Dont be a stick in the Mud??







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 Wigan flight of 21 locks that now because of the lack of water The flight of locks is time allowing only a few boats a day just beyond the start of the flight is Poolstock lock this is a series of two locks fed with water from the Wigan flight these locks have to be conquered to gain Access to the East and South and possibly the north IF you want to go through Manchester and the Rochdale or Huddersfield not for us we will stick to the conventional routs.
So here we are carving our way through Wigan when bang! no propulsion we had something wrapped around the prop that took half an hour to clear once that was done we and another boat going our way  attacked the poolstock only to be told that there was a boat already aground in the pound (space between twp locks ) so we let our selves down hoping the water we flushed down would release the grounded boat and let us through However I was first out of the lock and passing the grounded boat I ended up in the same predicament GROUNDED  The guy on the other boat was an Aussie and we had a great natter about canals and the bush I assured him that our lock crew knew what they were doing and in no time they would send enough water down to refloat us all so we can get on our merry way out of that situation comes  an invite to visit Larry in Sidney next time we are over there Contacts are always worth having 
So here we are now moored up again and in one of our favorite spots, Dover Lock except there is no lock in the days of shifting thousands of tonnes of coal there was a  weigh station lock but that has long since gone but the pub that kept its name is still here its derelict now like most canal side pubs  
Tomorrow we will hit the big shops of Liegh Aldi for a big shop Then y we shall cross the line and get onto the  Bridgwater because as you  go under the bridge at Aldi you are then sailing on the Bridgwater canal. Though I am sure that when Lord Bridgewater joined  in 1725 did not envesage someone sticking a Aldi at the joint of the canal system and overshadowing his success with a multi-storeMonda the location is not known as the Liegh cross over bridge anymore its the Aldi Bridge now


Good night God Bless 
Stay Safe 
Buggerlugs on tour


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