Canal Cruising

We are actually doing it! I am blogging from Martha Ginger, our 72 ft narrow boat.  It has just started to rain and Steve is at the back end manning the tiller while Dave and Kate beaver up and down the tow path doing the locks.  This is a really heavy day.  Our first major task was getting through the Harecastle Tunnel, which is almost 3000 yds long and takes about an hour.  We thought it was going to be  very claustrophobic and scary, but it was fascinating.  There were a few stalactites and some areas where the inside of the tunnel was coated with ripples of shiny stuff (?iron pyrites), but for the most part we were very impressed by the good state of Thomas Telford's brickwork. 

Anyway, soon after the tunnel we started on the locks and I believe the series we are doing now is known as Heartbreak Hill.  There are 16 locks in 10 miles after the tunnel.  We are doing well though, and have been quite lucky in that many of the locks have been ready to chug into, because of boats coming the other way.  We hope to find a nice pub to eat in this evening.  Hopefully we won't be as late as we were yesterday mooring up.  We were not able to leave the boatyard until after 3.0, and we were determined to be within easy reach of the tunnel before we moored, but it meant we were motoring until well after eight.  We chose to do the Four Counties ring this way round to get the hard bits out of the way first.

I feel pretty useless as I am not allowed to push or pull, and can't even stay on my feet for very long.  Something inside reacts badly to gravity, so I have retire at intervals to get horizontal.  Never mind, John Grishams The Confession is good company and at least I don't get wet and cold.

We started our holiday on Friday, and had a lovely evening with Joe and Sally.  Steve and Kate joined us in Stone just before ten on Saturday morning, and we all went to The Lounge for breakfast.  We shopped for our trip in the street market and the co-op opposite the boatyard, then had lunch-time drinks outside before presenting ourselves at Canal Cruising.  Dave bought me a dongle and Joe installed it for me on the first leg of our journey.  After about half an hour he had finished and decided to get off and meet up with Sal - he was still in his home neighbourhood!  He and Sal did their own thing for a bit, then surprised us by joining us for tea and cake at Barlaston.

The sun has come out, it is too pleasant outside to be in here blogging, but I will try to add bits as we go along.