Dunham Town To Lymm.

Down came the rain........at last.

Leaving Dunham Town, our quest was to find a water point. Over the twenty odd miles of this canal there is only one of them left.

We were so pleased to have found it we tied it to the boat so there was no escape.

A lady from the permanent moorings came by as we were filling up and we asked her if there was a rubbish disposal point anywhere near.

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To this, she burst out laughing and said "You are on the Bridgewater now love, this is run by The Manchester Ship Canal Company"

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Oh..........

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This canal has all the water it needs, in comparison to grinding along the bottom a few miles back on BW waterways the inconvenience of a few missing services is not all that bad.



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It was a day all about water, for as we left the water point the Sky's darkened and down it came.

Just enough to get us absolutely soaked before we could drag our coats out though, no little shower there.
Lymm was only a small drowning along the canal and with its chocolate box looks we were well in as we took the last mooring of the row.

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Lymm has stocks!!! but they are padlocked shut.....I took my own padlock when we visited, just in case.


We are staying here for today as there is also a very handy Laundrette close by and golf on the telly all day........ Let the rain fall.




Until next time...................




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Worsley To Dunham Town.


Shutting the canal we have just left...........




Its official, from August the second, the Leeds Liverpool canal will be closed.
Thank goodness we have got away from there.

The thing is, as I see it there is so much rain on the way I personally cannot see this happening.......... Time will tell.






Last year I commented on this poor old pink cow standing between these two modern buildings. This year it is laying down and we all know what a cow laying down means.

Crossing the Manchester Ship Canal, that dot in the distance is an actual ship. No opening of the bridge though.

Here is a strange and rare sight in this country nowadays, a pit head winding gear.
Shame on everyone involved in killing this industry off.

Another Bridgewater crane lurking in the trees.

When do Ducks stop breeding?
All along here at the moment there are egg sized ducklings swimming along, where a little way back they are the size of their mothers.

The water here might look like the "Big Muddy", this is caused by Iron Ore from the local mines leaching into the canal.

Along with the pot of elbow grease missing from the fog locker, this sky hook seems to have been overlooked.

Until next time..............................

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Leigh To Worsley.

Birthday cake, a leaking water pump and one midnight rescue......

We were starting to use quite a lot more water than usual according to the water tank dip stick, also there was a lot of clean water in the bilge. Putting two and two together in a flash of inspiration we decided we had a leak.

That might seem to be a simple thing, but on these boats trying to find where the cunning builders have hidden the pipes is hard enough without trying to find a leak as well.

Deciding to start at the beginning we would expose the water pump first. This meant removing the fitted cupboard and carpet in the bows without actually destroying either of them. What a mess!

A handy hole cut into the bulkhead showed the pump sitting there merrily dripping away..........jackpot on the first go.

Heading out into the country to find a nice secluded spot for the birthday celebrations, the canal changed from the Leeds Liverpool to the Bridgewater.

This change happens just under a bridge in Leigh itself. The first thing you are greeted with is one of these cranes that are used to drop that board into the canal to block the water if there is a breach or work needs doing.

Will you please stop parking your Land Rover on the back of my boat..........

Recently, the weather guessers for this area were saying that we would be cooked to death in temperatures of over eighty degrees and if that didn't get us we would be drowning in the humidity.

All we got was a lot of wind and a bit of light rain....everything normal there then.

Crunchie decided to have a walk about on Sunday night as we had the doors open, lots of calling and calling later a pitiful miaowing came from, of all places, the other side of the canal! The nearest bridge was a long way up the canal so how or why she did that is a bit of a mystery.

The scene is midnight and we are letting the bow rope go for me to use the bow thruster and get Ubique broadside across the canal whilst D keeps the stupid animal in the beam of the torch. A quick rescue (mad grab at fleeing pet) and we were moored up once more.

What the people in the boat behind us must have thought is any ones guess.

A funny end to the day for the birthday boy.

Until next time......................

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