I might start divorce proceedings!

Sunday 29th

More of the wet stuff fell overnight, you only have to look at the towpath to see how much rain we had.

I was just taking a few photos when.... EXCUSE ME!!!!!! What's going on here?????

Good job we have been friends with Lynda and Tony for years, I might start divorce proceedings!

A boater had told of large amounts of weed on route to Ellesmere Port. I had thought he meant duckweed but no, the problem was Penny wort. The blooming reverse had to be used because the prop was forever getting clogged up with it.  

Not just Pennywort we had to deal with. Offside vegetation and overhanging branches in full leaf all hindered our progress.

Now, what was I saying about the rain? Where was all this water coming from? Must be off the fields.

Oh goody, looks like more rain on the way!

10 minutes later and we would have been nicely tied and in the dry. Sod's law then, that the rain came down in torrents as we came into the basin.

First thing was to wind. The second was to fill the water tank and third empty the loo again (must be all that drink we had last night!) Winding was no problem but a boat was on the water point so we hung back until it left. Now you would think all the facilities would be in one place. Not here at Ellesmere. Waterpoint one side, elsan the other!

Having winded and waiting to reverse onto the water point.

The basin bathed in sunlight. Very short-lived, mind.

So then we had the problem of locating the elsan. There didn't appear to be any way to get to it. The bank had fencing all around it and a galvanised Haras fence stuck out over the canal. I managed to catch the attention of a C&RT volunteer, who pointed to where the boat shed was. Well, talk about difficult to get to! Weed, wind and lack of landing place made it almost impossible. I reversed FS as far back as possible, a yellow boom lay across the small dock from one side to the other, keeping the weed at bay so FS couldn't go too far back. In the end, Ian had to make a large leap, with full cassette in hand, onto the only bit of bank available. Then do the biz with the loo whilst I tried to keep FS in one place.  How we managed it I will never know, but Ian felt that moving the boom back a few feet would have made life so much easier.

I'm trying to keep FS in one place

That Haras fence very apparent here

We were most relieved to leave and head back through the bridge to moor on a 48-hour mooring. With one boat already there and only room for two boats, we breasted up with Merlin.

That moored boat had left by the time we returned from visiting the Port.

And during our (very wet) visit

The wooden stern end of a horse-drawn boat Lily

Top, Horse made of crochet squares and bottom, Inside a boatman's cabin

No not a new excise regime but trying to emulate the men breaking the ice.

And seen on route

Stanlow refinery.

Speed camera on the cut??? How amusing would it have been if it had flashed as we went past at 3mph!!😂

And wildlife