gatekrash Posted May 12, 2023 Report Share Posted May 12, 2023 Ahhh if I'd known it was a forum user I'd have gone to the cratch and taken the pee 🤣. We were having breakfast anyway. Definitely busier down this end. It's been mad with hireboats today, we must have gone past about 15 in a half hour spell near Ellesmere, then much quieter this afternoon until we got to Chirk at about 3, and now it's the Black Prince / Anglo Welsh shuffle as they go to/from the marina for changeover. Hopefully the far end is quiet, having kept an eye on the forum the general consensus is that weekends are quietest down there. There is still space on the 48hr moorings in front of us at bridge 21w so fingers crossed. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Graham and Jo Posted May 12, 2023 Author Report Share Posted May 12, 2023 We are now moored just beneath Adderley Locks. It's rather pleasant. I had to take a photo of the telegraph pole on the bridge. I am sure everyone has seen it. We will be turning onto the Llangollen Canal tomorrow. Cheers Graham 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Graham and Jo Posted May 13, 2023 Author Report Share Posted May 13, 2023 (edited) Dotterel has arrived at the Llangollen Canal. Weather has improved a touch. All I need now is Annette Robertson to join me and life would be perfect. Cheers Graham Edited May 13, 2023 by Graham and Jo Typo Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Graham and Jo Posted May 13, 2023 Author Report Share Posted May 13, 2023 We are now moored above. Baddiley Locks. We have been reminding my sister how ti steer. This is her and her husband. The most intense part of our cruise is over. We will be on shorter days now. 7.5 hours to Whitchurch. Then Jo joins us on Monday for a casual 5 day cruise to Llangollen and back. Cheers Graham 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gatekrash Posted May 13, 2023 Report Share Posted May 13, 2023 I reckon you're moored in the same spot we vacated on Thursday morning! Basin had been fine today, a few hireboats coming in for a few hours and leaving again but not too busy. We're here until Monday then disappearing up the Montgomery on Tuesday/Wednesday. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Graham and Jo Posted May 13, 2023 Author Report Share Posted May 13, 2023 6 minutes ago, gatekrash said: I reckon you're moored in the same spot we vacated on Thursday morning! Basin had been fine today, a few hireboats coming in for a few hours and leaving again but not too busy. We're here until Monday then disappearing up the Montgomery on Tuesday/Wednesday. I think we will miss you. We are staying at Whitchurch on Monday, probably staying in Llangollen on Thursday, then back to Whitchurch which we will leave on the Sunday. Cheers Graham Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Graham and Jo Posted May 14, 2023 Author Report Share Posted May 14, 2023 (edited) It has been a pleasant day with some sun. We have come up Grindley Brook and are moored at Whitchurch. Jo is due to meet us here tomorrow evening. Unfortunately my sister has had a bad fall and will be going to A&E for a check up tomorrow. We met some interesting boaters today. The hire crew who were moored on a water point and when asked by a boater to leave (they were not filling up), said they werent ready. After 10 mins,they moved to another waterpoint An incompetent hire boat crew bumped into us at Whitchurch snd a private boat tried to tell us off for mooring on the official moorings. In the meantime the staircase. Cheers Graham Edited May 15, 2023 by Graham and Jo Odd photo Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Graham and Jo Posted May 16, 2023 Author Report Share Posted May 16, 2023 We are currently moored about half a mile below New Marton Locks. We can see the Clwydian Mountains from here. We stayed at Whitchurch yesterday and picked up Jo. We also finally got my sister checked out. They bought an ambulance down the path by the Whitchurch arm to the junction. She has a broken rib. So it is bed rest and loads of painkillers for the rest of the trip. We stopped at Ellesmere for supplies, the town arm was full but we stopped a little past it, went to Tescos and then reversed across the canal to the waterpoint and rubbish disposal point. It was pretty chaotic there with so many moored boats and so many on the move. The Ellesmere arm was where I started my first canal holiday in 1971. We are about six hours from Llangollen. Cheers Graham Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom Morgan Posted May 16, 2023 Report Share Posted May 16, 2023 Think I saw you go past this morning - we were moored on the 48-hour moorings just opposite the entrance to the Whitchurch Arm. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Graham and Jo Posted May 17, 2023 Author Report Share Posted May 17, 2023 9 hours ago, Tom Morgan said: Think I saw you go past this morning - we were moored on the 48-hour moorings just opposite the entrance to the Whitchurch Arm. We left the moorings on the off side just before the lift Bridge so definitely went past you. I hope we waved and smiled nicely. Jo was steering. Cheers Graham Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Graham and Jo Posted May 17, 2023 Author Report Share Posted May 17, 2023 Perhaps this report should be changed to Llangollen definitely. We arrived at Llangollen after a fairly chaotic trip with hire boats galore. We followed the slow boat from hell who pulled out in the midst of a disarray of hire boats, passing, aground, upside down, we then had to cruise variably in idle, neutral or reverse over the aqueduct and up the branch to Llangollen. Fortunately they decided to turn around and let up pass before they did so. On the plus side I had plenty of time to admire the view from the aqueduct. I would say Pontcysyllte aqueduct but I can't spell it. Anyway we had a nice coffee and cake in town and headed out once more. Now moored just south of Whitehouses Tunnel. Cheers Graham 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Graham and Jo Posted May 18, 2023 Author Report Share Posted May 18, 2023 We are now moored at Whitchurch. Speed has picked up to a more respectable 3 mph now we are going downstream. We are 172.5 miles and 141 locks into the trip with 132 miles and 100 locks to go. Signal abysmal so text only posts for now. Cheers Graham Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gatekrash Posted May 18, 2023 Report Share Posted May 18, 2023 We're now sat in the Whitchurch arm, I'll come and find you ! We had to wait quite a while for the fuel boat in Ellesmere, and then when he got there took the last 50 litres he had, he says he's been really busy. Our hire boat hell was yesterday. We were waiting about 50 yards short of a bridge hole for one to come through, when he came through he steered to his left straight at us, instead of right. Despite us rapidly reversing it looks like he panicked and rammed it into full throttle straight into us. He's taken the signwriting off the bow and buckled the bow panel above the rubbing strake on the port side. Anglo Welsh have had to come out to assess the damage ☹️. We're thinking of going up to Chester for the weekend before heading home. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Graham and Jo Posted May 18, 2023 Author Report Share Posted May 18, 2023 Oh no! We are at the last mooring towards Llangollen just before the road bridge. It us a bit noisy! Cheers Graham Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
matty40s Posted May 18, 2023 Report Share Posted May 18, 2023 On 17/05/2023 at 20:34, Graham and Jo said: " a disarray of hire boats" Please could you ensure you pass this on to the Oxford English Police as the new collective term, excellent. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Graham and Jo Posted May 19, 2023 Author Report Share Posted May 19, 2023 13 hours ago, matty40s said: Please could you ensure you pass this on to the Oxford English Police as the new collective term, excellent. I am on it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Graham and Jo Posted May 19, 2023 Author Report Share Posted May 19, 2023 Now moored just past Wrenbury Mill. Jo has gone home. I saw her off at Whitchurch Station. I gave her a kiss and said loudly, ' Next time your husband is away come and see me.' Of course this is exactly what happened this time. We have refuelled (30 gallons) and pumped out the loos. We had a nice chat with gatecrash last night and have just passed them again. Cheers Graham 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Graham and Jo Posted May 20, 2023 Author Report Share Posted May 20, 2023 We aee now moored on the Middlewich branch overlooking Winsford top flash. Weather gorgeous but we are running low on lemon scented paper knapkins. We stopped for water at Hurleston locks. Just about to set off when an evil boat went past us. Of course it was gatekrash. However when they realised it was us they graciously pretended to stop for the services and we went down the locks. I did set the locks for them behind us though. Well the bottom 3 anyway. Great to see them again but now we are on different routes. Cheers Graham 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gatekrash Posted May 20, 2023 Report Share Posted May 20, 2023 I reckon you sabotaged that elsan point just to stop us ! We're now at a place called Tiverton, just past Beeston. Fairly quiet here, shared the locks all the way down from Bunbury with another boat, so easier work all round. Barbecue is lit, sausages and burgers we bought from the Deli in Ellesmere are sizzling nicely and a few hours run into Chester tomorrow before we start heading back down the Shroppie on Monday back towards Droitwich. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Graham and Jo Posted May 20, 2023 Author Report Share Posted May 20, 2023 That's spooky, we have the opposite view. Cheers Graham 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
matty40s Posted May 20, 2023 Report Share Posted May 20, 2023 Good to see real boating pictures and people not arguing....(except for the dodgy elsan, how awful...) 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Graham and Jo Posted May 21, 2023 Author Report Share Posted May 21, 2023 Now moored near Chesshill aqueduct on the T&M, we aee booked through Harecastle at 2pm tomorrow. Lousy reception here so pics will have to wait. Cheers Graham Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Graham and Jo Posted May 22, 2023 Author Report Share Posted May 22, 2023 Now at Harecsatle Tunnel in pole position. It has been a pleasant trip up the locks. We passed an interesting arm yesterday. Cheers Graham Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Graham and Jo Posted May 22, 2023 Author Report Share Posted May 22, 2023 Moored for the night near Barlaston. The passage through Harecastle was uneventful. I have heard of some over zealous volunteers but the gentleman who checked our light and horn and gave us a safety brief was a delight. We passed the pottery used in the throw down programme. Cheers Graham Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MtB Posted May 22, 2023 Report Share Posted May 22, 2023 All these photos illustrate how lovely a canal can be when not infested with 12ft wide beams. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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