Middlewich to Nantwich

It was a relaxing few days in Middlewich, we're starting to get the hang of taking it easy rather than putting in long days on the tiller.

We managed to get a few things done here, we've been looking for a larger chandlery to pick up some bits and pieces for the boat. I had a shopping list but I mainly needed some bitumen paint to patch up the odd scrapes that seem to appear daily, especially since we had the boat blacked, the scrapes are very obvious. 

 

I returned back from my chandlery visit and was surprised to see another boat moored behind us displaying an Australian flag in the window, Evelyn and Glyn (NB Lunas) from Adelaide had changed their plans and put in a long day to catch up to us. Our last night in Middlewich was most enjoyable, we went down to The Big Lock Inn with Glyn and Evelyn and had dinner together. We sat on the balcony overlooking The Big Lock and drank and ate while watching other people work the locks for a change.

We got underway from our mooring in Middlewich about 9:00am, heading for moorings just past Venetian Marina, about a two and half hour trip. We chose this spot because we had a couple of firsts to deal with today. The holding tank sensor only starts to read when you have about a week of space left, this was the first issue to deal with. While we were there diesel was at the right price so we filled the tank as well. Unexpectedly we hit the trifecta, we managed to fill our water tank so it turned into about a half hour stop. With only five more minutes to the mooring, we were there for lunch and a free afternoon. So I thought!

 

Rachael suggested it was a nice afternoon to give one side of Serafina a wash and polish. Off I went with my bucket of water and wash and polish. Fifty seven feet is a long way when you are scrubbing, polishing and buffing dry! Where is Krusty when you need him? We will be moored on the other side of the canal at Nantwich, it will be time then to do the other side of the boat.

We had had a nice sleep in, a late breakfast and were moored in Nantwich around lunchtime. An early mooring in a large town means shopping and there was a lot more here than we have seen since we left Stoke. Time for lunch on the boat before we headed off for a look around town. We managed to find a nice coffee house on a very old street full of Tudor buildings and just sat for a while enjoying the surroundings.

There are always plenty of things to clean so when we returned back to the boat it was brass cleaning time. I guess it will be side washing and polishing day tomorrow!

We will stay here for a few days before we move on along the Shropshire Union canal a little further.