The rain started sometime over night and was quite heavy at times this morning. By the time we were ready to set off it was little more than drizzle, but fairly gloomy with it.
We untied (which meant kneeling down to get the hooks out of the piling) and turned under the junction bridge; one night on the Peak Forest Canal, and straight back onto the Macc! Bridge 2 is also one of the snake bridges, that takes the towpath to the opposite side.
We did the first bit, past all the moored boats, on electric then switched to diesel, partly to charge the batteries and partly because we need to get the engine run in. It currently has about 6 hours on it and sounds rough! The first oil change is due between 50 and 75 hours, and apparently it should be smoother after that.
The rain eventually stopped and we were soon back at Higher Poynton. As we approached the Victoria Pitt Moorings, I could see that Kingdom of Rust, the Braidbar boat immediately before us, was reversing off. They stopped for diesel, and we pulled into the Braidbar towpath mooring and went for a chat. They’re heading south, and we’re planning to take it easy for the first few days because Bosley Locks were due to be closed for works until 19th. An email came through this afternoon to say the works have been completed early, and the locks were opening today.
After lunch, Adrian headed off in the car (which was still at Braidbar) to see a friend in Mansfield. I went for a walk to complete my steps, heading up Middlewood Way to Middlewood Station. But to avoid just turning round, I spotted a little loop on the map: I went down onto the platform, and a footpath goes off the end.
Then there are some steep steps up to a level crossing.
On the other side there were steps down, a treacherous boardwalk over a stream, and more steps back up to Middlewood Way.
I returned to the canal via the path through the woods, by which time the sun had really come out, and a couple of geese were just swimming past.
Apart from that I haven’t done much, apart from examine the maps (thank you Paul for the updated Waterway Routes) to see where the water points are on this canal. The answer is that the next one is in Macclesfield, so as we’re not planning to go back into the marina for a few days I might fill up here in the morning.
4 miles, 0 locks. (9 miles, 0 locks)