Here we are, back from Switzerland, reunited with Santiago. Sad to leave our Swiss friends, such a bittersweet time with one of them very ill. Nearly 2 weeks there, mountains, lakes, a mad fun folk club evening, trains through and round mountains, one to Italy for a day. And time to reminisce 50 years of friendship. Santiago rocks gently on her mooring, resplendent in her repaint, needing a good clean inside. And so for decision time - which agent to select to sell her for us, what route to take for a last trip. What to throw out, donate, keep. Amazing how much can be stuffed into a small boat. Today a 40min bus trip along the flanks of the Pennines, Pott Shrigley, Bollington to Macclesfield, where my mother was born, worked, married, and from where she left with our little family to Oz. An old mill town, bordering the canal, so familiar to us. Back with our shopping 🛍 along the same winding bus route. Another passenger pointe...
Our last dance down the Macc, leaving the mooretwing that's been home to Santiago for 6 years. A farewell dinner at our local pub, the Boar's Head, with fellow boater Linda. Our boats were built together in 2014. So on Sunday the Cap'n reversed out, and y into the Trading Post, the convenient kiosk/diesel/pump out store across from the mooring. And so we wended southwards, the canal hugging the contours of the Western flanks of the Pennines. By midday we commenced the descent through 12 locks. Between the 1st and 2nd locks a boat was moored. A woman suffered a head injury falling in the cabin, waiting transport to A&E. Near the last lock an old orchard was showing Spring finery. And the sun was out. A good day.
2/8/2018 A warning- this is a boring post, explaining how a 20 tonne boat climbs up the Thames. The photos are all of Grafton Lock, which is only 3 ft 8 in deep. On the upper Thames, west of Oxford, many of the locks are manually operated. Below Oxford it's a button pushing exercise, and the locks are deeper. Where there is no lock keeper, one of us jumps off below the lock onto the provided landing stage, where the boat's centre rope is used to tie up. If there is a lock keeper, both of us can stay aboard. Most narrowboats have 4 ropes, one on the bow and stern, and 2 centre ropes, attached to the roof. They're all quite long, around 10 metres or so. The centre ropes lie either side of the roof, running towards the stern. (This allows control from either side.) While the boat is secure below the lock, the shore crew trots up to the lock gates, and using the large wheels in the photo, turns them to open the sluices. These upper Thames locks are only 7 ft deep, some onl...
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