So, in the last three days we have almost completed the Macclesfield Canal.
It is a very rural canal with wonderful vistas of the countryside. Would highly recommend it to any potential boaters. We had done it back in 2016 and two things are different this time. Firstly, it has been magnificent weather. Back in 2016 it absolutely pelted down and there were no water shortages. Secondly, because we are doing it in the reverse this time, it seems like a totally new canal.
Today, our main aim was to do the Bosley flight of 12 locks. There were at least nine boats going down and at the end of the day we discovered that there were eight boats coming up. One of the nine included us. The flight was only open from 8.30am until 12 midday but thankfully we had eight volunteers helping us down. Altogether it took us four hours which seemed a long time but when you have the most glorious of weather, where is the hurry.
Coming out of the first lock and under a small bridge we came across these guys. They were very curious, and we did think at one stage, one of them was going to step on the boat for a ride.
The trip down the locks was uneventful. We cruised for a further hour and pulled into a little place called Congleton.
Near the end of the cruising for the day the canal got very congested with road, rail, foot and road bridges going every which way.
All tied up by 2.00pm and just as some precipitation arrived which cooled the place down – thankfully. We are catching up with friends tomorrow who are driving over from Wales for the day. We went out and sussed out a few of the pubs this afternoon to see which would be most suitable for a lunch with them. We couldn’t resist having a shandy. Got talking to another boater who we met earlier today in the pub. He dresses up like a pirate and his boat mirrors his image. He was quite the character.
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