Kelpie is on her travels again.

[haggis]

After several months of no boating due to my indifferent health we set off again today , enjoying beautiful  sunshine ! Normally I do the locks with Iain doing bits and pieces but we need to change that and I'll need to learn how to take the boat into locks 😀

The plan is a leisurely  trip up the Llangollen and Monty .

It is SO good to be back on board again.

[Tracy D'arth]

Saw you go, have a good time.

[haggis]

Day 1 - after being on shore power over night to charge the batteries we set off. At big lock I had to admit defeat and get a couple of guys to help close that bottom gate. Don't know why it is so difficult but is has been like that for years. Our timing up the narrow locks wasn't good as the volunteers arrived back from lunch when we were in the top lock. Chaos at Wardle with a big queue of boats and a volunteer who was a half paddle guy. At stanthorne we swapped duties which I think is going to be the way we do locks this trip. Moored after bridge 22 and enjoyed the evening sunshine.

We didn't expect this much sun at this time of year !

[haggis]

Not so nice today. Started with light showers then got heavier so we didn't manage to get past Barbridge 😀. Meal booked for tonight.  Moorings outside the pub full ,( some of the same boats we saw here in January) but one moved out so we moved across the canal. 

Interestingly after all the moans on FB about boats going past moored boats too fast I paid particulate attention last night. The only boat which slowed down was a hire boat (thank you ladies) but we never moved an inch as we were on rings with springs.

Our change of duties worked ok and I just have to master sitting just outside the lock to pick Iain up 😀. He makes it look so easy ! 

[PCSB]

33 minutes ago, haggis said:

Not so nice today. Started with light showers then got heavier so we didn't manage to get past Barbridge 😀. Meal booked for tonight.  Moorings outside the pub full ,( some of the same boats we saw here in January) but one moved out so we moved across the canal. 

Interestingly after all the moans on FB about boats going past moored boats too fast I paid particulate attention last night. The only boat which slowed down was a hire boat (thank you ladies) but we never moved an inch as we were on rings with springs.

Our change of duties worked ok and I just have to master sitting just outside the lock to pick Iain up 😀. He makes it look so easy ! 

We quite like the Olde Barbridge Inn  Better weather tomorrow (only showers, not rain  ). Had a few boats go past us today in Lymm, only one was too fast imo, the rest seemed ok.

 

The golly is lovely at this time of year

Edited September 30, 2023 by PCSB
premature posting!!

[Tracy D'arth]

We Have had some good meals at the Barbridge Inn, try the cajun chicken burger or the steak n ale pie, full of meat.

[Mike Todd]

15 minutes ago, PCSB said:

We quite like the Olde Barbridge Inn  Better weather tomorrow (only showers, not rain  ). Had a few boats go past us today in Lymm, only one was too fast imo, the rest seemed ok.

 

The golly is lovely at this time of year

The interesting question is what, objectively and legally, is 'going too fast'? Probably most of us would define it in terms of the effect it has on our (moored) boat but that effect is, in part, our responsibility for mooring (correctly? another difficult to define term!) The only dependable restriction is the 4 mph limit although the T and Cs impose a condition that 'you' have to behave considerately to others inc boaters. That, again, is something that would earn lawyers large fees were it to be contested. Reasonableness is a good legal term but not, AFAIK, considerately.

[haggis]

6 minutes ago, Mike Todd said:

The interesting question is what, objectively and legally, is 'going too fast'? Probably most of us would define it in terms of the effect it has on our (moored) boat but that effect is, in part, our responsibility for mooring (correctly? another difficult to define term!) The only dependable restriction is the 4 mph limit although the T and Cs impose a condition that 'you' have to behave considerately to others inc boaters. That, again, is something that would earn lawyers large fees were it to be contested. Reasonableness is a good legal term but not, AFAIK, considerately.

I agree ,Mike, and I think if everyone moored properly there would be little need for all the complaints . You often see boats tied with loose ropes at right angles so small wonder they move.

Looking forward to eating out tonight and the Barbridge is usually pretty good  but we have had poor meals  there too. Hope this is one of their good nights ! 

[Mike Todd]

1 hour ago, haggis said:

I agree ,Mike, and I think if everyone moored properly there would be little need for all the complaints . You often see boats tied with loose ropes at right angles so small wonder they move.

Looking forward to eating out tonight and the Barbridge is usually pretty good  but we have had poor meals  there too. Hope this is one of their good nights ! 

Enjoy! Do let us all know your assessment . . . 

[haggis]

2 hours ago, Mike Todd said:

Enjoy! Do let us all know your assessment . . . 

We had a lovely meal so obviously caught them on one othe good nights 😀

[haggis]

Day 3. Two things happened when we got to Hurleston - it started to rain and a boat came from the Nantwich direction and turned in just before us. We followed them up the locks in torrential rain although it wasn't cold. Very few moving boats about - not surprisingly in view of the weather - and all the locks to Wrenbury were for us. Decided Willmoore lock was a bit far today so moored up in Wrenbury  and will eat on board -  and I'll get to see the Strictly results show 😀

[Rob-M]

We've had a couple of nice meals in the Dusty Miller earlier this year and last year when we stopped in Wrenbury.

[PCSB]

Just now, Rob-M said:

We've had a couple of nice meals in the Dusty Miller earlier this year and last year when we stopped in Wrenbury.

I thought the beer was ok too, and they had live music last time we went in

[haggis]

I know there is a choice of the Dusty Miller or the Cotton Arms but decided to eat in tonight . 

Probably around Grindley brook locks tomorrow night. Any good eating  pubs there? I can't remember us mooring there although we have been up the Llangollen several times over the years. 

Edited October 1, 2023 by haggis

[ditchcrawler]

45 minutes ago, haggis said:

I know there is a choice of the Dusty Miller or the Cotton Arms but decided to eat in tonight . 

Probably around Grindley brook locks tomorrow night. Any good eating  pubs there? I can't remember us mooring there although we have been up the Llangollen several times over the years. 

O yes . Food | Whitchurch | The Horse & Jockey (thehorseandjockey.pub)

[haggis]

Thanks for your suggestions folks but we ( I ) have had a change of plan and we have booked a table in the Dusty Miller.  It's amazing what a whisky can do😄

[haggis]

Day 4. It happened again ! Just as we got to the bottom of a flight of locks it started to rain but unlike yesterday it didn't last long. We got another hour or  so boating before it rained in earnest and we moored up ( wild) at that point. 

Canal was quite busy today with mostly private boats and we had to wait a few times for boats coming down a lock. Good practice for me as an apprentice lock driver 😄. I wonder why so many boaters take so long to come out of a lock. Some were even slower than " brick counters ". 

We complain down here about canal stoppages but I have just read that Scottish Canals will close the Crinan canal from early October to mid May to replace lock gates on the sea lock at Crinan. Seems unbelievable.

[Tracy D'arth]

20 minutes ago, haggis said:

Day 4. It happened again ! Just as we got to the bottom of a flight of locks it started to rain but unlike yesterday it didn't last long. We got another hour or  so boating before it rained in earnest and we moored up ( wild) at that point. 

Canal was quite busy today with mostly private boats and we had to wait a few times for boats coming down a lock. Good practice for me as an apprentice lock driver 😄. I wonder why so many boaters take so long to come out of a lock. Some were even slower than " brick counters ". 

We complain down here about canal stoppages but I have just read that Scottish Canals will close the Crinan canal from early October to mid May to replace lock gates on the sea lock at Crinan. Seems unbelievable.

Its the haggis shooting season.

[Hudds Lad]

18 minutes ago, haggis said:

We complain down here about canal stoppages but I have just read that Scottish Canals will close the Crinan canal from early October to mid May to replace lock gates on the sea lock at Crinan. Seems unbelievable.

It must take a while to lower the sea level and add coffer dams   

 

How was the Dusty? Been a few years since we've been in now, always preferred it over the Cotton for food, chefs come and go though so hard to recommend places even a month later.

 

Is the Jack Mytton still shut does anyone know?

[IanD]

2 minutes ago, Hudds Lad said:

It must take a while to lower the sea level and add coffer dams   

 

How was the Dusty? Been a few years since we've been in now, always preferred it over the Cotton for food, chefs come and go though so hard to recommend places even a month later.

 

Is the Jack Mytton still shut does anyone know?

It was permanently closed when we went past last year, not even a pub any more IIRC...

[Hudds Lad]

2 minutes ago, IanD said:

It was permanently closed when we went past last year, not even a pub any more IIRC...

Real shame, was a good spot if you could snag a mooring. Last time we were there it was closed and well overgrown, populated only by a roving band of attack guineafowl, which were noisy enough for us to move on and choose another overnight spot.

[IanD]

5 minutes ago, Hudds Lad said:

Real shame, was a good spot if you could snag a mooring. Last time we were there it was closed and well overgrown, populated only by a roving band of attack guineafowl, which were noisy enough for us to move on and choose another overnight spot.

It was also a very nice (if upmarket...) pub before it closed, excellent food and beer -- Salopian Oracle IIRC, we drank quite a lot of it... 😉

[Hudds Lad]

Just now, IanD said:

It was also a very nice (if upmarket...) pub before it closed, excellent food and beer -- Salopian Oracle IIRC, we drank quite a lot of it... 😉

Yes, we had a couple of good meals in there over the years. Also had quite possibly the most refreshing pint of my life there too, was a baking hot day and it was some sort of cider/lager/lemon hybrid thing they had on tap, like a radler. You wouldn't drink lots of it, but as a thirst quencher on a proper summers day it was sublime.

[haggis]

19 minutes ago, Hudds Lad said:

It must take a while to lower the sea level and add coffer dams   

 

How was the Dusty? Been a few years since we've been in now, always preferred it over the Cotton for food, chefs come and go though so hard to recommend places even a month later.

 

Is the Jack Mytton still shut does anyone know?

The Dusty was fine. I had fish and chips and it was a lovely bit of fish. Very tasty and not the frozen several times stuff you get in some pubs.  Eating on board tonight and even if I have a whisky it won't change my mind as there's nowhere here. The Willeymoor was open when we past but we don't usually do lunch so will make a point of catching it on our way back. 

It was " interesting "passing the hire base at Whitchurch as their boats were moored two or three abreast leaving room for just one boat. Of course we met a boat but fortunately it was short  enough to squeeze into about the only space in the long line of boats. 

[IanD]

1 minute ago, haggis said:

The Dusty was fine. I had fish and chips and it was a lovely bit of fish. Very tasty and not the frozen several times stuff you get in some pubs.  Eating on board tonight and even if I have a whisky it won't change my mind as there's nowhere here. The Willeymoor was open when we past but we don't usually do lunch so will make a point of catching it on our way back. 

It was " interesting "passing the hire base at Whitchurch as their boats were moored two or three abreast leaving room for just one boat. Of course we met a boat but fortunately it was short  enough to squeeze into about the only space in the long line of boats. 

The Willeymoor was very friendly when we passed (both ways!), possibly helped the first time by my daughter's Sprocker becoming instant best friends with the pub's collie. Very good simple pub food, good beer, spent a lot of time chatting with the staff. But not much custom, so don't know how long they'll survive -- all the staff are family, even gran came down to the bar about 10pm for a snifter. Worth giving them your business to help keep a nice pub open... 😉