky.

We got there eventually,


and started to head back into the never ending stream of holiday boats. We called in at Ellesmere once more to stock up on supplies and headed for our over night mooring at Blakemere. On the water overlooking the water.



Only problem was that everybody else had the same idea. The good captain had to tell a holiday boat to turn his engine off so we could get some sleep. Only for some huge unseen machine to start up and wreck the silence for the next couple of hours.

We set off early in the morning to miss the crowds and it worked a treat only saw a couple of boats up until lunch. After that it got a little busier but not much. We made very good progress as a result and made it to Wrenbury for our over night stop. As ever out in the sticks far away from the madding crowd.


The following morning after a bit of a lie in we crept into Wrenbury itself. Though it was a LITTLE damp.



The captain has seen rougher seas than this and pressed on.



It wasn't far, moored up and awaited some of our ground support crew to arrive with parts for the boiler. Thanks to Phil & Elaine we now have hot water again!



Early the next morning, very early the next morning 5.15 am, we set off to get to the locks at the end of the Llangollen before the crowds arrived. At times it got a bit sticky, its was hire boat change over day.



The good captain steered us through the heart of enemy territory unscathed.



We made it to the locks before anybody else and was helped down by the lock keeper. Back into the infamous narrowest lock in the country.



The lock keeper saw us through safe and sound.



We turned right back onto the Shropshire Union and headed down to Hack Green. Where another crack team of our support crew would meet up with us. Bringing with them vital spare parts, chain for the anchor, post and a big big bag of grub!

They stayed with us for the night as we planned our raid on the secret bunker.


Tested the outer security.


Then watched the sun go down.


In the morning we had a go at gongoozling, watching boats go by.


Posing as harmless tourists we snuck up to the bunker.





Then ran away giggling, heading for tomorrows challenge. The 15 locks of Audlem

The Montgomery

Hello folks,


No photos today, because we haven't taken any. We are on the Montgomery canal, it's very very rural. It is only navigable for seven miles and passes through just two settlements, village is too big a word. So it would just be pictures of fields.

You have to book a passage through the locks at it's start and then there is only a two hour window while they are open. So as a result the canal is very quiet and the holiday boats seem to give it a miss, which is lovely.

It's taken us two days to do the seven miles to the end of the navigable stretch. It's been very relaxing and has given me time to play with the engine and get my fettleing spanners out. Maya is purring like a kitten.

Tomorrow we'll be back on the main branch, and the holiday hire boats will be back to torment us, ah well enjoy the peace while we can.

Llangollen

Hi everybody,

It's been a while, communications black spot on the Llangollen. We've made it to the end and here's how we got here.

As I said it was to be a day of lift bridges and locks. Thankfully the locks got a little wider but the lift bridges don't lift any higher.




We have been massively outnumbered by holiday hire boats, apart from that it was a fairly uneventful but beautiful day. We saw lots of Kingfishers, sorry no pics, elusive little things. Stopped at the shop in the garden. literally a shop in somebody's garden on the tow path. Then we moored up on Whixall Moss.






The next morning started with some running repairs, keep the old girl purring along. And off into another fantastic sunny day. We stopped en route for a bottle of gas and provisions for the ship's stores in Ellesmere. Then onward to find one of our quiet moorings. Which we found at Hindford.






Where an old steam boat sailed by.



The next morning the good captain was busy writing the previous blog with all the wedding photos so I had to amuse myself for a while and I discovered a new obsession. I've moved on from, well actually added to my cheese coiling ropes fixation. I discovered rope splicing and fancy knot tying. Spent a couple of happy hours splicing and tying the fenders and mooring lines.

Then we hit the BIG attractions of the Llangollen. First Chirk aqueduct.






Then Wales followed closely by Chirk tunnel, don't ask about the tunnel, we need to touch the paint up a bit.



Then Whitehouse tunnel.



The captain banished me to the tow path for this one and Maya came through unscathed.

Then the main attraction Pontycysyllte aqueduct. And yes it is as terrifying as it looks. 130 feet straight down no guard rail and some two hundred year old cast iron holding you in. AAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRGGGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!







We survived and turned onto miniature, half scale canal that is the Llangollen proper. Thankfully boat free all the way to the end. Though very beautiful the narrows are exactly what they say they are.







Together with the strong current, the canal feeds directly from the Dee, they combine to make forward progress difficult. At points we were at full revs just to keep creeping forward. Its also a very twisty stretch too and negotiating the bends was no fun either. We got there in the end and moored up in the marina for a couple of days.

Yesterday we went for a train ride.











On a steam train from Llangollen to Carrog. Where we had a stroll down to the river Dee and dangled our toes in the water.








Then back on a vintage diesel. To have an icecream and watch the world go by.

In the afternoon we had a visit from two bikers, identities withheld to protect the guilty, they know who they are. Where we had drinks on the stern and watched the boats go by before they set off to cause more mayhem. Hope you made it home safe boys.

Today we set off back down the Llangollen, with the current to our backs! What adventures await us????