The Fly is dead: Long live the Fly

We were intending to do a good many lock-miles today. We got to the Audlem flight, and were helped up the first three locks by volunteer Brian. Thanks, Brian! He also found time to educate a troop of visitors in the wonders of the lock system.

First disappointment was that George the butcher was not serving at his makeshift shop by Lock 1. Brian said he hadn't been there for a few weeks, and had heard he'd been ill. We hope he gets better and that normal service is resumed. His range of sausages and jumbo eggs is really something.

Then we got up to the Shroppie Fly, and found it closed for refurbishment. Brian said it was under new ownership. Judging from its state when we were last here, in May, that's no bad thing. Here's hoping!

While stopped in the pound outside the Fly, we got chatting to Peter and Frances on NB Poppy. In fact, we chatted to them for a good part of the afternoon! Nice to meet you folks.

We then found that the Bridge Inn hosts acoustic folk evenings on Mondays, so that was our mind made up to stay. All of three locks today – and those with Brian's help. But the weather was good enough for me to put a second undercoat on the swan-neck. Hope it looks as good when the gloss finally goes on!

The last time we came through Audlem we stopped for the music as well, and we're hoping for a good evening. Looks like Peter and Frances will join us. I'll take the guitar, and the penny whistles. But perhaps the accordion would be a bit overwhelming…

You missed a bit

Whenever at the helm for the last few weeks and glancing backwards, as you do, to see what's following or to check that your wake / wash isn't destroying any of the bank, I've had pangs of guilt. I couldn't look back without the tiller's swan-neck accusing me of being uncaring. Not as loudly as it did in the interval between getting it straightened with the help of a blow-torch and covering the repair with red primer nearly a fortnight later, but loudly enough. That patch of dull red charged me with being content with a job half-done, of being more interested in what Erin Mae could do for me than in what I could do for her.

Well, that last bit is probably true. But the main issue is my total feeling of inadequacy when it comes to vehicular paintwork, my lack of instinct about what to do when, and my utter conviction that it will all go wrong anyway. Given my Myers-Briggs profile, that's a sure recipe for procrastination, especially with so many other interesting things to do, and the uncertainty of the weather. But I knew the stopover in Nantwich was going to provide an opportunity to sort out my conscience. A dry, even sunny, period, and a 24 hour break from cruising. So yesterday, out came the sandpaper, the de-greaser and the tin of primer, and I managed to rub down the swan-neck from top to toe and put primer on any bare metal exposed by the process. Then today, after a late coffee, the lid came off the CraftMaster mid green undercoat and I got busy working out how to put on enough while not allowing it to run.

It was as I neared the top that two boats came by, about five minutes apart, each with a crew member who thought it hilarious to say "You missed a bit", and expected me to join in the merriment. Now I don't think I'm a humourless so-and-so, but these passing wags completely failed to spot the pent-up angst that accompanied the paint-brush. To my shame, I completely ignored both of them, and left the cheery greetings to my best beloved, busily (and expertly) cleaning windows at the other end of the boat.

While the paint muse was active, I thought I might as well have a go at the new pole which had definitely lost its new look since July. I had some external wood primer, and followed up two coats of that with the same green undercoat, but I strongly suspect this particular project will indeed come to grief, courtesy of the heavy dew. Well, we shall see.

Then it was farewell to Nantwich. On the way to where we've tied up above the locks at Hack Green, we saw a buzzard very high up. It's amazing if they really can see their prey from that distance. But half a mile further on we had one circling us along the cut, only about 20 feet up. Then it went down behind the bushes and we saw it no more, but could imagine all sorts of crunchings and tearings from beyond the hedge. I doubt either of these two birds missed a bit.

So it's a quiet evening on the Shroppie again. I don't think we're missing anything.

Flyday

For some reason the flies were out in force today, covering many surfaces on the boats we passed as we walked to the Nantwich aqueduct to get into town. Some suggested it was the warmth, especially after a wet period, but I can't remember them in such numbers before.

Nantwich was in merry mood on this fine morning, with "Me and Bobby McGee" and the town crier competing with the bells of St Mary's announcing a wedding.

We had coffee and cake in Nantwich Bookshop, and had a great natter with Wyn and Lesley about books, boating, history, the New Forest, retirement and lots of other things. Really nice to meet you, folks – sorry the photo suffered a little from the low lighting conditions.

Nantwich was infested with Scouts as well as flies. We chatted with a group of them, from the 15th South West Cheshire troop.

They were in a competition with other troops, flying round Nantwich playing a sort of Monopoly game, and matching squares to items they located.

Notable in Welsh Row as we strolled home was the front garden of Malthouse Cottage, with a fine display of autumn colour.

It's houses like this that help to make Nantwich a place we've enjoyed coming back to. So we've stayed a whole day, and took the opportunity to tackle a painting job or two. I think I'll have to document that shortly.

Spaces

Before we left Sykes Hollow we chatted with Adrian and Chris on NB Bendithion, who'd shared the mooring overnight. They were harvesting sloes while waiting for the boat cat to return! We'd met them briefly at Kings Lock Chandlery, and then they followed us up to their permanent mooring at Barbridge Junction. Nice to meet you, guys. Looking forward to seeing you in November.

I don't think his hands are engaged in some bizarre police semaphore from a previous life. He'd just spotted me taking the photo from the bridge.

We turned left and stopped for water.

And then it was on down the Shroppie, past the Hurleston Reservoir. The embankment is pretty impressive, and apparently the seagull population of this part of Cheshire thinks so too.

You may have to enlarge the photo to see them, but there must be close on 100 more or less evenly spaced along the rail, and others trying to spot if there's a free space anywhere. In fact it's a bit like coming along the visitor moorings at Nantwich, where we've holed up for the night.

In the end there was enough room for all, and we stopped just past where Edward was engaged in a traditional pastime.

At least, I assume this was his name and not that of his scooter.

He'd shown considerable creativity in attaching a buggy for all his gear!

We, on the other hand, being without wheeled transport, walked the 15 minutes into Nantwich for some necessities (and some non-necessities), and discovered there's a market on Saturdays. So we might just repeat the exercise tomorrow morning, before we decide whether to go, or stay, or go…

Sykes Hollow

Hats off again to the Shropshire Union Canal Society – in this case for the leisure area they've provided at Sykes Hollow on the Middlewich branch.

We had just under three hours of cruising this morning before deciding to pull up at this delightful, quiet spot for lunch. And then the rain came!

Unexpected overnight stopping places don't come much better than this, even in the rain. Here's the view from inside the cruiser stern cover.

It's nice to be self-sufficient, so you just stop when you need to. And the new gizmo means we'll probably only need to run the engine for a relatively short time this evening to have enough charge to see us through to tomorrow morning.

Gizmo

Choosing which items to spend your small fortune on is clearly tricky. In Erin Mae's case experience, advice and circumstances led to a decision to buy a device that combines the output from the two alternators. Its cunning technology is supposed to charge the batteries both more quickly and more efficiently. The intended result is that we have to run the engine far less just for charging purposes. Since Kings Lock Chandlery had one of these items in stock, we decided to bite the bullet and make another contribution to Steve and Sheena's pension fund.

No wonder they look so happy! Steve called in Sandra, who does their marine electrical stuff, and she got busy. She got into the cupboard to cut the hole for the cables.

She got down on hands and knees to set up the unit.

She mounted it on the wall of the cupboard,

and connected up the cables she'd fashioned. You wouldn't believe what that stuff costs per metre!

And so, since it had all taken rather longer than anticipated, we decided to stay another night in Middlewich, and came up Wardle lock again, kindly assisted by "Incognito" of King Lock Basin, who decided his exercise for the day would consist of walking round and working the lock for us.

Many thanks, Master Incognito. Look forward to seeing you and your boat again some day.

And many thanks to Steve, Sheena and Keith of Kings Lock Chandlery for the help given over the last few days.

Service with a smile

So we came down and tied up at Kings Lock Chandlery at 9.30.

They're a very friendly bunch, but we don't think the flowers were for us. The boatyard sits just below Kings Lock in Middlewich and the pub similarly named.

And so to work, to service the engine, and the Webasto diesel central heating unit (in the background).

Tilly the springer spaniel was around all day to help, with a constantly wagging tail and an endless fascination with the stones in the concrete of the wharf.

Keith removed the Webasto, and took it away to the workshop.

and then came back to pump out the oil

and remove the rocker cover.

It's years since I talked with anyone about removing rocker covers (and did one or two).

Steve came over to adjust the tappets with feeler gauges. How retro is this!

Keith sucked out all the coolant, ready for some nice new, clean, expensive antifreeze.

And so it went on, and all got put back in place and the engine sounds very sweet. Later in the day they did this with the boat tied up in front.

It's a Lister engine, that's finally had it after many, many decades. I'm glad our own newly serviced engine is now fit for many years to come, and hope it will give as good service as it's had.

Well impressed with the service we've received at KLC. To the point that we've decided to bite the bullet and get them to fit tomorrow a special gizmo that will do magic things with the output of our alternators.

For tonight, we've remained tied up in the boatyard, and have a mains hook-up. Tonight I shan't be worrying about whether I have to choose between the footie, "Old Tricks" and the fridge staying on! We're smiling.