Liverpool Liverpool Liverpool!

Elaine here .... the old boy isn't feeling up to blogging tonight !

Well, what a big day !  The lovely CaRT people came knocking on our window this morning at 8.30 am, saying that we could leave earlier if we wanted - as it was Sunday and there were no other boats going to Liverpool !  (Yep, we were Nigel-No-Friends again!).  It was a very grey day, with a relatively warm wind - and what a wind it was!

They kindly opened the upcoming two swing bridges for us, which was lovely after having done way too many myself in the past few days !


They set us off on our way and told us they would meet us later on at the Stanley dock locks.  (Although we did meet them half way when we stopped at the Litherland services to do our disposals!).  We passed through a few built up areas which were - very sadly - very rubbish-filled.  It was really filling us with despair to see the sad state of the canals in these parts.  Rubbish - of all kinds - just everywhere ... plastic bags and bottles by the millions, mattresses, televisions, tyres, tables, chairs, doors ... and they were just the things we could see on the surface ... goodness knows what the things were beneath the water - one of which tipped our boat over to starboard for a short while while we passed over it !

 

 

On the upside we did see our first ducklings of the year ... I wish they would move to a more 'des-res' though!


At least this person had made the most of their back yard ... !

We eventually got to the Stanley dock locks and one of the CaRT men met us at lock number 1, which he had all ready to go for us!  (There are special anti-vandal locks and winding mechanisms on the top lock, so you do need the CaRT chappies !).  I helped to do the first and second locks and then jumped on board for the next two as his two buddies had joined him again by then !

Here is Bombo looking bored with the whole ordeal ...

On our way.  The CaRT chaps said they would meet us at the next Princes dock lock ... 

 

Here is Paul trying a brave smile while battling the wind along the way ...  

We passed this amazing old 'Tobacco Warehouse' ...

Hard turn to port at the clock!

Onward - to Sid's ditch, I think the CaRT man called it ... 

Trying to make sure we stayed on course ...especially the next bit, when we went through the bridge we had to turn hard to stbd with the wind blowing about 30 mph from stbd! 20 tons and 43 hp....no probs!

how did we get this pic ... see on ... !

We made it to Princes dock lock, where we met our lovely CaRT friends again !

... and then we were off again - through a series of tunnels. One of the CaRT men told us to keep our tunnel lights on - so that we would 'scare the bats away'!  Cheeky!

Here we come out of the middle tunnel ... here we found our old Mates, Ray and Diane - madly photographing us from various vantage points!  (Thanks guys !)


This tunnel passes underneath the Museum ... aptly called the Museum tunnel ...

Then to the last lock, Mann Island lock ... 

and out again .. at this point we were getting a bit dizzy !  The route into the Salthouse dock takes you in a kind of semi circular route and it is really hard to see where the entrances to the various basins are !  Thank goodness for Ray and Diane - who were also on pointing duty for us! 

Bombo looking out - "Now where are we going""

"I give up!"

Trying to read the route map in while holding on to it in the wind !

Onward, onward ... how small and insignificant we seem in these big waters!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Finally !!!! We made it into Salthouse dock and into our very short pontoon !

 

Diane and Ray (NB Ferndale) met up with us at our mooring!  We took the dogs for a quick walk, tied up the boat, plugged in the electric, filled up the water and then went for a lovely Sunday lunch with them - perfect!  After lunch we went back to the boat to sort out our million photos, then went out to take the dogs for a little walkabout and then came back for a cozy night in.  The wind has been really strong this afternoon - really rocking the boat and lapping up against the side - not like usual canal life at all !

Pauls bit.....In summing up, it is a pretty crappy canal to get here, no prob's with 'scrotes', (we even moored overnight at the legendary bridge 9.....no worries) just rubbish ... but the end result when you get into the dock area is WOW!  I think we will enjoy our 2 weeks here, with the added  bonus of it costing us nothing to berth and we have an electric meter jammed on 20 quid!  (Diane said she has meter-envy!)