Leaving Overwater Marina

After Christine completed her duties for the Churches Tent at the Royal Cornwall Show yesterday, we were ready to set off on our next trip, this time the plan is to go into Liverpool Docks, leaving the boat there for the next break at home. This will be our first visit since the Liverpool Link was opened - the nearest we came was probably 1968 or 69 when we had our very small boat called Fiona. At that time, Eldonian Basin was as far as we could go.

With the warm nights and bright sunny start to the day we were up and away shortly after 8:30. We felt grateful that we were leaving going towards Bodmin rather than the other way as there was a queue of slow moving traffic all the way into Bodmin itself. No doubt this will be another record day for the show, it certainly looked as if half of Cornwall was going and many others besides. (Yesterday, Christine met some visitors from as far afield as Norfolk)

The motorway was a little slow in places but only came down to a crawl in the road works around the junction of the M5 and M6. All in all, the journey to Overwater marina was perhaps 30 minutes longer than estimated when we set out.

Leaving the marina

However it was a gorgeous day and we really felt ready for the trip - we still took a couple of hours to unload, unpack, fill up with water and so on before we could leave the marina entrance.

The hedgerows are now in full flower and the May blossom is everywhere as well as many of the expected wild flowers along the tow path.

Last trip we saw some the chicks from the earlier nesting species but soon after setting off we passed a family of cygnets - the first we have seen this year.

A little later a set of baby coots were being carefully shepherded out of our way by a devoted parent.

Former Stables above Hack Green Top lock

Only two locks today at Hack Green. In both cases these were made easier as boats were coming up as we arrived. In fact, at the lower lock there was a short queue!

Milepost between Hack Green Locks

Immediately after leaving the locks we pulled into the bank to moor for the night - otherwise we would have been into Nantwich and it might have been difficult to find space to moor for some distance. Alas, where we chose has the Shroppie Shelf and we may have to ignore the occasional bump in the night as this one seems quite hard, even though we are relatively close in to the bank.

3.2 miles - 2 locks