Getting ready to leave.

I was woken during the early hours by plates clattering, but I could not be bothered to turn the light on to see what was going on. I then woke up again just after 7am, so got up and made Keith and I a cuppa. We lay in bed watching a bit of Challenge TV and listening to boats moving off from their moorings ready to go on to the Manchester Ship Canal.

Having got up, dressed and walked Paddy. Keith was then off the boat to go and see if he could do anything to help. Tim Woods came and asked if he could borrow a windlass, as they had come without one, which he thought was completely unacceptable, so we leant him one of ours and Keith went off with him to help boats down through the lock on to the Ship Canal. I stayed behind and got on with a wash whilst the generator was running, I also put the hoover around, to get up all the dust and dog hairs. Paddy should be bald by now with all the hair he sheds. Hoovering and washing done, I turned my attention to some hand washing of white things and then got on with a general tidy, the boat is now pretty much back to normal for five minutes. I always find that when we do a rally the boat ends up being very disorganised, thank goodness I am not the same. Jobs done, I closed the boat up and went to find Keith, who was at the top lock with Martyn.

They both got on with moving a boat and I sat back and enjoyed the ride.

I got to see the boats from another angle.

With boats moved, we decided that we would move Hadar from the bottom basin up to the top basin with the help of Martyn. It was just as I was walking to the bottom lock that one of the April showers decided to set in and so I got rather wet, but hey it is only water.

Twenty minutes later we were moored up at the top of the locks and a great view of the museum as the sun came out again. I then made a discovery at the bow. Our fireman's hose which is over the cratch at the bow had split. It was first fitted when the boat was built, almost 5 years ago and so has done very well being out in all weathers, but it has rotted through and split. We will see if we can repair it for now until we can get another piece made up.
Tomorrow we will probably head off towards Chester.