Overwater Marina to Chester and back to Tattenhall Marina

We stayed in Overwater Marina for 4 nights and made good use of having an address for deliveries.  Less than 24 hours after ordering a television from acdc it was plugged in and we were watching it, a very efficient service.  Our afternoon walk frequently took us into Audlem village, home of the Shroppie Fly pub named after the express delivery boats on the canal.

Looking over the lock gate to the Shroppie Fly pub with Audlem Mill in the background

On Saturday morning we pulled out of Overwater Marina but didn't go far, we joined Chris & Geoff at Coole Pilates.

Leaving Overwater Marina

The next day we sailed the short distance to Hack Green and, on foot, followed the signs to the Secret Bunker.  The drab concrete building was part of the early warning and communications network in case of a nuclear attack during the Cold War.  The displays and rooms of equipment demonstrated the gravity of the situation. 

Communication boards in the bunker

There as also a small dormitory of uncomfortable looking beds.

The sparse dormitory

On Tuesday we moved on to Nantwich where the narrow Shropshire Union widens into the broad canal to Chester.  We stocked up at Morrisons because the canal continues through open countryside and our next grocery shop will be Chester.  We did however stop at Countrywide farm supplies and one of our purchases was a splitting maul which I soon put to good use when we stopped for the day.  

On Friday we came to the first broad locks, 3 of them in a staircase at Bunbury. 

The old stables at Bunbury top lock

The next morning we awoke to a hard frost and fog so the view was hidden as we sailed passed Beeston Castle.

Frost and fog and some smoke from our chimney!

On Sunday Chris and I took turns to walk ahead and set the 5 locks into Chester where we moored near Cow Lane Bridge.  On Monday we enjoyed a visit to Mum and Dad and on our return found the city centre cordoned off with a lot of police on duty; it was the memorial service for the Duke of Westminster.  Later we went for a drink with Geoff & Chris, tomorrow we will be going our separate ways until the New Year.  

Monday night had been bitterly cold freezing the canal over.  Brent III's bow crunched noisily through the ice as we turned round and sailed out of Chester.  We moored up outside Waverton and during the night the canal froze over again.  This time the ice was an inch thick and took some breaking through to leave the bank.  Kev got us on our way but progress was slow and very noisy as we broke the ice in our path.  

Breaking the ice 

  
Luckily some other boats were also on the move and it was easier going where they'd broken the ice but when we reached Tattenhall Marina it was obvious we were the first through.  Kev had to ram Brent III back and forward to open a route to the jetty and end our travels for 2016.  During the year we've sailed 1043 miles and come through 713 locks. 


Our travels in 2016