Weaver Trip Day 12 - High speed washing machine man.

We definitely know we're back on the canals as we moored up at 4pm as boats were still passing as late as 9pm.  Our mooring overnight was OK but I broke our club hammer (or thumping thingy as Chris called it) banging in the pins so a new one needed to be sourced.  Likely our axe has a hammer top so that was pressed into service.

Our mooring last night near Marbury.

 We are beginning to wonder if summer is over as the leaves were starting to fall and trees are changing colour.  This morning AmyJo was covered in leaves.  Are we in for a winter like that in 2010 I wonder?

Our trip down to Middlewich was pretty non de-script except for a few instances.  The first was a near head on collision at a bridge 'ole.  We were just going through slowly when we heard a horn and a bow appeared.  Another boat was streaming straight at us coming round the bend and just stopped in time. 

Many boats lined to tow path making the going slow.

These old posts went on for some time and must have been part of an extensive wharf

Next we passed through a very industrial section with the processing plant both sides of the cut and pipe bridges everywhere .  The smell was non to good neither.

Large works span the cut and yes this boat did want all the canal swerving out of our way at the last minute. her crew scowling at us as they passed.  We managed to squeeze through the gap as they passed.

 Continuing on we passed these two cute little boats.  The larger had church window styled side doors or were they windows?

This one could not be more than 12 feet long

Quaint looking boat with the church windows

 For some time the boat on the right in the picture above had been following us but chasing us to go faster by motoring up close then dropping back.  I was not going to be intimidated by this and carried on.  Why people have to be in so much hurry bemuses me.  Each time I went to offer him to overtake he had dropped back.

Eventually he signalled he wanted to overtake so I slowed and allowed him.  As he passed he stated, looking at his watch, that he "had to keep the revs up as the washing machine was on".  New one on me that, either it discharged into his waste tank or the outlet was blocked as for some time there was no sign of it discharging but hey ho.

Lovely looking place to stop but not for us today.

Not long after we came across the site of a new marina being built.  Looking at the jetties its going to be extremely tight to get in and out and the legs of the jettys do look a bit spindly to me.

New Marina not yet in water

A little further we came across this boat with a novel way to locate solar panels.  There were so many on this boat I reckon he is self sufficient and has power over to run an electric engine.  Have to admit it looked quite good as the panels matched the window heights perfectly.

Nice styling for the solar panels

One of the "wides" on the way to Middlewich

 IN the next photo washing machine man had harassed this old boat for some time to get past.  We spoke to the chap on the larger, old boat and found she was built circa 1910.  He was clearly in no hurry and moaned about washing machine man as he had caused him to run aground in his urgency to pass but as we had taken an interest in his boat was happy to let us pass too which we thanked him very kindly.  His boat had an unusual counter at the stern more akin to a launch than narrow boat. Looking at the photo one cannot help but think its two boats welded together.  His engine chimney was interesting too, wander if he has trouble with it at bridge 'oles.

Hare and tortoise come to mind.

Very narrow aqueduct.

Strangely just after the above aqueduct washing man stopped and waved us to overtake which we obliged.  It was only after we rounded the corner past this pair of breasted boats did we click why he had wanted us to go past.  Big lock was coming up and we guessed he hoped we would set it for him, cheek!

These lovely boats looked well cared for.

Great to see a fully laden work boat leave big lock

Big lock set against us as boats come down.

 Now what washing machine man had not reckoned on was we needed water so we stopped at the water point just below the lock.  He cruised past and stopped asking if we wanted him to wait for us.  I informed him yes if he wanted to but the water pressure was low.  He had not realised we were topping up with water.  With that he dejectedly had to turn the lock himself.  

Moored just upstream of Big lock

 As it was lunch time we locked through with another boat and found some empty mooring rings so pulled in.  We then had a super lunch for £5 in the Big lock pub.

To walk off the lunch we then walked to Tesco's for some necessities then on to Kings lock Chandlers where I managed to buy a replacement thumping thingy.  Having walked up a sweat we could not resist a quick pint in the Kings Lock pub  before returning to AmyJo.  A pint of Valour went down very nicely.

Kings Lock pub is right near Middlewich Junction.

Total distance:7.88 miles Elapsed time:4h0m0s Locks:1 Bridges:27 

Average speed:1.97 mph (2.22 lock/mph)