The wind blew.... again

The forecast today had the wind increasing steadily, reaching it's peak in the afternoon.  

David wasn't too bothered as he has "Cissy Buttons" otherwise known as bow thrusters.  Some Boaters of a purest nature, maybe vintage boat owners, pour scorn on such things however when WaL was being built exactly ten years ago this month  (She was launched at the Crick Boat Show 2012, it was freezing cold I remember, at our B&B that evening I was really looking forward to watching the replay of The Flotilla of Small Boats for the Queen's Diamond Jubilee and what a debacle that was thank you BBC, however I don't hold a grudge do I David...?)  Anyway when we had WaL built I insisted upon having bow thrusters as I was and still consider myself to be a novice and unconfident helm, but for the most part David uses them to get WaL out of the way of complete idiots and on windy days.

Phew all that said, we set off.  I walked to the locks in the early morning sunshine.  It was gorgeous, different butterflies fluttered, the buttercups were out along with what I thought is a wild orchids in magenta and everything in the world was delicious.

The view through a gap of the fishing lake last night.

Its hard to capture the colours of wild flowers as they are spread all along but as a whole they are lovely.

On the way to Bunbury Locks

 

No one at Bunbury waiting so we made our way carefully up the double staircase locks.  You could see the wind on the canal coming straight down towards us.  In the shade it was cold.  

Its a little bit of a dull section now from Bunbury towards Barbridge and then down past the Junction for the Llangollen Canal, us two now with fleeces and I had a woolly hat over my ears.  Walkers on the tow path had tee- shirts and shorts on they must have thought me very odd.

We didn't water up at Bunbury Locks as there was a day boat on the lock landing being loaded up with picnic gear and in the wind it would have made the job tricky.

The next waterpoint for us was at Calverley but another boat was on the waterpoint and still filling, David decided to press on and fill in Nantwich.  I reported on here last September we had discovered the waterpoint at Barbridge has been removed, 

We were pretty low of water.

Top lock at Bunbury, several tiles missing from this stable block, I hope it will be looked after.  David in his winter fleece, sunhat and shorts.  He says his legs don't get cold.

The junction looking down the Middlewich Arm, we came up here on the 20th May.

So on towards Nantwich.  At Hurleston Junction there was a bit of a bun fight with three boats in a row heading south and the lead hire boat wanting to make the right turn onto the Llangollen Canal but being unable to get their bow around in the wind which by now was stronger, the boat behind also wanted to turn and managed it, we had no choice but to go past them unable to help, I think they would have to put a man on the bridge and pull the bow around with the rope if the rope was long enough.

Unsurprisingly at Nantwich the waterpoint was also occupied, they were still straightening out their hose to the tap so probably going to be a while.  David said if he waited on the opposite back we'd never get off either, so we pressed on.  

So Reader at Nantwich the canal is high up on an embankment 

Looking down at Nantwich, pretty sure these weren't here the first time we came through on WaL

It's a novelty to gaze down at houses and cars on the left as you head south, on the right hand side are tall trees giving much appreciated shelter from the now very strong wind blowing straight in our faces.

We carried on out of the trees and shelter, by now I had stopped enjoying it.  There was a straight section with armco and two moored boats there, spaced out.  
Oh god lets just moor up David...  we squashed ourselves in-between the two boats, actually the wind blew us in, well short of the Coole Pilot moorings we had originally intended to stop at.  Both boats looked unoccupied, but later we realised with slightly red faces that they did have occupants and we hoped we hadn't hacked them off parking so close.

Opps.

I took these two photos from the boat that afternoon, I liked both and couldn't choose so you get both.  

Supper was Coronation Chicken with rice and salad, dessert was a complete treat as David had spotted Raspberry Panna Cotta in Waitrose half price, wowsicles.