It’s all going swimmingly!

As planned we used the moorings outside The Poachers as a base for visits last week. Tuesday was a run down to Shrewsbury for Mags’ Covid test. Then Thursday it was Shrewsbury again for her pre-admission check up and blood tests, and Friday back again for her procedure.

All went well, old stents in her bile ducts replaced. No stones to remove this time, so that’s a good sign. Can’t praise the Endoscopy team at the Royal Shrewsbury enough, caring, professional and sympathetic. Lovely people. We’ll see them again in 6 months…

We stayed put on Saturday, we were both a bit tired after a stressful week. Then Sunday we headed up towards Chirk, turned around in front of the tunnel then back past The Poachers to moor above New Marton Locks.

We waited out the wet and windy weather there, meeting Richard and Ruth on the fuel boat Mountbatten on their regular run to supply us boaters with diesel, solid fuel and gas.

Mountbatten coming up New Marton Top Lock.

We left it till yesterday before carrying on towards Ellesmere, but we’ve taken a day out near Bridge 4W. We had intended to be in the town today but the weather was too good to spend it on the busy towpath there. Much more peasant here.

Fine cruising in the sunshine yesterday.

We’ll be there tomorrow though, as coal bags have been emptied they’ve been repurposed to hold rubbish and recycling and we’ve now several on the roof. The problem with this stretch is there’s no rubbish and recycling facilities.

I spent a couple of hours doing a full service on the engine and gearbox this morning, and swapped the nappies used to collect the inevitable condensation that collects on the bare steel of the engine bay in the winter. Apart from that we’ve just been chilling. Good walks with Amber and reading.

With Boris’ “roadmap” to get us out of these lockdowns we’re in a position to make plans for the summer and autumn, but they’ll not be set in stone. We’d like to get to around Loughborough on The Soar to see my folks, then up to Gargrave on the L&L to see Mags’ family. We’ve got a wedding up there in October all being well.

And with me getting my first Covid jab next Wednesday we’re both feeling more positive for the future. Hope it’s not misplaced optimism…

Locks 2, miles 7¾ 

Ice, Ice, Baby!

We’re heading back to The Poachers now, to enable us to get Mags’ Covid test and for her pre-admission review and ERCP procedure on Thursday and Friday. Hopefully this week won’t be postponed again.

We turned around yesterday, heading down to Frankton Junction then back to moor opposite Whittington Wharf. A dry day, but that biting easterly made it feel so much colder than the temperature indicated.

More lambs, I feel sorry for them in this weather.

And today was the same as we carried on and up New Marton Locks. Apart from it being cold there were no problems… until we reached the bottom lock. It was full, set against us, and contained a thick layer of ice.

I lifted the paddles then had to break the ice holding the top gate partially open before the lock would empty.

With the lock empty I still had to clear the ice clinging to the bottom gates before they would open.

 

There was lots of crunching and cracking as I pushed into the lock and as it refilled.

The top lock wasn’t anything like as bad, just a thin film of ice in the chamber. This one is sheltered from the Siberian wind…

We moored just past the water point, we’ll stay here tomorrow then head on to The Poachers on Monday after topping up the water tank.

Locks 2, miles 4¾

The Best Laid Schemes…

…oft Gang aft agley…

As the Scottish poet once wrote. Well our plans went agley!

We left Whixall Moss last Thursday, heading for Ellesmere.

A last romp on the moss before we left.

Back through Ellesmere Tunnel

We were able to get a mooring on the arm, making it easy to get the shopping to top up the cupboards.

Signs of Spring on our morning walk…

Cupboards, freezer and fridge replenished we set off on a blustery Saturday morning, heading up towards Chirk.

Empty moorings above Frankton Locks.

With the forecast looking grim for Sunday we pushed on, past Frankton Junction and Maestermyn, up New Marton Locks and moored above looking out across St Martins Moor. That left us just 3 miles to cover to get to the moorings outside The Poachers next to Bridge 19W.

It actually wasn’t as bad as predicted, at least over here in the west. They had it worse on the opposite coast. Arriving at the moorings we settled in for what was intended to be several days.

Everything was organised. A car was booked from Enterprise to get us to Shrewsbury for Mag’s Covid test, with taxis to take me to and pick me up from the Wrexham branch. They’re not doing the pick-up and drop-off service during lock-down.

Then on Wednesday Mags’ son Howard, who has been isolating, was coming down to take us for the pre-med in the afternoon, and the actual ERCP on Thursday.

That all went out of the window when we got a phone call yesterday lunchtime, postponing the procedure to next Friday. We don’t know the outcome of the Covid test but it’s irrelevant now as we’ve got to do it again on Tuesday.

So rather than hang around the Poachers for over a week we decided to turn around and head out into the sticks for a bit.

Nature’s ice sculptures at New Marton Locks.

Anyone speak Mandarin?

We’re now moored near Maestermyn, a sunny spot that we use often. I’ve a few jobs to do while we’re killing time, the engine and gearbox need oil and filter changes and I’m modifying one of the kitchen cabinets to fit drawers inside, keeping the door though. Should improve the storage. We’ll probably head back to the Poachers on Sunday. Mobile reception is poor here and we’ve a family Zoom meeting in the afternoon. It’s Mags’ first great-great grand-daughter’s first birthday!

Locks 4, miles 15½

And then there were four…

Well, six actually. But four are paired up so there’s only four in the array really.

I ordered two 80 watt panels from Sunshine Solar on Friday, and they were delivered by courier to us at Roundthorn Bridge on Tuesday. We pushed on down to Tilstock Park on Monday, turned at the winding hole then returned to moor at Roundthorn to wait for the delivery.

I spent today mounting and connecting the new ones up, the installation is a little bitty, with elements mounted on the storage boxes and directly onto the roof, but it will give us up to 520W. That should be enough to power the boat for the day, so long as we get a decent amount of sun…

 

All of them can tilt up to 45° along the axis of the boat so that helps to get the best possible angle for the low winter sun. So in the winter we need to be moored facing East or West, in the summer North or South. Ideally!

Mags is due into Royal Shrewsbury Hospital next Thursday for her twice yearly ERCP to clear out her bile ducts and replace the stents that keep her from getting jaundiced. It’s a little more complicated this time though. She’s got to have a negative Covid test prior to admission. But we’re working on that. Drive-through testing stations are great, so long as you’ve got a car!

Sunbeams from the setting sun this evening.

Anyway, we’re heading back towards the border for that, intending to moor at the Poachers. Lots of options there.

Locks 0, miles 5

There and back again…

I left you last Thursday wondering if our delivery would be early enough for us to start heading back towards Ellesmere on Friday. Well, it was and we did.

So now we’re the proud owners of two new tub chairs, ordered on Thursday before lunch and delivered to our doorstep at a quarter past eight on Friday. Pretty good, eh!

I had to dismantle the old, saggy swivel recliners before I could bring them in, but that didn’t take long.

We’re pleased with them, we’d decided that a sofa would dominate the area too much, these are comfortable but compact enough to leave us with space.

Anyway we moved on about lunchtime, just a short way to moor at Hampton Bank for the night, heading for Ellesmere on the Saturday (23rd) after a light overnight dusting of snow. We crossed briefly into Wales at Bettisfield and filled with Welsh water while we were there.

Arriving at Ellesmere we pulled onto the wharf for rubbish and recycling disposal, then managed to get the last mooring spot on the arm.

Sunday was snowy and cold, the forecast was spot on for a change!

Of course, the arm froze over so we hung about until it had thinned enough to head down to the end to turn around, cruised across to fill with water and dispose of rubbish, then reversed off and set off back towards Whitchurch. 

Mist rising off the still lingering ice on Blakemere.

Muskovy ducks near Lineal Wharf

Not the prettiest of God’s creatures…

We pulled in on Hampton Bank, stayed for a couple of nights and today have moved on to moor near Prees Junction.

Richard and Ruth are due tomorrow with a coal and diesel delivery, then we’ll wait out the snow on Sunday before moving on a bit.

Locks 0, miles 15

Rain and mud, snow and ice, and starlings…

We moved from Hampton Bank last Sunday (17th), heading to a fine open spot near Prees Junction on the mosses.

First thing Sunday morning…

It was a short but fine trip, with a stop for water at Bettisfield.

Amber and I enjoy long walks across Wixhall Moss, but the recent rain has left the tracks almost impassable in places. Amber is very fastidious and doesn’t like to get her paws muddy!

Luckily there are drier alternatives!

The viewing tower on the Welsh/English border has been finished and gives fine views over Wixhall and Bettisfield Mosses.

Last night’s final wee trip was a bit of a shock for her, 2-3cm of snow had appeared since she last stepped off! This morning it had deepened to a couple of inches, with an icy crust on top. She enjoyed rooting around in it…

At sunset for the last few days we enjoyed the spectacular displays of a murmuration of starlings, swooping and wheeling around before settling down for the night…

This morning, in bright sunshine, we headed down to Tilstock Park to turn around and return to the moorings at Roundthorn Bridge. We’re expecting a delivery tomorrow and the small parking area alongside the mooring is ideal.

Leaving the winding hole just above Tilstock Park Bridge.

Lunch for a pair of white horses, confined to a smaller paddock than normal with the flooding.

Tied up at Roundthorn Bridge.

Depending on what time our delivery arrives tomorrow we’ll move on back to Hampton Bank, or stay here another night.

Locks 0, miles 6¾

Just pottering along

We’ll not be doing much while this lockdown is in place. We moved down to Ellesmere last Saturday (the 9th).

Amber and I enjoyed some fabulous early walks while we had that spell of fine weather.

We were planning to go on Friday, but the wintry showers were a bit offputting so we postponed the short trip for a day. A good move as it turned out, it was a beautiful day. Chilly but it is January…

One of the best buzzard pictures I’ve taken…

Richard and Ruth delivered solid fuel and diesel on the Sunday, they do a sterling job keeping us supplied with fortnightly runs to Fron and back. Mountbatten draws too much water for the shallow stretch from Trevor to Llangollen, so boats upstream of Pontcysyllte Aqueduct are serviced by road.

Shopping done and water tank filled we left the town on Tuesday, still heading downstream.

Into Ellesmere Tunnel

The weather was a bit mixed, gloomy at first but brighter later.

Passing Cole Mere

It was quiet, we only passed one boat all day.

We pulled in on the mooring rings near Hampton Bank but only stayed the one night, moving around the corner onto the embankment yesterday. The towpath is drier here, although there’s not a lot to choose between them.

Hampton Bank official moorings

I rate towpaths on a scale of 1 to 4. Category 1 is trainer towpath, clean and dry.

Cat 2 is boot towpath, fairly good with muddy patches, Cat 3 brings us to welly towpath, generally muddy, and Cat 4 is almost bog snorkling, standing or running water sitting on deep squishy mud. 

Cat 3 towpath near Ellesmere

When we’re not cruising much I get bored and start looking around for things to do. Of course there’s the day to day maintenance, but when that’s done it’s time for a project or two.

Before Christmas I removed the small, homemade bathroom cabinet and replaced it with almost a full bulkhead sized glazed unit. With LED spotlights in the corners the bathroom is much lighter and appears bigger. And there’s a lot more shelf space!

Another idea we’ve been toying with a while is moving the TV from on the front bulkhead alongside the door to a spot under the gunwale, completing the change by putting both chairs on the opposite side with a small table in between.

There was a possibility of replacing the chairs with a small sofa, but with a centre passage in the adjacent galley the width would be a problem without extensive changes to bookshelves and a radiator. So I think we’ll just replace the knackered chairs with new ones.

So that’s it for the time being, in a couple of days we’ll head on to Whitchurch but it’s unlikely that we’ll drop down Grindley Brook Locks. Instead we’ll turn around and head back upstream.

Locks 0, miles 8¾