We Set Sail this Morning in the pouring rain, after four days of doing nothing except repairs and The Funeral (Everything when well it was a most beautiful Service ) first day back on the water and its bucketing down, that was 12 hours ago and its still raining However after 7 hours cruising we found our first stop and are in for the night. The most gratifying thing is everything is Still working fingers crossed its a good DIY  However, it is great to be back sailing and moving I had almost forgotten the feeling of freedom it gives you and the beauty that surrounds you and the idiots you share the water with, less than a mile into our journey and we faced a boat that had come adrift and was lying across the canal just a gentle tap on its bow pushed it back to the toe path and woke the crew who seemed unconcerned that they were not in the same place that they were when they went to bed last night and one young man was quite upset that I had the audacity to wake him up so early (09.1...

  Hi Everyone As I said before every day is an adventure but our last adventure was a difficult one and one I was not happy with Buggerlugs had an electric problem but as most people know I am colour blind in fact I am the only colour blind Artist on the canal now thats a great accolade? So thats why I do not like Electrics. Last Sunday whilst on the Weaver I found a bad smell of burning coming from our bank of Batteries, it was easy to find the offending one as it had steam coming from it and it was red hot. Immediate action was required turn off the isolator switches disconnect the battery get the battery out before it blows, All sounds very dramatic and scary If I had known what I was doing I may have thought so!! So here we are on the weaver with one battery out of the system. Luckily I carry a spare but it is slightly bigger than the one I took out so the straps didn't quite fit however with a lot of squeezing puffing swearing I got it in and everything worked again ...

  Hi Everyone We are still on the River we have booked to go up the lift to the canal on Monday morning we are to wait there until Thurs when Maryanne will collect us to go to the Funeral. Someone said to me a few days ago that living on a boat must be like having a daily adventure. That astounded me because I had never realised that because thats exactly what it is. Yesterday having watch our new Neighbours sail off into the sun rise. Was the water and pump aou was behind us in a very fast flowing we either go forward and turn around or reverse looking at how fast the river was flowing I decided to take the less authordox way and reverse I forgot to mention about the bridge between us and the water station made it I should have filmed it. What I am saying that adventure lasted about 90min but an adventure anyway. Yesterday being a thurs we decided to leave our mooring in the Town and move up to the lift quite an uplifting trip as this time I left our mooring did a 360 degr...

  Hi Folks Buggerlugs at reat on the Weaver For the past week, we have just been mucking about on the river, No special intention, nothing in the diary, and Keeping an eye on the weather because where we are mooring is opposite where the river Dane flows into the Weaver, the Dane gets its water from the Pennines and with these thunderstorms about if the Dane becomes flooded the amount of water coming into the Weaver becomes dangerous in the fact that boats moored where we are become pinned to the wall with the force of the flow, so its worth keeping a very close eye on the weather and water. The above picture is taken fron the River Dane (actually its the Waitrose car park bridge over the Dane ) it now forms quite a nice T junction. The river is full of traffic it seems to have become a very popular destination, for boaters though I dont believe that hire boats are allowed on the river My theory is that the popularity of the river has increased because of the de...

   Here we are at resting Northwich Well here we are in Northwich its a nice clean mooring, overlooked by a few houses  But thats good it means its a good security aid.            Northwich is a strange town, it is going through a strange period in its history  50 Years ago it was a thriving little town with a lovely town center but over the past few years, it has deteriorated.Then the developers moved in, building multi-complex cinema, a large Asda, and many large retail units. the big shops overtook the little man. Now most of the small traders have left leaving a very empty high street and today a large empty retail space However the saddest part of the Northwich redevelopement is one of the best chippies we have found on our travels was the Wayfarer here in Northwich eat in or out always excelent food and service. My only hope is that the guy made enough money for his retirement he deserved it you dont keep a chippy like that for tha...

 Hi Everyone  Yesterday we welcomed our Four Australians back to Anderton and the end of their epic Journey Completing the Cheshire Ring consisting of 120 miles and 92 locks 4 tunnels and considering from the start they had never seen a proper lock until they were introduced to one in Manchester To complete the trip unscathed. with in the allotted time with the boat intact, that was a wonderful achievement you should all be very proud of yourselves you are all good enough to pass your helmsman certificate. Not sure about reversing but we will do that on your next visit We had a lovely meal last night that was a fitting tribute to celebrate an epic journey Noreen had a Fall yesterday she says it was a trip because only children and Old people Fall either way it has left her with a sprained wrist and a very badly bruised lower leg, I have administered first aid and Comfort I have given her two days sick and as sall the locks on the river are manned I have given her...

                                                  Buggerlugs checking into the Manchester Hilton Well we left Manchester at 08.00 this morning heading south for a much quieter location and not as many people Although I must say the People here in Castlefiefled Basin  in the heart of Manchester have been great though I believe that they are to busy with their own agenda and life to be even interested in anything else but them. Except for the old guy (67) who yesterday morning at 07.00 whilst I was doing my morning check I disturbed him as he was sleeping on a bench opposite Buggerlugs. His Story was that he had come up from Liverpool to watch is favourite 70s group play at the stadium (don't ask me who or what stadium speech was still blurred All I do know is that his wive was going to give him hell WHEN he got home apparently he had left the stadium and got l...

Hi  I will carrty on with the saga of our new Australian Buddies Having spoken to them at great length I realise why they did not continue their journey yesterday. The plain and simple fact is that as you enter Castlefield Basin your first lock is straight ahead however with the lock gates open and a torrent of water pouring over the top of the lock gates it really does look like a Water Fall and to someone who has never seen a proper lock before it must have looked very scary. I still blame the canal hire companies for their lack of explanation and instruction. With the canal system as it is (falling apart) we are looking at our first fatality and thats not scaremongering its a basic fact these inexperienced boaters are told that they can complete the Cheshire ring in a matter of ten days now most boats like our Aussie Buddies only hire for ten days now to my memory the  Cheshire ring is 120 miles long has 92 locks now I am not saying it cannot be done because it can but thos...

  Hi Strange day today full of surprises early this morning Mr chatterbox pulled out on his way back to Scarisbrick and I thought I would turn Buggerlugs around ready for the quick get away on Sunday morning, as always it never is as it is planned as I was turning her around I saw a very unwelcome sight of another boat taking up my now vacant mooring However all was not as it seemed as the boat had two Aussie couples on board who were lost. Because they were looking for a pump out which to be fare the book did say that there was one her in the basin It took me a while to convince them that there was not as it is now only for the boats with permanent mooring status Though I did point them in the right direction to where they could get one even though it did meen that they had to go back the way they had just come which entailed a 2 hr trip that done and my now coveted mooring retrieved Noreen and I set out to get more supplies  and also to have a nostalgic look around our old M...

Barton Bridge carries The Bridgewater Canal over the Manchester ship Canal it is one of the masterclasses in Canal Engineering it is closed at both ends Then  it swing in a 45% angle to allow large ships to pass through bellow,  If you want to see it I believe that they have a practice every Thur morning  However no boats are allowed in the tub Whilst it is moving ?????  

  Hi Everyone We left Boothstown this morning its a nice stop over that's why we stayed two days. And the fact that Maryanne could find us with easy parking it was very kind of her to drive me over to my brothers Colin He is obviously devastated by his loss I just wanted to let him know that we are all sharing his Grieve. As I said we left this morning for the 3 hour cruise into Manchester hoping to get a mooring, the weather was a little cold this morning especially though Trafford Park I had to put a jumper on ! All was well as we turned the corner into Castlefield basin as we immediately spotted a mooring that was big enough for us the only problem it is only a 72hr mooring so I will probably have to pay for another two days as Im hopefully not leaving until sparrow fart Monday wait and see thats what I say We had only been on our mooring 10 mins when another boat came in and ask if I would move up a little so he could squeeze in which we did no problem. However he ...

 Well, what a day! Today we only had to travel a short distance from Dover Lock to Leigh Bridge as I think I said earlier that where the Leeds and Liverpool Leigh Branch joins the Bridgwater canal and where there is an Aldi across the canal, it's strange watching all these boats pull in and nip over the road to get more supplies it's like Chatham boat yard supplying the fleet, We are now fully supplied and ready for another week, So we have literally done nothing it was the most relaxing day I have had for ages      Noreen and I have just chatted to the neighbours and the natives of Leigh, who on the whole are friendly enough. I now know how the missionaries felt but I believe we will leave Leigh tomorrow having completed our missionary work in a better place. Only joking its a nice place with nice people  I have spent some time cleaning a bit of time polishing but most of the time either eating or  fishing, Before we left Zac asked if I could take his...

That the M6 above us at Dean Lock  Yesterday we moored under the      M6 Sounds stranger than what it really is We moored at Dean Lock many years ago when canals were at their peak this place had two locks to cope with the amount of traffic coming and going from Wigan then one steadily fell into ruin today it is just a disused  side track but it makes a great little mooring  This morning we set off knowing that it was going to be a hard day as we had six locks to get through Wigan and beyond as when we get these locks and Wigan behind us we are lock free until we get to Preston Brook which is quite some time. All was going great, the first locks were ok, they are quite big and take some moving but it was as expected I shall not bore you with the details of why this section of canal in Wigan is always running out of water and has done for the past 20 years, though to go anywhere in the north west you have to go through Wigan going North you have the famous W...

Heading for the first of 7 locks this is only a few yards from our mooring  Hi everyone  this is 09,00 this morning leaving our Home mooring at Fettlers Wharf Marina, Great mooring beautiful location, However, this boat was made for boating not for the summer in a backwater,  though todays  sail did not go as easily as we assumed it would, we are both a year older and 12 months stiffer I think we should have done some limbering up exercises prior to our departure as we are both now covered in  Vitrol ?  We will soon be back into our stride  Weather-wise its been beautiful except for the rather strong breeze especially on the Rufford branch as that stretch of the canal is wide open to the elements it have thousands of acres to both sides and the wind really shoots through. one good thing about the Rufford branch it is short, but it throws every aspect of boating at you so when you reach top lock and the Leeds and Liverpool Canal, you are ready for anyth...