Our plans are foiled.

Sunday 27th May

The sun was up, the wind was also up but the crew wasn’t so Cap’n set off single handed.

Note to crews visiting Bugsworth basin with mini-cabin-boys (no sexism intended, ‘its’ traditional) – steam can be let off in two places. Walk up to the Navigation and a) take balls and picnics past it, pub on your left, and there is an open area of grass with no risk of falling in, ahead of you. b) Take the road, with the pub on your right, and walk up to the village. Turn right, past the club and there is a childrens play park down on the right with swings etc.

We approached Marple flight. It’s closure has made us change our summer trip plans. With the re-opening of lock 13 last week, it seems that boats are now getting stuck in lock 11 due to the walls shifting there as well. We will take Jannock back to Higher Poynton and leave her outside Alan’s house until we hear the flight is open again.

We came across another boat, well and truly stuck on an underwater obstruction. It seems the skipper had chosen the length of nice piling to moor against for lunch and had run aground trying to get to it. He didn’t want us to try and pull him free using the bow rope and so after two failed attempts to get him afloat using his stern rope, Graham took the bow rope and snatched his boat off of the obstruction.

We stopped at Higher Poynton bridge for a fill of water and then winded just after the flash and tied up outside Alan’s house. We then took a stroll down Anson road to visit the Anson engine museum. It’s a treasure trove of engines through the years, uses and technologies. The staff are so friendly that we got the benefit of their knowledge and even got a lift back to the boat at chucking out time by one of them.

Back at Jannock and nb Black Pig hove into view and then stopped for a chat. It appears that they were also in Bugsworth basin last night but had arrived just after we had finished our walk around and returned to the boat – shame!

Sorry – can’t find the pictures on the laptop, they must be at home.

Brenda