About Me

My photo
After thirty years of hiring, I finally bought my own 50ft boat in 2005, which was built in 2001 by Andicraft at Debdale Wharf. I mostly cruise single handed and have no problem with that, although it does take a little longer than with a crew. My mooring is on the Wey Navigation, so I have a choice of routes on the Wey or the Thames.

Sunday 4 September 2016

Stronghold on Tour 36.

Thursday 1st September.

I was planning on an easy day, but as always on a boat there is always something to be done, but first I had to publish my blog, as it was so behind on the web. The only way to do this at this location was in The Navigation Inn, so I bought a coffee and made a start. I just had to paste in the pre-written text, which is the easy part, but then to add all the photos was the time consuming part. All in all, with other internet business, I was there for more than two hours, accompanied by a lunch and a pint.

Later I set about touching up the scratches to the paintwork on the hull – another hour at least. I had intended clearing the one way valve in the bilge pump line, but that will have to wait another day as will rinsing out the pre-soaking washing.

Friday 2nd September.

It was time to move out of the basin with the intention of visiting Whaley Bridge, but when I got there, there were only three moorings for visitors under the trees and next to a very busy road, so I winded and abandoned that idea, stopping at the junction to stock up at Tesco, which was very close to the towpath.

Moving on, I returned to Marple Junction and found a favoured mooring opposite the CRT services, where I intended to stay until Sunday. I had previously reserved a place with the North Cheshire Cruising Club for moorings whilst I took a trip back home.

Saturday 3rd September.

It began raining at 09.00 and continued until 16.00, so I was going nowhere. More internet activity, ordering vital supplies before going home, so that I would be there to receive them.

John Suggit paid me a visit in the afternoon to discuss my mooring at the boat club and we had quality boating conversations, as one does with other boaters. He even recommended the best pubs close to the boat club, with hand drawn maps of the area, as well as directions for the railway station – how helpful is that?

Narrowboat Alton came by in the afternoon to deliver to the next boat and I had a few words with Anne-Marie. I had met Brian before at Wheelock, but not his wife. Alton was once owned by the Narrow Boat Trust.

Sunday 4th September.

It had been a very wet night and a lot of water was in the engine hole. I suspect it had got in through the lifting latch, so it had to be mopped out. I was due to meet John at bridge 11, so that he could guide me into the arm through a narrow bridge hole. It was like nothing I had seen before; there were shanty boat houses built out of corrugated iron each side of the cut and I was to moor between two of them. John explained that these boat houses were built before and during the war to protect the wooden boats that people had way back then. The jetty was OK from the stern of the boat, but dangerous further forward, so had to be avoided.

Shanty Town boat houses.



Dodgy jetty.


John took me on a tour of the premises and even out onto the road to find the bus stop and the local pubs and there were four within striking distance. Back on board, I did some preparation for my departure in the morning and found a good TV transmitter to tune in to for later, although I did watch a good film for the rest of the afternoon.


There will now be a lull in this blog for a week.

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