Anderton LiftBack to the start, we needed to get to Alvechurch Boat Centre at Anderton asap as that is where we believed we could get expertise to fix our electrics problem preventing the domestic batteries from being charged. We left our mooring at Preston Brook at 8:10 and had reached the north end of the 2/3 mile Preston Brook tunnel at 08:20.
This tunnel is only wide enough for one boat and so there are fixed periods each hour for boats from either end to travel through the tunnel. Luckily we only had 10 minutes wait before our time slot started. Having gone through the tunnel in 15 minutes we were then faced with the very crooked, but shorter, Saltisford and Barnton tunnels. Again one way only. Saltisford tunnel was trimed in a similar way to Preston Brook whilst at Barnton tunnel you could see through to the far end and so could travel when the tunnel was clear of oncoming traffic.
By this time we had made the transition from the Bridgewater to the Trent & Mersey canal which we will be cruising for the next few days. Unlike the Bridgewater, the Trent & Mersey has locks and only caters for narrow boats.
We reached Anderton Marina at 11:30. The staff at Alvechurch were extremely helpful, and quickly diagnosed the problem as a faulty alternator. This was replaced and after confirming that we were now able to charge the domestic batteries we were able to leave soon after lunch.
We moored just outside the marina at the impressive Anderton Lift, a glorious piece of Victorian engineering which lifts boats between the Trent and Mersey canal and the River Weaver 50 feet below with a promise to ourselves that we will travel on it at some time and visit the River Weaver.
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