After yesterday's rain today started out as a beautiful sunny morning.  The engine is still playing up so I walked the dogs leaving Graham in charge of the boat.  Today's plan is to get to the top of Bosley Locks where we can empty the toilet and get rid of the rubbish.

The Macclesfield Canal runs through some extremely picturesque scenery and has many attractive bridges and aqueducts.  One of the many features are the elegant roving bridges known locally as snake bridges.  These cross the towpath from one side of the canal to the other without having to unhitch the horses.  Not such an important consideration these days!

One of the elegant snake bridges

Dog Lane Aqueduct at Congleton

travelling through picturesque scenery

No idea what the story behind this colourful cow is!!

An uneventful trip to the bottom of Bosley Locks where we spotted a boat that we recognised.  Anyone that read the blog last year may remember that a guy on the Weaver showed Graham the still that he had on his boat for brewing whiskey.  Well there he was moored up at the bottom of the flight.


I negotiated the bottom lock ok but made a bit of a pigs ear of the second one, and when I spotted another boat coming out of the third lock and another short and tricky pound I gave up and let Graham take over.  Got a bit of stick from the other boat crew though.

Leaving the bottom lock in Bosley flight

The lock that I mucked up

Jeanie Deans about half way up the flight

A boat in the pound ahead of us

Coming across the pound

All went well until about half way up the flight when a hire boat that had moored on a lock landing decided to pull away just as we were about to exit the lock.  This slowed us down considerably which can be frustrating!  Not that we were in a hurry but we had got into a nice rhythm.  Then met another boat coming down the locks who pretty much left me to do all the work while she went to set the next lock up.  This was in spite of it being fully visible and ready to enter! Grrr!  Finally at the top of the flight a fellow boater told me he was moored above the flight but was confused by the sign, which said long term moorings, permit holders only.  I explained what this meant and he was of the opinion that as he only wanted to moor overnight it would be ok.  Apparently it was either that or moor on the waterpoint.  I left him to it lest I say something I would regret.

Finally moored up at 3:15pm and ate lunch.  No wonder I was turning into Mrs Angry, I was starving hungry.  Feeling happier now in spite of the rain which is now lashing down.