Sunday 19 June 2016

The Big One, (This refers to the length of the posting too.)


Maybe make a cup of tea before starting all this...

We had noticed a pattern as we had loitered on this mooring, the many hire boats come out early morning, or rather what they think is early morning, then there is a bit of a lull, then mid to late afternoon it kicks off again with boats leaving the hire base at Trevor.  So, need I say more?  Some idiot put the insomniac in charge of the alarm clock, and slightly after first light we were off.  
On this occasion I did agree with the insomniac as we evidently have a narrow spot to get through and its best not to meet people coming the other way.


Quite nice watching someone else do the lift bridges.....
Its coming.....

Oh gawd

I felt slightly better walking alongside a boat

But only slightly
I could hardly look at Jeff


He didn't seem to care


"Smile" I called, I have got to drive this thing he yelled back

One side, Holy Cow!
Selfie Sticks forever


So Reader you can tell from this one that there is nothing holding you up there, the boat is hanging on by the skin of yer teeth, on a bridge that feels like its made of lego with no sides.  Nobody show my mother these, she thinks I wear a life jacket not a parachute. 

Thank goodness when we passed over the Sellotape join in the structure getting you onto dry land, sort of.

Then there is a sharp turn in the canal to take you to the town of Llangollen which is the end of the canal, or the beginning depending on your point of view.


It was now about 7am by now and no boats anywhere.  The trees gave way so we were on an elevated position with the river way down below and view of the hills all around.  No wonder people come here for their holidays, its as beautiful as anywhere in Europe.








It certainly is more narrow than we have been on, even a narrower than that stretch before the Chirk Aqueduct, but David was pretty cool, happy in the idea we wouldn't meet any boats, Oh bugger here's one.....  No great shakes, but I left coffee making and went back to the nose and be the lookout.

Little did I realise that things could only get narrower and they quickly did.... take a look;


I was right on the pointy end warning of boats coming

This is a lay-by 

Everyone said it was narrow but.....?

Lovely gardens we didn't really get chance to look at.

As you can see I was on the path now running to get ahead.

A wall of rock into which men with picks and shovels built a canal.


Now here not unreasonably, I did wonder if we were going to get wedged......

Concrete edges, no rubber lining or wood to help.

Jeff's turn to be runner now, second attempt at this corner.

Virtually there now




By the time we got here, I was pretty blasé and felt it had really widened out.   This is the old wharf for Llangollen and today its for trip boats, horse drawn and motor narrowboats, past here is the basin to park in.  £6 a night and all the leckkie you can drink and water on your pontoon.  Moored up and pleased with ourselves we went back to the wharf café for a bacon sandwich which Jeff was gagging for.

Other family arrived from their house a few towns away and joined us for these.


Biggest bacon sandwich ever.

After a picnic lunch in the sun we didn't really want dinner.







1 comment:

  1. Those bacon sarnies look fab! Made a note Wharf Cafe goes on the bucket list..
    Great pic's and WOL looks a picture, the polisher has done a great job.
    Cheers for sharing
    Ade

    ReplyDelete