A bright sunny morning - shame about the afternoon! Still, it kept dry, even though the canal water levels were quite low today.
As soon as we set off we passed Westport Lake - as we went along we could see that we were right last night to stop the other side of the bridge as there were really no spare spaces, it would have been rather crowded, bow to stern, and probably no sat tv signal!
After about 20 minutes along an almost straight section we arrived in sight of the Harecastle Tunnel portal. A couple of boats were ahead of us and being ushered through by the Tunnel Keeper. We pulled up and were greeted with the usual questions (how many on board? any pets? have you been through before?) as well as being given an updated (with colour picture!) leaflet. And then we were in, the last in this convoy. As the tunnel is narrow, the keepers run a schedule of convoys in each direction. If you hit it wrong you can have quite a wait.
We failed to take any photos of the entrance but did capture this milestone. Since we had passed milestone 60 just a couple of minutes earlier, we suspect that this one really relates to somewhere mid tunnel!
Especially as there is another one just outside the north portal!
There were about six boats waiting to pass the other way - the keeper at the southern end said that they had had 50 boats through yesterday. As you can see, the water from here is a distinctive colour and stays that way almost to Middlewich. But we have probably told you that before! We last came this way two years ago but it was back as far as 2011 that we continued down Heartbreak Hill, the long stretch of locks to Wheelock.
We had to drop down the first lock, immediately after Hall Green Junction with the Macclesfield Canal, in order to find a mooring for shopping. Kidsgrove town centre is a bit of a walk from here but close by is a Tesco supermarket. We did not need a lot of items but just a top up really, as well as the usual newspaper.
Back at the boat we continued down the Red Bull flight - this part of the Trent and Mersey was provided with pairs of locks to help speed up traffic. Unfortunately, in some cases one has been allowed to become derelict or even filled in. As a result, at busy times the single locks become a bit of a bottleneck with queues forming. Fortunately today this only happened to those coming the other way and all the locks were set in our favour.
A steam driven boat passed us - they had just left a mooring and, because the number of boats had dropped the water level a little, they were having a bit of difficulty in freeing themselves from the mud.
A notice at lock 41 informed us that only one lock of the pair at 42 was available. As we arrived we were a little puzzled as both seemed to have been used a few minutes earlier and Christine narrowly avoided leaving here footprint in some soft concrete around the top gate quoin. A CRT worker was just loading up some equipment and we learnt from him that the work had only just this morning been finished. They had replaced the bottom gates over about five days and this morning drained and cleaned the overflow weir. The gates really did look new!
Red Bull Wharf and Christine hopped off with just a little rubbish - delighted that this is one of the first sites to have recycling bins as well, perhaps because one of the CRT main offices is located here! Mike continued to the next lock.
Lock 44 has this roller fitted at the tail of the near side lock. The entrance is a bit sharper than some so no doubt this was to avoid tow ropes wearing away the stonework too much - at the next lock, with a more gradual entrance, there are just a few marks.
We paused for lunch at Church Lawton but yet more locks awaited us as soon as we resumed navigation.
By now, as you can see, pretty much 100% cloud cover had returned and stayed with us for the rest of the afternoon. No need to break out the sun block just yet.
The next few locks have this distinctive design of double arched accommodation bridge just below them.
Mow Cop eventually put in an appearance - we may see it again but nothing like as much as if we had turned up the Macclesfield Canal where it dominates several miles of navigation.
Below the Lawton Flight are a couple of aqueducts which - since we were not planning going much further - Mike took the opportunity to take a look. The second one, Snapes Aqueduct, is the more substantial from below as it carries the canal over a narrow country lane. Unfortunately, the dark brickwork against the bright sky does not make for the best of photos, especially of crew waving!
Mike was told that he had to close up the Thurlwood two locks - Christine had done the Lawton and red Bull flights - but look, he's been stood up and left to do the next longer pound on foot.
The lower Thurlwood lock has a warning notice that the nearside lock is narrow although 6'10 boats can pass through . Just to be safe we used the other one!
A few minutes later we found a convenient country mooring even if it was a little earlier than usual to stop. We have made provisional arrangements for the 50 hours service on the new engine to be done at Kings Lock Chandlery in Middlewich on Monday morning so we are in no rush but we do need a bigger shopping foray and also somewhere for church on Sunday.
6.9 Miles - 14 Locks
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