Dutton Lock

Yesterday was a wash out, rained nearly all day, we did not go out with the dogs let alone move the boat.  We had a lazy day reading, playing card games and generally keeping dry!

This morning started very grey and overcast but it was not raining. We made an early start and had walked dogs, breakfasted and moved the boat a mile to Anderton services by 9:30. Once watered up we moved round to the lift and met up with Wal and Jane on 'Ruby Tuesday' ready for our booked slot of 11:30.  'Saturn' the historic Shropshire Union boat came up the lift with a tug and we watched them come off the lift breasted up and then rope up ready for towing.

Wal had to wait for them to move off the winding hole before he could turn and in doing so drifted towards the offside and managed to become wedged such that the pole was required to extracate himself.

At which point a coach load of OAP's arrived generally proving the point that on the canals if ever you get into trouble there is always an audience ready to watch and laugh!

We managed to move into the lift caisson without further mishap and enjoyed the friendly banter from the BW staff as we descended and exited into the Weaver.

Heading downstream we went as far as Barnton Cut where we moored for lunch. By now there was a noticeable break in the grey cloud with patches of blue and I phoned ahead to the Saltersford lock for instructions to be told a yacht was on its way through Winington swing bridge and that we should proceed straight into the lock and wait for it to arrive.

Once we had both moored in the lock a third narrow boat 'Winston' arrived and came alongside, leaving room for the yacht to moor behind us. Once it arrived there was then much discussion as to who was going on through Dutton and who was mooring where between boat crews and the Saltersford lock keeper so that he could call ahead to the Dutton lock keeper.

The prescence of the yacht meant we narrow boaters all wanted to see him go through Acton swing bridge which would have to be opened for the yacht.  So the plan was hatched to be in position to take photo's as the yacht followed us through.  we have visited Acton Bridge on several occaisions over the last few years and had never seen the bridge open, this was a first!

Onwards to Dutton and all four boats moved through the lock in same positions as before.  This time 'Winston' went on down the river towards Frodsham. The yacht elected to moor on the north landings as his mast would have been in the trees on the south side and so Ruby Tuesday and Prairie Oyster were moored here after some pruning of a tree as our combined length was such that our stern was burried in foliage to start with.

By now the blue sky was the dominant feature and we were able to take Wal, Jane and our dogs on one of our favourite circular walks in the sunshine.  This took us back up onto the T&M for a stretch of towpath walking before returning through fields past the lock cottages to the lock.