Date: Mon, 27 Mar 2000 20:16:26 +0100 From: Terry Waldron Reply-To: Canals To: Canals Subject: Trip Report - Llangollen (Part 1) [ The following text is in the "iso-8859-1" character set. ] [ Your display is set for the "US-ASCII" character set. ] [ Some characters may be displayed incorrectly. ] Crew: Sue & Terry Waldron Boat: nb Stella - 47 ft cruiser style narrowboat Date of Cruise: 17 March 2000 to 24 March 2000 17 March 2000 After managing to get away from work an hour or so early we left home approx. 1530 and arrived Bartington Wharf at 2000 to find Stella ready for us, the engine was running so we had a tank of hot water and the central heating was on (usually the fire is lit ready for us). We are pleased to see our new chair beds have arrived. We got the car alongside and opened the side hatch, all bags in within 10 minutes and unpacked and stored away in a further 1/2 hour. Off with the central heating and engine and lit the fire, within minutes it caught, we have found that the Coalite nuts are best with this fire, although they are dearer than coal and do not give out quite so much heat they keep the fire in much longer and are thus more cost effective. Time for an early night. 18 March 2000 Up at 0610 and breakfast of bacon and eggs, our aim was to get to Barbridge Junction (where we had planned to meet up with nb Midama and nb La Duenna) to moor for the night (about 10 hours running). As we set off just after 0700 it looked as though it would be promising day. As we went south on the Trent and Mersey the Weaver is blow and to our right, soon we come upon Anderton Lift, 3 BW working boats moored, new portacabins beside the lift for the work that is being carried out refurbishing it. From here on the Weaver is getting farther away. When we get to Wincham Wharf the boats are 3 abreast giving just room for two boats to pass. There is what appears to be a new narrowboat sunk and sitting on the bottom, a boater tells us it was only launched yesterday - not sure how it sunk though. The sun is now out and showing it will be a hot day. As we pass our favourite moorings of Bramble Cutting (close to Br176) a boater is moored having his breakfast on the picnic tables. Middlewich is soon reached, Big Lock seems to empty faster today than on previous occasions. The next 3 locks are all set in our favour so we pass through very quickly, I walk on to Wardle lock to find the gates open and no other boats around, I call Sue forward on the radio and she gets a complement from two men as she swings the boat round in the pound and straight through the middle of the bridge - an absolute perfect turn. As we get to Stanthorne lock I can see a boat starting to come down, as I get to the lock I can see it is La Duenna, we moor and so does la Duenna, I go onto set the lock for nb Midama, it is only 1230 and we have met our friends much earlier than expected. We all sit in the bright sun and share a few beers, dinner tonight is on Stella, a bit tight for 6 but we have managed it before, followed by a few more beers and quite a late night. 19 March 2000 Later to rise this morning, by the time we have had breakfast fishermen are setting up for a match above the lock, between the lock and the first of the three boats and all the way back to Wardle lock, somewhere in the region of 100 of them. We say our goodbyes to the other boats, they are on their way north, and set off through the fishing match. We sit on minimum revs in the centre of the channel and are thanked by many of the fishermen. Today is overcast with no wind but is still mild. A new access road is being put into the house beside the old stables, has someone bought it??? At Cholmondeston Lock a small cruiser awaits us coming as the lock was set in our favour, a gentleman enquires why we sit on the back gate as we fill the lock as he has been told by the hire company to sit on the front gate - we tell him it is our choice and we decide lock by lock, some we will sit on the front gate but only if there is a plate full the way up the gate and no places for the bow fender to catch, we also do not sit on the front gate when there are apparent leaks through the gates. Although it has been a relatively calm day by the time we get to the moorings before Barbridge there is a cross wind (there always seems to be a cross wind here). I hope to see the Kingfisher at Br99 but it is not evident. As we reach the reservoir at Hurleston we can see the overflow running quite fast. There are no boats coming down so we shall have a good run through, as we enter the second lock another boat is coming to the bottom lock, as we leave each lock we open a paddle for the next boat. We moor to take water and to have some lunch, we are thanked by nb Katoomba for opening the paddles for them. They reciprocate at Swanley locks. We finally moor at Wrenbury and when we go into the Dusty miller for a meal we are greeted by the crew of Katoomba. Our meal there was excellent, the menu is very varied, the food well presented and very reasonably priced, I tried a pint of Old Tom 8.5%, nice taste but bordering on the Barley Wine, too strong to have more than one or two. Part 2 to follow. ---