Today’s video of our journey:
Amazing what a good nights sleep and a beautiful sunny morning can do for your soul!
Although we woke early and had all plans of getting going, the universe had other ideas. On starting the boat of a morning we always give a little revs in neutral in order to warm the engine up. Something this morning was different. No forward or reverse gear……….ah, this may be a problem.
Next thing i know Richard has the bed covers off and the mattress off the bed and is digging around in the underbed storage. Little did I know but the previous owner had been very kind to leave me all sorts of engine spares and apparently one of those things was indeed another throttle cable. This connects the lever on the control column that I push to the gear box to engage forward or reverse and the old one had snapped. These things happen with wear and tear much like a car and it seemed like a relatively short fix and we were on our way. I have to say I was very very grateful this happened and was noticed whilst we were moored. If this has happened mid journey that would have been chaos. Bobbing about with no steering, probably waiting for a passerby to lob a rope at to pull us in or trying to punt her along with the boat pole like some ungainly gondola.
As a hire boat came past I made mention of possibly going through the locks with them to make it easier. The first lock we couldn’t as it was the iron lock which you have to go in alone but they very kindly waited for us at the next one. What a difference, with another boat in you’re not bounced around as much as the water boils underneath the hull whilst you’re rising. It was their first time hiring and they were loving it, fellow bristol folk and super chilled. perfect.
The wash from emptying the iron lock was a bit fierce and sent both me and the hire into the bush (Video 00:42). We both recovered and got in! The staircase lock was the final broad lock so we waved goodbye to the couple. We tried to stop at Calverly to empty the rubbish (Video 03:21) but their bins were totally overflowing, took it back onboard, we’ll another one soon enough. We continued our way down to the junction to then turn left onto the Middlewich arm of the Shropshire Union (waterway number 7 on this trip so far). I was a bit too speedy on the turn but I didn’t hit the bridge so class it as a win!
I needed a break from the cold as I couldn’t feel my fingers anymore so came inside to turn the radiators on and thaw out. Richard then took her through what seemed like miles of moored boats and down 2 locks to our final mooring stop for the night. Seems like we have met up with the ice cream boat again but definitely too cold for one today!
That Niggling Thought 