Where I belong.: Caughall Bridge to Ellesmere Port.

Tuesday, 3 April 2012

Caughall Bridge to Ellesmere Port.

Travelled 4.5 miles, 2 locks in a time of 1 hour 55 minutes.

Having had a lovely day yesterday at the zoo, today was moving day. So at 9.05 we set off from our mooring to head for Ellesmere Port.

The scenery on the way was really uneven attractive, and so there was very little to photograph, which was made even more unattractive by the rain which began to fall as we set off.

As you approach Ellesmere Port, the scenery is dominated by the Oil Refinery.

We arrived at the Ellesmere Port Boat Museum, passing Heather and Peter on NB Blackberry Way, who are also joining in with the Easter gathering. Our first port of call was to be the water tap, but to get to it, we had to moor alongside NB Ophelia, who was moored near the tap having picked up a whole load of rubbish on their propeller yesterday, which meant they could not move off. It took the boats owner a couple of hours to get all the wire, rope and rubbish off the propeller, so they stayed put. Because we needed the longer hosepipe, I walked down a very wet gunwale, because the rain we set off in was getting heavier. Having got the hosepipe out of the hold, I then had to negotiate my way across the other boats bow, being very careful not to slip in the wet conditions. Between us, Keith and I managed to get the hosepipe to the tap and water was soon pouring into the water tank. Whilst the tank filled, Keith went in search of Jim, who he had been in e-mail contact with about coming to the Easter rally, but Jim was in a meeting for an hour, so we were asked if we were happy to wait, which of course we were.

We stayed moored alongside NB Ophelia, I made us a coffee and we went and chatted to Heather and Peter on NB Blackberry Way.

I got my first look at one of the big ships which uses the Manchester Ship Canal, I am looking forward to photographing more big boats over the next few days.

The owners of NB Ophelia came back to their boat and wanted to move off and at the same time Martyn one of the people organising the moorings, arrived to show us where to moor, so it worked really well, we reversed the boat alongside another boat to allow NB Ophelia out, this seemed to upset that boats owner, who came out and swore at Keith, for pushing off of his boat. Maybe we should have just hit him. With boats moved we then went into the first of the two locks, with Martyn helping us down.

In the second lock we had to share with a rather large burnt log, which we managed to move out of the way with the bow.

We reversed in the pool and moored up on one of the islands. I made us some lunch and we read our boaters pack.

Wanting to get our bearings, we had a walk around the museum and were really impressed with its layout and exhibits.

The other day I met the gentleman who used to own the boat in the foreground Merope. He had given the boat to the museum some 20 years ago, and he was deeply upset that they had let it get into such a state. It does look very sad. Merope is a wooden, motor narrowboat of the ”Star' class, built in 1936 for the Grand Union Canal Carrying Company.

We then walked down to the Manchester Ship Canal to see its vastness, there was a boat having its cargo unloaded from its hold.

Joseph and Rose Skinners Friendship is in the museum and very splendid she looks. I wonder if they were alive today, what they would think about her being on show like she is? Friendship, was the last mule-drawn narrowboat on the Oxford cut.

The Porter's Row of houses is fascinating to see how things changed over the years, the row was built in 1833 to house the workers at the docks and was named after the porter's who moved the cargo around the warehouses and docks. Twelve houses were in fact built, but there are only four left.