Wet and Dry!

Unfortunately it was the sky which was wet and the canal which was dry! Well, not dry exactly but certainly not as wet as it should have been.

We all moved up through the two locks at Littleborough on Thursday afternoon to go to fill up with water, empty our loos and dump the rubbish. On Friday morning Kathy and I went and stocked up with food at the Co-op. We got ourselves booked for passage across the summit on Sunday morning, so the plan was to go up to Lock 37 today. Kathy cooked us all a smashing sweet and sour for dinner, I shall reciprocate with a chilli or spaghetti bolognese next week before we part company. I woke up really early this morning to a beautiful sunrise.

Within 10 minutes of taking this photo it was chucking it down with rain. Later in the morning Ray and Chris spoke to a BW man who was walking past and he told us to wait below Lock 42 for them to come and get us in the morning. About three o'clock the rain had eased off and we started to make our way up, Ray led the way with Morgana as we have the shallowest draught so were less likely to run aground. Luckily I walked between the locks because even keeping to the middle Morgana grounded but I was able to let the water down through the next lock and get her refloated. I had to run more water off to get Kathy and Chris through the locks but we all eventually made it up to Lock 42. We had to run water off through Lock 42 to make sure the boats all remained afloat overnight, we didn't want to wake up on a slope! We could see why they didn't want us going any further, you could see the bottom above lock 41. It was the sort of journey that made us all glad we were in company because we were able to laugh about it. I don't envy Kathy and Chris who will have to do this all again in the opposite direction after we part company.

Can't resist adding this photo of one of the kittens.

Sweet!

Thursday and today's journeys 0.9miles and 6 locks.

So far we have travelled 272.8 miles, 281 locks, 11 swing bridges, 4 lift bridges and 7 tunnels.