Wheel Lock Flight Maintenance

So after a couple of days rest and doing the washing, cleaning the boat etc Nick topped the batteries up and refilled the stern gland with grease it was on the move again but not for long, as we approached the last 2 locks on the wheel lock flight the CRT boys were there, they asked us if we could wait for 30 minutes whilst they fitted a new paddle, yep no problem, after all boating is not to be rushed is it now :) so anyway 2 hours later they let us through after refilling the pound, all this time i was watching out of the side hatch, after they said it's ok to go through i closed the hatch squashing my thumb in the door, so we got through the first lock ok but the boat coming up in the last lock got stuck on the concrete cill so they had to flood the pound to get it off the cill which took another 30 minutes, oh well that's what boating is all about, so here's some pic's of the pound.

Arm at wheel lock

looking back

Lock with broken paddle

empty pound

Man with a grinder

Paddle gear

looking back

looking from above

Refilling the pound

and another sunken boat

                                                                     4 Miles and 12 Locks

Harding's Wood

Woke up to the heaven's open this morning but it only lasted a few hour's thankfully, walked chris to the train station as this is his last day with us it's been nice having him around but we are ready for a rest now and yes it was still raining, having seen him safely on the train we set off down heartbreak hill and the rain stayed away till we were at the bottom lock then we had a couple of showers so decided to call it a day and find somewhere to moor.

At the station

Waiting for his train

West Coast Tour Train

Boarding his train

The rain

and off he goes

Horses by the lock

Angry sky

                                                              4 Miles and 12 Locks

Off the macc and onto the T&M

Blue Cow

Hack Green Lock

Aqueduct over the T&M

coming off the Macc

Hardings Wood Junction

Lock Restrictions

Orange water at Redbull

                                                                    8 Miles 2 Locks

Macclesfield Canal

it's been an iteresting trip down the Macclesfield canal, lot's of lovely scenery but very few moorings as the water is low and sides are shallow, had to rescue a dog from the canal too, it was on a walk with it's owner and decided it wanted a swim so jumped in, only problem was it couldnt get out again due to the high armco sides, so she asked me if i could get it out as she was scared of pulling on his collar and breaking it so i tied the boat rope into a loop and hauled him to the side then lifted him out by the scruff of his neck, one very grateful lady and wet dog. we had a walk into the retail park at lyme green and bought some new plant pots for my chilli pepper plants as they are getting too big.

High Lane Arm

Strange looking boat

Adlington basin

and its big chimney

Adelphi mill

Canalside Radio

Another mill

another sunken boat

broadhurst swing bridge

royal oak swing bridge

Bosley 1st lock

Thirsty cow

last lock

                                                           18  Miles 12 Locks

Peak Forest to Macclesfield

Early ish start today at 10am to get up the Peak Forest and onto the Macclesfield to do the 16 locks at Marple, nick did the first 4 lock's then said he was knackered cus of yesterday;s 27 so he drove and me and chris did the locking upto lock 7 then who do we see from the bridge? that kevin bloke again i think he's stalking us lol, so now we had 3 on the lock's which should have made life easier except chris decided to help the single hander going up in front of us, but me and kev coped well enough without him, so a big thank you to kev for being there with us what a great guy  xxx

Under the M56

Woodley Tunnel

inside woodley

Bridge inside a Bridge

Hyde Bank Tunnel

it was LOW

Tunnel without a roof

going through was weird

Viaduct looking from the Aqueduct

100 foot high Aqueduct

A little history on the Aqueduct

entering lock one

inside the lock

low pound

from above

Railway line runs under canal

Tunnel under canal

Looking down the locks

Marple Junction

                                                        14 Miles and 16 Locks