We needed rain, didn't we ....

Saturday 29^th August; Aston marina to Salt

It was dull and overcast when I took Jess out at 7.30, but at least it was dry.  The bags and waterproofs which had been drying off overnight got tidied away after breakfast.  We needed to pay for the extra week we had stayed and get a pump-out, but as the office wouldn’t be open till 9 Dave went down the engine hole and I drove off to M&S Food in Stone to get a few bits and pieces.  By then it was raining lightly and that continued as we made ready to reverse back to the wharf.  But a boat was already there, getting some diesel.

The service wharf is under the bridge between the two mooring basins

There was no point in reversing yet - perhaps we should wait?  But what if another boat arrived?  Instead we went the long way round, out of the exit and slowly back along the canal to the entrance, but we were still floating about for 15 minutes while they completed their pump-out, paid and were on their way.  At least there was no wind.  We eventually left the marina at about 11.

Still raining, so the Nicholson’s cover was essential

If the weather had been fine we would have continued to Haywood Junction and tried our luck at mooring on Tixall Wide.  But not in this miserable weather, though the cattle weren’t bothered.

It’s unusual to see non-Highland cattle with horns

Every now and then the rain got heavier, so we thought we’d get down Sandon lock and moor up somewhere for the day.  We met a couple of boats which had clearly come up the lock, but although we weren’t aware there was a boat in front of us there it was when we arrived, refilling the lock.  Sandon lock is deep and takes a long time to fill so it was a while before it was ready for us.

The steps are worn from thousands of boots over the years

It wasn’t long before Salt bridge came into view and we moored below it, cold, wet and a bit fed up.  The traffic on the wet road was noisy, but the railway wasn’t too bad on a Saturday afternoon and was even quieter later on.  We put the Eberspacher on straight away to take the chill off the boat and dry the dog towels.  The rain did stop during the afternoon for Jess’s long walk and Dave checked out the pub, but it soon started raining again and we decided to eat on board.    

1 lock, 4 miles