Portrunny in Cruit Bay 8th April 2011

On Friday, after an extremely misty morning, we set off up Lough Ree, following the marker buoys. Once again it was a glorious afternoon, and we arrived safely at Portrunny, in Cruit Bay. This is another protected harbour with room for about 40 boats We were one of four boats! This is a very quiet place with no shop and no pub, but we found a pleasant walk along the country lanes. Catkin went for a paddle.

We saw two young foals with their mothers. One was asleep.

The other one had an itch on his leg!

There are some lovely houses and cottages, mainly the latter, in Portrunny. All have large lawns but very few have flower beds at all. However, there is no shop and no pub here, so it is a very quiet place.

Lecarrow Canal 9th April

On Saturday we went back out on to Lough Ree, and went further south to visit the Lecarrow Canal, at the head of Blackbrink Bay. This is a real contrast to the wide waters seen so far. It is much more like home, being similar in width to a wide canal.

It was quite deep, with peaty banks, and runs through St. John's Game Sanctuary. This is an area of reeds and marshy inlets from the canal.

Apparently this canal gets very weedy in the summer, which is a great problem for the cruisers, which take their engine cooling water directly from the canal.
At the head of the canal we saw a large weed cutter.




Despite being a small mooring, there is an immense amount of parking and a full shower block. There is a small slipway, as at all moorings. These are well used by small dinghys with outboard motors.
Lecarrow village is not very big, but does have a shop.

Our wake

We thought this straight course across Lough Ree worthy of its own page! Zoom in to fully appreciate it! Click on the picture to do this,(for those new to blogging!)

Up Lough Ree to Ballyleague 10th April 2011

Sunday. No wind today, but it is rather overcast. We returned to Lough Ree and headed first across the lough, south of Quaker Island. There are many ruins of monasterys and other houses on the island and we could see cows too. However it has been uninhabited since the 1950s. It is accessible by dinghy only.

We are becoming more confident at finding our way round these vast expanses of water, using the red and black bouys.

After rounding Quaker island the bouys led us north up the Lough, leaving most islands to our port side. On one small island there were rare breed type sheep, each with four horns, and on Inch Macdermot we saw cormorants nesting.

We exited the main lough at Ballyclare point and moored in Ballyleague Harbour.
It is pleasant to be in calm water inside the harbour wall. The wind really got up during the evening, and the water outside, in the lough, was very rough.

Off to Ireland. 5th -6th April

We moved up to Jalsea boatyard last night, having spent Sunday evening in Northwich, where Coalboat Brian found us, by van, to fill up our diesel tank, ready for the trip.

When the boat was lifted right out of the water, we were pleased that it had been recently blacked! The crane was old and traditional, but did the job.

The Puzzler was lifted on to the lorry on Tuesday morning with the lorry stretched to fit the boat.

We reached Holyhead soon before 1pm and loaded soon after that.

As our boat was designated an "abnormal load", we were put up near the bows, on the freight deck, ready for an early exit from the ferry.

Andy had to buy a ticket for the ferry, while Sally was the designated Driver's mate! As such she got a free meal and also a cabin. The cabin was ensuite with twin beds, so she let Andy share it! Despite the force 8 gale, we both managed to stand up in the shower, separately! The Ulysses, our ferry, had 11 decks and stabilisers too, so did not roll about much.

We stopped half way across Ireland for a comfort stop for Catkin. She had to be lowered from the boat to the ground in her harness, suspended by a rope. She was unimpressed, as you can imagine!

We stayed on the lorry overnight at the boatyard. In the morning Catkin took one look out at the front then went back to bed! She knew we weren't going to be up there for ever.

The next thing was that the marina owner came to say that we were too long for his boat hoist. He was finding another one, to be sure! We seem to be fated with our cranes! He and Simon, our driver, went to check that the corners were negotiable by our "abnormal" load. Fortunately they were, so we set off again down some real country lanes to Quigleys Marina, a bit further up the lake. As their boat hoist did not have a strut to impede the lorry, Simon could drive right under it and the boat was lifted off and into the water safely.

Quigleys' Marina is run by Peter and Brian Quigley, who were both extremely helpful. Peter used the harbour dinghy to help us out of the hoist area and we then moved round on to the outside of the marina.

All the boats here are cruisers, apart from us.
Do you get the impression that these cruisers are looking down on us?

We stayed there overnight, as the water was still too rough for us to be on the main lake, Lough Ree.( The marina was in a large inlet called Killinure Lough. )

Three other boaters arrived to look at The Puzzler, and also for a good chat! In Ireland this is called craic. Craic of this sort is very important in Ireland, we are finding! These new friends were full of advice and information about the waterways.

One of them, seeing our wood neatly stacked in the cratch, suggested we varnish it and keep it as a feature! Doesn't he realise that, in winter, wood is "canal gold"?

We set off and sailed down the lake, which is called Lough Ree, and then the River Shannon, to get to Athlone, setting up the dongle to work in Ireland. Here we are moored on the quay in Athlone, very near to the town centre.

This is the railway bridge in Athlone. It is a fine structure.

Later that afternoon we returned up the River Shannon to Lough Ree, which is enormous,by comparison to all English waterways. It is about 10 miles long and 4 miles wide at its widest point. we went a mere two and a half miles today!

The Lough is very wide here but we are keeping a straight course. Do Zoom in to see our wake. (click on the picture - for those new to blogging)

We have found an idyllic mooring near to a big hotel and a golf course in Hodson Bay. It is a proper harbour, with a harbour wall to protect us from the swell on Lough Ree. Another steel boat, Celtic Duke, arrived to keep us company. She is nine feet wide and is very roomy inside.

Macclesfield / Trent & Mersey Canals 24-31 March

The weather is being kind to us on our departure from Bugsworth Basin and we feel that spring is on the way.

These llamas are to be found near the River Goyt.

As was this Spring lamb.

Andy saw this Red Admiral on a branch of pussy willow, also near the River Goyt.

Goyt Meadow Country Park, seen here in the foreground, is a wonderful dog walk. There is free public access, both from the canal lying high above the valley floor, and from the Goyt river path down below. There are three train lines running up the Goyt Valley, with New Mills clinging to the hill behind. Our walk to the Bridge Club was up this hill!

Marple locks lie ahead here, but we turn left on to the Macclesfield canal.

Here we pass a boat as we descend Bosley locks. The canal is not very busy today.

On joining the Trent & Mersey canal at Hardings Wood junction near Kidsgrove, we find that our new blacking has a gingery red hue from the iron in the water! This next part of the canal is usually called Heartbreak Hill, due to the number of locks on the run down to Middlewich. Fortunately for us, we have some good crew, which makes for a pleasant descent. Many of the locks are parallel locks, so two boats can use the locks at the same time. We met NB Ramyshome below lock 42. We saw them on the Thames last year.

Catkin does enjoy the walk between the locks but enjoys the rest at each lock even better!

Anderton Lift. April 4th

On Thursday we had a major panic as the boatyard rang to say that, Sorry but both our crane drivers are on holiday so your boat cannot be lifted out on Tuesday! No suggestions were offered for any alternative. So Andy dug out the Waterways World Annual and managed to track one down. Jalsea Marine have agreed to do the job for £150 less! They are also based in Northwich, but on the River Weaver, so we have come down here on the Anderton lift, which is a drop of 50 foot, and is always an experience. We are waiting on a lovely mooring a mile or so downstream of Northwich.