Narrowboats – Day 7 – Trent/Mersey Canal

Our transportation, accommodation, food and entertainment cost so far

Sep 18 ~ Day #131	Budget to date	Spent today	Total to date	Daily average
Total	$13100	$70.38	$11770.38	$89.85
Miles by Road	Miles by Sea	Miles by Air	Miles by Train	Total Miles
14068+11=14079	4497.3+18.5=4515.8	5180	119	23893.8

Current Location: Sawley Marina, Trent/Mersey Canal System

Today’s Total Expenses: $70.38

Narrowboat: $70.38 (combination of transportation & accommodation)

Miles Traveled Today:
Sea Miles: 18.5 (canal miles)
Road Miles: 11 (Sawley Marina to Shardlow)

Getting the Team Back Together

T had been in touch with E by cellphone and the plan was to meet him for lunch at Shardlow. He would drive there, we’d have lunch together, and then he’d drive on to Sawley Marina.

It seemed like a perfect plan.

We were a bit behind schedule so T decided to start walking along the tow path and we’d pick him up as we passed.

He actually made it all the way to the Weston Lock, a three-mile hike, and met us there.

The plan was still to stop at a pub in Shardlow for lunch.

Shallow Water

Apparently, during the night, there had been a problem with one lock accidentally being left open. This resulted in very shallow water between the Weston and Aston locks.

We had to be very careful not to get too close to the sides of the canal just in case we rubbed bottom.

Being Good Samaritans

Other people were not so lucky.

We passed one boat that got too close to the side and got stuck in the shallow mud.

As we passed them we slowed down and threw them a line which the tied to the front of their boat.

Geoff then very gently and slowly pulled them off the mud bank and they were free to continue on their way.

They thank us profusely as they got underway.

We had done our good deed for the day.

No Help for Us

As we approached the Aston lock, which is a double lock, we noticed there was just one boat ahead of us. That meant we’d both be able to share the lock.

We headed for the side of the canal to moor the boat until the lock was free so that both the boat ahead and our boat could enter the lock together.

Our luck was not holding and we got stuck on a mud bank in the shallow water.

Not to worry, we thought. The boat that we had pulled off the mud bank was just behind us. It was now their turn to return the favour.

Well, apparently they didn’t see it that way.

Not only did they NOT help us get unstuck, they took advantage of the situation to take our spot in the lock with the other boat and just left us stuck there.

Some people!

Well, we just kept working the boat, all of us, until we were finally free. No thanks to the people that we had helped.

No Room in Shardlow

The plan to stop in Shardlow for lunch didn’t quite work out.

It’s a very busy place and we simply couldn’t find a suitable mooring. So, we let T get off the boat so he could pick up the car and we continued on towards Sawley.

Instead of lunch, we just had a few snacks, and kept going.

Sawley Marina

It was getting on for dusk as we approached Sawley Marina and the same gentleman that had given us our initial instructions was helping to get a new group underway.

He called over and said if we’d like to get back into the marina tonight, to just moor along the side of the canal and he’d take us in. We took him up on his offer.

As soon as he was done with the outgoing group, he hopped onboard, took command and slid us gently into the docks.

He told us that they’d be back around 9:00am the next morning to do the final inspection before we left.

Dinner in Shardlow

T found us at the dock and we all piled into the car and headed back to the pub in Shardlow for dinner.

A lovely end to our narrowboat adventure.