Tuesday - Marple flight

Canal drained on Marple flight for lock repair

Same view 4 hours later - ready for us to proceed

This posting is actually what happened yesterday - Tuesday. Last night I could only get a slow speed GPRS connection which was inadequate for practical web usage.

We planned to start early to do the 16 Marple locks and then to moor at Portland basin ready for the hard slog into Manchester. However BW had other ideas and closed the locks because of problems with one of the gates. It looked like we wouldnt be able to move until the following day so we went out for a 6 mile walk down the Goyt valley. This was beautiful and difficult to believe that it was within a few miles of Manchester.

Just as we returned at lunchtime BW allowed us to proceed to the faulty lock. After an hour's wait there we were allowed to continue down the flight where we met 4 boats who had been waiting at the bottom of the flight all day. The locks are impressive with the canal falling 200ft in a mile and finish at a major aqueduct taking the canal over the Goyt valley.

Mooring looked tricky because of the shallow canal, but we eventually found a pleasant and deep spot north of Hyde at at 18:30, much later than we normally finish cruising and about 4 miles from are planned destination.