The plan today was to go back up Frankton Locks to the junction, and find a quiet spot between there and Ellesmere to spend the night. So I booked our passage through the locks with BW, and we set off at around 10:30, in the wake of several others going in the same direction. By the time we got to the bottom of the locks, we were at the end of a queue of maybe 8 boats.
Queuing at Frankton.
I decided to reverse back up ¼ mile to the Weston Arm, and join Carol there who’d pulled in for water. It wasn’t easy, with the brisk wind pushing us around, but we got there in the end.
We had a council of war, the upshot of which was that I cancelled today’s passage and rebooked for tomorrow.
Although it was breezy, it was dry, so we took the time to remove some more of the old paint from Corbiere. There can’t be much left, I hear you thinking. Let’s see. 2 cabin sides, each 45 feet x 3 feet. That’s 270 square feet. Plus the bow and stern sections. Lets round it to 320 square feet to rub down or remove, de-rust and prime. And that’s before the top coats go on….
The decision to wait here may not have been the right one in retrospect. Since we arrived there have been another 6 boats turn up, all to go up the locks tomorrow. Ah well, we’ll just have to play it by ear.
I've just had an email from Carol II, the one who visited us at Llangollen. (See 23rd June post).
She'd sent the picture of the "odd duck" to a friend who's a bird expert. He identified it as a Mandarin drake. In my ignorance I'd discounted that possibility. Many thanks to Hugh.
Locks 1, miles 1½
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