Tuesday, April 03, 2007

Considerably colder today, overcast with a brisk north-easterly wind. We’d had a drop of rain overnight, but the day stayed dry.

Away at around 10:40, reversing away from the mooring to allow the wind to push the boat around, then continuing the turn to head back up to the junction. Quite a few boats had already moved on by the time we left.

At the junction we turned left, towards Stoke.

Great Haywood Junction from the Staffs and Worcester Canal

We had a steady but chilly run up to Aston Lock, and moored just above the lock landing. Sandon Lock had a queue of boats waiting to come down, a mixture of hire boats and private boats. There are more hirers out and about this week, with the kids having finished school for Easter. A prelude for next week, I guess.

Decorative brickwork on Salt Bridge

The canal winds back and forth around Weston and it was here, just before a bridge, we encountered the hotel boats “Dawn” and “Dusk”. Towing, they took up most of the channel, but we scraped past without incident.

Dawn and Dusk.
We’re keeping our eyes open for the first clutches of duck and moorhen chicks, but no sign yet. The swans are nesting, and their offspring will be a little later.

Locks 4, miles 8½

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