Yesterday we left the moorings and headed up to the lock having only heard one early boat, and then a rush and so there were 3 boats waiting at the lock and one going up - none coming down. Two more arrived before we had gone through and only one boat turned up just in time to come down before us. We got to the next one and there was only one boat going up and one waiting but a whole queue waiting to come down. There is no logic to boat movements..... It took over an hour and a quarter to get through the two locks and we decided to keep going and get to Llangollen since the weather report was threatening rain by 5.00pm (they were wrong - it started at 4!).
We got through Chirk across the aqueduct and through the tunnel but as we emerged from the tunnel it became obvious that we'd come up behind the slowest and most cautious hire-boat on the whole system. I had gone below after the tunnel to rustle up some sausage sandwiches to keep the helmsman happy and when I came up with lunch and asked if all was well (there was a worrying look across his face) he said he'd lost the will to live. Thinking it was my fault in being a long time with the sandwiches (better than food-poisioning from underdone sausages I felt) I apologised only to be told it wasn't me but the gentleman in front (not exactly his words). We continued at about 1 mile an hour (this is no exageration) and the air above us was blue, turning black around the edges.
There is an irony in this, being that the previous evening a hire-boat had gone by us so fast and so out of control that it knocked us on our moorings (luckily hooks on pilings and not stakes). We went up to the lock where they were going through and gently explained about slowing down past moored boats and although he was very nice, he maintained he wasn't actually going that fast, but just lost control in the current. mmmmmm - not convinced.
While chatting to Sarah and Chris who WERE moored on stakes above the lock we warned them and sure enough he went past them too fast and they had to tighten their moorings.
Anyway back to the journey. It took a L-O-N-G time to reach Froncysyllte, which is one end of the Pontcysyllte Aqueduct, and then had to follow this boat across it. Now if you don't know much about narrowboats you will need some explanation here. When you have not much water under you, it is hard to move, and when you don't have much water either side of you, it is hard to move - the boats work best when there is plenty of water around them so that they can move it and use the flow to help them. SO when you have a ...... gentleman ..... in front of you barely moving at the best of times it makes going over a shallow, narrow aqueduct, with a raging wind hitting the side of your boat 127 foot in the air quite difficult.
I hadn't realised what a steep turn it would be into the final stretch of the canal as you turn at Trevor and then it becomes REALLY narrow. Just before either of us actually jump from the boat and murder the chap in front, he pulls in shouting that he needs a rest! A REST!!!!! He needs a lot more than that, but at least it meant that we could revert to nearer 3 miles an hour. The canal has a really strong current flowing down and so against us and getting to the final section and the basin took a lot longer than we had expected. For the narrow sections it suggests that someone goes ahead to check for boats coming the other way. So off I go with a walkie-talkie and that is when the rain started. We were already cold and this was not what was needed.
John maintained that it was like going uphill, trying to get through the narrow sections and we knew that boats with more than 2'3" draft were unlikely to get through - we are 23" so there wasn't a lot of water under us, but enough to move. The current coming down was very strong - it will be interesting to go back down tomorrow! Some of the bridges are at very unusual angles!
By the time we are moored in the basin (which is great - £6 and electric and water included on the pontoon) we were both more like a pair of drowned rats than happy boaters.
However a hot coffee liberally laced with whisky helped and finishing the bottle later helped even more.
The rain continued unabated throughout the night and now at 2.00pm it is still as strong as ever. There are rumours that it will ease up at 4ish but we have paid to stay another night and are revising our plans. Chester another time so that we can enjoy it and link it to the Anderton Boat lift and hopefully getting in touch with Roy and Joan from the other evening while we are near Northwich. All that for the spring I think.
Looking back to below New Marton Locks where we had moored the previous evening. These locks were great - the run -off was far enough down to not hamper getting into the lock and I'm feeling more confident again.
Sarah on NB Bonnie. We met her and Chris along with her son Charlie and dog Alan above the lock and spent best part of an hour nattering - one of the better bits of narrowboating in case the entry today sounds a bit negative!
The aqueduct at Chirk - happy memories of being here in the motorhome on St Davids Day this year.
This was just before coming up behind the slow boat - in fact there he is in front of us but we didn't realise the impact of being behind him at this point.
Finally!
The offending boat going around the corner at Froncysyllte. Grrrrrrr
Approaching the Pontycysyllte Aqueduct - you can see a fault at the bottom of the picture and this is where my camera's battery ran out! Typical. I have it charged and will ensure that I have both cameras and my phone ready on the journey back. This is the highlight of the British Waterways and my camera dies on me! I think I shall blame the boat in front!
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