0 Locks, 8 Miles, 2 Aqueducts, 2 Tunnels, 1 Lift bridge.
After receiving our Tesco's delivery last evening we are all set to explore the Montgomery Canal later this week. As soon as Anglo Welsh opened their doors this morning we moved over to their moorings for a pump out and a new gas tank. Our gas tank finally ran out last night after 75 days use so we got a good run out of that one. With these chores completed it was off over the Pontcysyllte Aqueduct for the final time probably with Dot at the helm. No matter how many times you cross this aqueduct it is never anything less than exhilarating with a birds eye view of the valley around you.
At Whitehouse tunnel we had wait for 2 North bound boats to clear the tunnel which was nothing compared to the congestion we encountered at Chirk tunnel and aqueduct. To start off we had to wait for boats to clear the tunnel and by this stage we had 3 boats following us. When we cleared the tunnel we found 4 boats coming across the aqueduct towards us with a fifth boat about to enter and 1 boat moored in the winding hole between the tunnel and aqueduct. A quick thinking crew member of the second boat behind us ran ahead and persuaded the fifth boat to back up and wait because by the time the fourth boat cleared the tunnel there were 9 boats in the basin between the tunnel and the aqueduct. Talk about Piccadilly Circus, it had become a right circus. Just as the fourth boat cleared the aqueduct we managed to squeeze past to make room for the last boat out of the tunnel.
Our timing worked out very well as we planned to overnight at the Poachers Pocket pub. We had no sooner moored up when the rain arrived and it has been raining consistently ever since.
1422 locks, 2073 miles, 50 Tunnels, 42 swing bridges and 30 lift bridges since Nov 2006
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