Entering New Marton Lower Lock

If anyone tells you that cruising the canals is relaxing don’t believe them!

It was a very, very good day, marvellous weather, superb countryside, loads of wildlife especially ducklings by the 100s.

We planned to get to Chirk by early afternoon to give us time to visit the castle and do a bit of walking and shopping. In the end we arrived at 4.00pm after crossing the Chirk Aquaduct and passing through Chirk tunnel. We did our shopping and instead of visiting the castle had drinks in the very agreeable Head Hotel.

It took two hours to pass through two locks and fill up with water, the delay being caused by queues of boats waiting to go up and down the single boat locks.

Cruising is relaxing when there are no boats coming the other way, no boats moored and no narrow bridges to negotiate. Sometimes all three occur together which needs concentration and anticipation. Bridges are narrow owing to the towpath squeezing through and are often on a bend, into or out of or sometimes both!

It’s at its most relaxing moored up overnight as the dusk slowly gathers, the gloaming deepens, the sky turns the amazing blue, and stillness descends or when you wake in the morning to the same stillness. Not this morning though! We were rudely woken at 5.30am by the wash of a passing boat banging us against the bank. It provided a blip extra though.

Tomorrow we plan to cross the world famous Pontcysyllte Aquaduct on the way to Llangollen, a walk to Castell Dinas and overnight stop before turning and making our way back to Trevor for our final night ready for a short trip back to the marina in Chirk.

Todays blip courtesy of the first mate and chief lock operations manager.