We've done 16 locks, 8 miles and Harecastle Tunnel today in a bit over 5 hours. Pretty good going we thought.
A quick view of Westport Lake as we were pulling away this morning. We both planned to take pictures on our evening walk yesterday, but it came over really dark and we'd hardly got out when it started raining so that was that. We were the last but one boat to get away, and it was only 10.00. John reckons that everyone was on a schedule to get around the ring and were having to get an early start. That's why it's just so nice to be retired and not have a time scale to keep to. Boating for us is a leisurely thing that we can both enjoy. Even when we used to do the time shares on a boat, we never went too wild to try to get miles behind us.
We arrived at Harecastle Tunnel and were the last boat through so had no waiting time at all! Paddy got frantic as usual, he's not keen on tunnels at the best of times and I think the fans going on and the doors shutting were a bit much for him. We've done it before with him but he just doesn't like them. I discovered one of his claws is growing in the wrong direction and can't believe that I hadn't spotted it before. It's not worrying him so we'll get it sorted when we get back.
Most of the locks we've done today have been duplicate ones, meaning that two were built alongside each other, which can save time. Luckily many of them were set for us but were on the 'wrong' side. With the strong winds that made life interesting at times.
I was somewhat amused to spot this sign saying that the other lock was shut. The undergrowth and reeds growing across the entrance gave me a sort of a hint to be honest. You can also see the colour of the water here. This is the colour you get on the north side of Harecastle, that comes from the minerals that are in the water that feeds the canal from there.
Paddy was exhausted by the 14th lock, poor lad, pulling the boat is obviously too much for him!
The canal winds gently through some really lovely countryside on this stretch. It's very quiet as well, we didn't see many boats in either direction. There were also more rings for mooring along the way than the Pearson guide book had indicated. Talking of which, we are moored at Hassall Green which according to Pearson's has a pub, a brasserie, a shop and a pottery. It doesn't. We went off looking for an ice cream after we'd moored but there was nothing, There's a sort of green with a phone box, notice board and post-box which is about the sum of the facilities here. Luckily we didn't want a pub or a brasserie or a pottery, but an ice cream would have been welcome!
The highlight of the day for me was getting the bed linen washed and then hanging it out when we moored for it to blow dry in the sun. It smells lovely. That's what I miss being in the marina, the ability to hang the washing out on a nice day. I haven't heard the forecast for tomorrow but more locks are on the agenda, so it had better be dry. We hope to get to Middlewich, and then we'll be turning off onto new waters! Exciting!
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