Finally a decision was made -0 we would go down onto the Weaver, if at all possible, just for a couple of days. However, we still needed to stock up on food so whilst Mike walked back to the marina to retrieve the car, Christine went to the lift admin office. She took the option of reserving a passage at 13.40 and paid the booking fee. This meant that we would not have to hang about waiting for a free slot and could take our time over shopping.
Alongside our boat came the family of swans and cygnets that Christine recorded on our last trip (See May 7th) and it seems that so far all of the brood have survived. Other boaters' blogs have recorded how they saw the number of chicks in different types of brood gradually disappear, sometimes just a few days. Perhaps there are no pike in this part of the canal!
We drove into Northwich and completed our shopping at Sainsbury - there are several supermarkets in town, although none within walking distance of the canal and mostly uncomfortably far from the river. We were grateful on this occasion to make the trip by car!
When Christine booked the lift passage she was asked whether we had insurance and answered, "Of course!" When we returned from shipping, Mike thought to check on line, just to download a copy of the documents in case they were requested. It was with some concern that he discovered that something had gone wrong with the renewal a couple of months ago and that the insurer had allowed the policy to lapse without even warning us! (Usually, insurers go out of their way to chase for business!) It took an hour with several phone calls but eventually, by 12:45, we were covered! Phew!
As we moved the boat along to the waiting area we had to wait as two boats emerged from the lift and then we were waved straight in, without having to come alongside for a final check. Of course, if we had not succeeded in sorting the insurance in time there would have been an extra check . . .
The first stage of the passage is to move into a holding area just before the lift (a second boat was also coming down - they are continuous cruisers that spend a lot of their time on the Weaver) which is then sealed off from the canal before the entrance gate to the caisson is lifted.
Finally, and very smoothly the lift is ready to move and down we went, passing the other caisson, with a boat in it, going up. When the lift was last restored it was changed so that it can either operate in this balanced mode but also, in less busy times, with just one caisson at a tome.
Fifty feet down and the gate in front of us was lifted so that we could charge out onto the river! Ahead is the original Brunner-Mond works which we write about in a blog last trip.
A short distance upstream the Witton Brook joins the river.
There are two swing road bridges in Northwich - the first is Town Bridge.
A small marina has been constructed in the town centre since we were last here, eight years ago.
As we continued upstream, we passed a number of reminders that the navigation was once a hive of activity, building and maintaining boats as well as carrying salt down from the many works in the area.
Much larger boats than standard narrow canal boats plied their trade, many coming in from the Ship Canal at the end of the river. Each lock was paired with some being remarkably large. Alas, the lack of traffic means that today only one of each is kept in working order. Perhaps the largest vessel to come this way now is the Daniel Adamson, a restored tug that is used for trips.
The first lock today was Hunt's Locks. The keepers here were a bit put out as we had not called ahead - but we did ask at Anderton and were told quite cl;early that it was not necessary! It seems that this is not the first time that this has happened . . . At least they kindly called the second lock so that they were expecting us.
We guess that this vessel, grand though it once was, is no longer likely to test the size of the locks any time soon. Perhaps it too will be restored. On the way to the next lock we passed Stephen Carter on Chyandour, He is the Treasurer of the Boaters Christian Fellowship. Although we have been members for a number of years, we rarely meet other members but we did meet Stephen a few years ago when he was doing some maintenance on his boat at Oxley Marine near Wolverhampton.
Vale Royal Locks were ready and waiting - the huge gates are operated by a substantial quadrant gear which is moved via a capstan-like winding handle. Life as a lock keeper, even today, is quite physical as none of these locks have been converted to electric power.
Just beyond the locks is Vale Royal Mooring where we were aiming to moor overnight. When we arrived it was entirely empty so we had plenty to choose from. We were joined by another boat later but it opted for the other end of the mooring. Almost all of the river has beautiful scenery and this is one of the networks better places to stay for the night - unless you want entertainment that is! We might also have visited the Devil's Garden mooring downstream from Anderton but, alas, it is the other side of Saltersford Lock which recently suffered a major failure whilst in the final stages of its over-winter maintenance.
An early stop gave Mike a chance to do some more of our own maintenance. Both fore and stern decks were in need of repairs to the paint - alas, like the hull, some patches have come loose and these areas are also inevitably high wear. Tonight saw undercoat on the fore deck.
Late afternoon, Christine wandered along the riverside footpath (quite a few walkers seem to enjoy it) and took a number of pictures of the wildlife.
5.2 Miles - 2 Locks - 1 Lift
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