Calveley

Here I am Rune

Distance  7 miles 

Total 2966 Locks  154 Tunnels

Running total mileage 4343.9 miles

After probably one of the longest periods that we have remained moored and not in a marina, we are finally back on the move again. The reason for our prolonged stay in Nantwich was to take a winter break to Paris for a few days but then on our return the so-called ‘Beast from the East’ had arrived and the canal was frozen. When we moved off the canal in Nantwich was largely clear of ice but that changed somewhat as we moved out into the countryside. It was patchy but quite thick in some places. At Bridge 96, Cornes Bridge, the ice was thick enough for us almost to collide with the bridge as it had built up on one side of the canal and forced us towards the opposite bank. Had I realised that there was still substantial amounts of ice around I might have left moving off for another day.

We travelled as far as Calverely as we needed to use the sanitary station there since someone had managed to block the one at Nantwich. Strange occurrence actually, as I was mooring a single elderly boater was coming out of the elsan point with his cassette in his hand and asked my if I wanted him to leave the door. I said yes as I would be using it as soon as I was moored up. As it happens I disposed of some rubbish before using it and as I was preparing to take the cassettes a man and a woman came out of the Elsan, didn’t acknowledge my greeting, shut the door and ran off. This seemed slightly odd behaviour to me since at the least boaters usually acknowledge one another and running off seemed decidedly odd. Once I opened the door to the Elsan it became apparent that it was blocked and unusable. Now had that issue been present when the elderly single boater with the cassette in his hand came out the likelihood would have been that he wouldn’t have offered to leave the door for me and would probably have warned me that it was blocked. I suspect that whatever blocked it was put in there by the man and woman seen leaving the unit.

Once we’d finished travelling for the day and done the necessary domestic duties, I then gave the engine it’s Spring service (even if it’s not very Springlike yet!)