Friday 26th May 2023
In recent times we have noticed that boaters tend to leave gaps between their boat when mooring for the night. This can be very annoying as the gaps are generally too short to find a mooring spot between. However – last night we ended up mooring immediately behind a Black Prince boat that had a very noisy Eberspatcher that stayed on until nearly 11 pm and was going again at 7am. We guess they all wanted warmth or showers before setting off today.
We made good progress with the exception of waiting to enter Whitehouse tunnel. First one boat emerged, and then a second whose steerer told us there was another boat coming through his cloud of acrid exhaust smoke. We waited and when it all cleared we could see that there was no other boat following him.
Then through Chirk tunnel and across the aqueduct onto New Marton locks where we were 6th in line when we arrived. As we finally passed through the top lock, the lady who lives in the cottage remembered selling us a small radiator last time we visited. That radiator is still doing sterling service in our kitchen at home and she still has an assortment of items for sale along the top of her wall. Brenda purchased a classical CD.
Then on past Hindford where the Jack Mitton Inn is in a very sorry state considering what an excellent pub/restaurant it used to be – must have been a casualty of Covid as it was family owned rather than part of a chain. Next was the junction with the Montgomery canal but not for us this time.
Graham had rung Whittington wharf earlier to enquire whether they had a starter battery they could sell us. He has had to jump start Jannock’s engine for the last couple of mornings. A check has shown that the battery is not well and needs replacing. They told him that they didn’t sell batteries or diesel – just Calor gas.
Onto Ellesmere where Brenda was dropped at the end of the arm to visit Tesco while Graham took Jannock into Blackwater marina for a diesel fill (140L) and a new starter battery. Brenda arrived whilst some boat manoeuvring was happening so that Jannock could get out, a hire boat could also leave and another boat could go in for a pump-out.
Once collected, we moved down to Blake Mere where we found the moorings completely empty to took our choice of prime spot. Shortly afterwards two other boats arrived and tied up.
G&B
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