Pie Eater

Dover lock bridge is a popular overnight mooring before heading for Poolstock locks and should be ok if someone is on the boat. Another hours sail would take you to Plank Lane lift bridge where there are lots more boats moored both in the marina and opposite on the towpath. Poolstock no 2 lock closed from 21.11.22 to 5.12.22. Wigan drydock lock closes from 20.02.22.

A lot depends on who you are sharing with. Before we bought our boat we went to a shared ownership day and discussed everything. What put us off was the group we we looking at were arguing about whether to make a mahogany box to store the tiller when it was not being used. This made us realise that everyone had their own ideas about what should be done on a shared boat.

Bookings Mondays and Thursdays only not Tuesdays.

All the by washes on the Wigan Flight were running yesterday after the heavy rain on Wednesday but the lock gates were leaking worse than ever due to the timber drying up in the dry summer. I hope the Canal and River Trust are able to open the flight for a short spell before the winter stoppages to enable stranded boaters to move. At the top of the flight pennywort has now covered some of the pounds. The Poolstock pound was completely empty as it is every morning.

We used to leave ours at AWCC clubs but most are restricted to 2 weeks. You have to be a member of an AWCC club. Some boaters join CUTWEB which I believe is a registered club without a base.

Try Lymm Marina on the Bridgewater Canal. (Approximately 4 hours sail from Manchester). They sell widebeams and have a hoist to lift them in and out of the water.

Latest update I received a call last week to explain why I was being charged but I told them I still did not agree with them and asked could they forward the details in writing so that I could let the Insurance Ombudsman make a decision which I would abide with. Yesterday I received the letter which stated " We will not be charging the outstanding balance, this has been written off . No further action from you is required ". Common sense prevails. Thank you Towergate Mardon.

Stand on the back of your boat and ask passing boaters for a tow. I would like to think that most boaters would oblige.

When I am out walking the dog I always pick up any glass bottles and drop them in a bin. I don't bother with other litter as it would turn into a full time job.

Poolstock pound empty as usual this morning and top and bottom gates both open on lock 2 sending what little water there was in the direction of the Bridgewater Canal.

Update I have this morning (16.08.22) received a letter dated 07.07.22. from Towergate Mardon asking me to arrange payment of the outstanding balance of £17.29.

I would do Llangollen at the start of your holiday if it is on someone's bucket list. You never know when you will be held up with breakdowns or queues. If everything goes smooth and you make good time you may have time to do a second trip to Llangollen at the end of your holiday.

I would go straight to Llangollen basin the first night as there are lots of pontoons. If by some fluke all the pontoons are full just head back down and take the first available mooring. There is water and electricity on the pontoons and also the towpath moorings have rings, water and electricity. The charge was £6 per night but you can only stay for 2 nights. Don't worry about the narrow bits but make sure that you send someone in front to check if the way is clear - use walkie talkies or mobile phones to communicate. All the locks, tunnels and aqueducts are busy at peak times but if you sail early or late you may miss the queues.

Easy choice at present - just go where there is some water and no restrictions.

I got mine from Midland Chandlers but you may have to buy a metre length.

Make your decision when you get to Great Haywood as the Harecastle Tunnel may be ok for water then.

You could cut a plastic pallet to size - this would support it evenly.

There may be more problems ahead for anyone travelling through Wigan tomorrow as the pound between Ell Meadow lock and Pagefield lock was very low this morning. So low that the old sunken boats in the Lime Ponds could clearly be seen. I checked all the paddles at Ell Meadow lock but they were all closed so someone must have beat me to it.

Do what Alan De Enfield said. This is what we did on our boat.

Wigan junction pound and Poolstock locks will be open again tomorrow and Thursday but must be booked in advance. The junction pound was full to the brim this morning but the Poolstock pound was empty as usual.

All the lock flights are now closed. The Wigan junction and Poolstock are only open on Mondays and Thursdays and must be booked in advance. There was one narrow boat at Wigan bottom lock this morning, unable to go up the flight and stuck until either Poolstock or Henhurst locks open on Thursday. That's if there is a slot available.

10th anniversary of CaRT ?

The passages are now apparently fully booked up for July.

The broken towpath ground paddle was being repaired this morning when I went past.

Passage through Wigan Poolstock and Henhurst locks will need to be booked in advance from 18.07.22. The booking times are 10am and 2pm on Mondays and Thursdays only. Book via CRT website under book a passage/Wigan Poolstock. Info from the grapevine.