Before we could leave the marina we needed to make a short trip in the car. Firstly we called at the marina office to reclaim our keys and to arrange where to leave our car whilst away. Once again we found the staff most friendly and helpful.
On then to Sainsbury - we planned most of our shopping at Lidl on the opposite side of the road but we expected to find a larger range of wine boxes here.
One of the reasons for opting for Lidl on this occasion was that alongside is a small InstaVolt charging station. Fortunately one of the two stands was vacant and Mike sorted out the system (why are they all so different?) before re-joining Christine in Lidl.
We almost regretted making our usual choice of trolley (the smaller one - we do not like pushing a large one around with the smallish collection that we normally need) but by the time we had completed the list the trolley was full to the brim - and so were our bags. Leaving Christine standing outside the store, Mike returned to the car . It was now up to 94%, good enough, so he was able to drive over to pick up the shopping (and Christine!) and then return to the boat.
The marina has a good supply of 'proper' trollies to help boaters carry 'stuff' from the nearby parking spaces down the pontoon arm to their boat.
By 11:30 we had everything on board and the crucial items (eg peas and ice cream) stowed but Christine then sent Mike to make ready to depart whilst she could take her time deciding where to find new hiding places.
This is where the boat has been for the past three weeks and it clearly shows the one down side to this marine - the pontoons are quite short (We have had shorter, just) and floating. This means that they can be quite wobbly . . .
Ropes untied and we were ready to leave. Oops! First better to disconnect the landline from the electricity bollard! Try again. Oops 2! Easier to steer with the tiller in place . . . Finally we were properly under way. As we crossed the marina this view shows the floating pontoons a bit more clearly.
The marina is a squashed oval shape and the main finger pontoons stretch almost across from the access road to the opposite bank, leaving only a narrow width to make our way to the exit.
The exit route has a couple of sharp bends before turning out onto the main line. We only just fitted around them.
This wider shot moments later shows how the bridge across the entrance carries the towpath overhead, ensuring that the actual marina is reasonably secure.
Trevethick's Boatyard is a classic for the canals and started here in - a number of assorted buildings, stuff piled up and a good dry dock. It was started in 1796. An very interesting article can be found here. We had speculated on whether there was a Cornish connection here to the famous father of steam engines. Both sides of the dry dock were in use but the view is all but obscured so we could not see much of what was happening.
Most of the road bridges we passed under were of classic late 20C concrete, some quite substantial.
But there was one reminder of the scale of traffic in earlier centuries, a horse and cart being the height of technology. The decoration is probably not original!
After about an hour we arrived at the Boots Footbridge where we moored on the way into the marina. As it was now 1 o'clock and there was a suitable space (earlier the towpath seemed much busier with moored boats than when we arrived) It does, however, necessitate using pins. We both soon came to the same conclusion that we might as well see out the rest of today here.
The day's journey seemed to be a bit slower than before but it was difficult to be sure as we slowed down for moorers much more frequently. Although the wash from the prop did not suggest anything awry, the boat did feel as if it had lost its zippiness. As we will be heading straight out onto the Trent proper tomorrow, Mike thought it best to check down the weed hatch. As is often the case it was a matter of catching a piece of clothing but patio knife made short shrift (shreds?) of it. Not much in the way of actual weeds.
2.6 Miles - 0 Locks
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