15th - 17th October. Keshcarrigan and Shannon -Erne Waterway to Riversdale Marina

Having come up eight locks, we are now on the summit level of the Shannon - Erne Waterway. We moored on the end of Keshcarrigan jetty, behind a cruiser. With a penichette hire-boat beside us, we feel very small!

The dinghy from the boat in front took a liking to The Puzzler!

From Keshcarrigan we moved on to moor above Ballyduff lock. There is always room to moor above these locks, still leaving space for any boat which may be using the lock.
Monday was very wet but we were due at Riversdale Marina so had to carry on in the rain. After going through Ballinamore we entered Ardrum Lock, where the rain became torrential. Having exited the lock, we tied up on the lower lock mooring for an hour, until the rain stopped. During that hour the water level rose by about a foot!

The weir at Aghoo lock, the next one down, is immediately above the lock, making it difficult to get to the lock mooring, because of the pull of the stream. The east side of the Shannon - Erne is definitely a waterway, as opposed to a canal!

We decided to turn The Puzzler round and go down the lock backwards. It was wonderful to be in the lock, and away from the power of the river water.

Once out of the lock, we continued backwards down the river, so that it was then easy to turn against the stream into Riversdale Marina. Andy is nearly level with the entrance, to his right, here.

It did not take Graham's man long to remove the damaged taff rail.

Great care was taken to make the new port taff rail match the starboard one, while protecting our paintwork. We were very impressed with the work done, and would recommend Graham's Marina at Riversdale to anyone.

Ballinamore to Castlefore Lock 1st - 4th July

We stayed in Ballinamore to drain The Puzzler's water tank, and remove the cover. There was not as much rust inside as we had feared. It did not take too long to scrape it off and clean the tank thoroughly, leaving it overnight to dry. On Friday we painted inside the tank with potable bitumen, Sally doing the athletic squeeze into the tank, to do all the tricky corners. Well, after all, Andy had done most of the cleaning!

There were cattle in the field opposite the mooring. This one was admiring herself in the water.

We saw footpath signs so set off to find the walk. However, this is as good as it gets! Walking like the man in the picture does give you backache though!




As the water tank is to be left empty for a few days, we filled all our water containers, before leaving the handy water tap, which was right beside the boat.

We set off, going through Ballyduff lock with a cruiser, before turning off the main channel to go into Kiltybardan Lough. The jetty, at the far end of the lough, is not connected to land at all.

Here are the evening reflections over Kiltybardan Lough.

A Swiss family on a peniche arrived to join us, but we had to leave at 10pm as Catkin could not cope with the lack of grass! We returned to the mouth of the lough to moor at a works jetty, which Andy had spotted earlier. It was the shortest mooring we had ever had!

Moving on, we came to Castlefore lock, which must be the deepest lock on this waterway. It reminded us of Tuel Lane lock on the Rochdale Canal.

The paddles let the water in quite fast, but by using just one paddle, as shown here, we do not need to use any ropes. The water keeps us pinned to our side of the lock chamber.

We moored on the offside of the waterway, immediately above the lock. This is the first time we have moored on stakes for a long time.

On to Ballinamore, + trip back to Garadice Lough 28th - 30th June

We sailed on across Garadice Lough, going south of Church island, and on to the Shannon-Erne Waterway, heading west this time. We called in at Riversdale, Graham's marina, below Aghoo Lock, and borrowed an impact driver. Andy eventually managed to loosen the screw-slotted bolts on the lid of the water tank. A canoe joined us in Ardrum lock, clinging on beside our stern. He looked quite worried when the paddles went up and the water swirled in, but relaxed as he just bobbed up and down a bit.

Hilary and Brian joined us on The Puzzler on Wednesday, for the day, as they are holidaying in Ireland this week. We sailed back down the Shannon-Erne Waterway with them to Garadice Lough, where Brian took the tiller, having worked a couple of locks with one finger!

After crossing the lough, we had a pleasant lunch at Haughton's Shore, even picking some wild strawberries, which were very tasty. The return journey across Garadice was extremely wet, with some wind and waves to make it more interesting too! The rain was so heavy that Sally, who was steering, could not see the markers at the far end of the lough. She had gone to the south of Church Island so as to meet the waves head on, and was thus off the regular route. Eventually, using the binoculars, she spotted a few white markers, far up the lough, so headed for them. When we got nearer, they surprisingly looked more like cows, but a left turn took us safely to the two pairs of red and white markers, which by now were emerging out of the rain.

However, the rain cleared up as we sailed back along the river section. Hilary became an expert at lock working, as we returned up Ballinamore Lock.

Ballinamore is a deep lock, as can be seen from the weir alongside. Ballinamore mooring can be seen beyond the footbridge over the weir.

Brian and Hilary were pleased to see the solar panels in use, as it was they who delivered them to us three years ago, part way down Devizes Locks!

Shannon-Erne Waterway 21st - 25th April

We sailed back across Lough Garadice, past Haughton's Shore Mooring and on down the Woodford River. Even here the markers keep us away from the shallows.

A wind farm on a nearby hill.

We decided that Ballyconnell was too towny for us for a night mooring, but we look forward to shopping here at a later date. At Ballyconnell lock a small cruiser came up the lock, then we went down with a locaboat from Ballimamore. This hire company have a fleet of penichettes.

Below Corraquil lock many large attractive stones have been used in the construction of the lock mooring. We had thought we might moor in the inlet below this lock, but it was too full.

We carried on and found a super mooring in a sheep field. On this side of the waterway, we are now in Northern Ireland, as the waterway forms the boundary.

"What are you doing in my field?"





Playmates for Catkin? Probably not!

Pleasant though it was at this mooring, there was nowhere for Catkin to walk. We were also being thrown about by passing boats, several of which were putting up a breaking wash and so helping to destroy the river banks. Some were hire boats, but certainly not all of them.

We moved on about half a mile to Aghalane, passing under The Senator George Mitchell Peace Bridge.

Aghalane is a recognised mooring, but is under repair and so officially out of use, while landscaping is going on.

We winded and moored just beyond the slipway, with good bow access into the field.

For those of you who think that life is just one long holiday on the boat, here is some essential maintenance going on! Andy has removed and sanded the front doors, and Sally is now varnishing them. This seemed a peaceful place to be without front doors overnight.


We later read that this area was the site of several murders, during the troubles. It is also very near to the Senator George Mitchell Peace Bridge, which commemorates the end of the troubles.

Shannon-Erne Waterway and Garadice Lough 17-20th April

Catkin feels better today.

We sailed on through Lough Marave, with a regular forest of markers to keep us in the correct channel! The view across to the hills is lovely.

After going down Lock 8, Castlefore Lock, the waterway narrows, with conifers close to us on both sides, leading us to Muckro's lough, and then St. John's Lough. We then meander past the entrance to Kiltybardan Lough and through Lock 7, Ballyduff lock.

We moored above the lock at Ballinamore.
In the morning, our breakfast was interrupted by the arrival of the grasscutters with a strimmer, heading for the grass beside the boat. We rapidly untied and set off down the lock, with memories of a previous strimmer putting a stone through our galley window!

As we were following another boat at lock 6, we did not need to use our smartcard to activate the lock. The waterway is very attractive in the stretch below Ardrum lock. It is narrow and winds in between the fields.

Below Aghoo lock we turned into Graham's Marina, hoping for diesel. We were made very welcome, tying to a smart Dutch Barge. There was no diesel available, but a fellow boater took Andy by van to Ballinamore to buy some, lending him containers to get 4 x 20 litres. Everyone was very friendly and helpful with information.
It is a tight turn out of the marina, so of course that is where we met a large hireboat, which had not responded to our horn!

We sailed on and reached Garadice Lough, which is quite wide and was a bit choppy. After we passed Church Island, the water was calmer as the island sheltered us. At the end of the lough, we turned into Haughton's Shore Mooring. We tied on to Mardle,a 70' widebeam narrowboat and were made very welcome by Chris and Rachel. There were also two large cruisers, a Dutch barge and a penichette in harbour, so it was quite full. We found a pleasant walk along the lakeside, only complicated by the cattle grids. Andy had to carry Catkin again!

Bella, from Mardle is checking us out! There is a stray springer spaniel here, looking for a home. She is a very sweet dog and is trying all the boats as a possibility.

G and J arrived and are fitting a new back canopy for Mardle. We look forward to seeing the finished product.

Shopping by bike today.

We went back on to Lough Garadice and headed for Church Island.

The old jetty on Church Island has been here for a long time.

It was quite tricky to get the boat in close, due to shallow water, but the plank at the stern was adequate. Catkin negotiated the plank very fast, and nearly shot off the other side of the boat on her return, as she was going at such a rate!

It is a beautiful secluded place.

We set off to explore and managed to walk right round the island. There is so much dead wood and fallen trees everywhere that it is quite tricky to find a way through.

Catkin really enjoyed the walk, and even retrieved sticks from the water.

The ruined church was built in the 12th century.


On our return to the boat we saw what we thought was an American Mink, but missed the ideal photo opportunity!