SO AFTER 25 years—or whatever it was—I find myself impressed. Very impressed!
For we have at last deserted Sawley Marina and landed up at Mercia Marina, at the top of those blasted ever worsening broad locks. (Though Stenson has been improved, I should add.)
My first thought was when arriving—it's a country park! For gone are our former gravel covered areas with only strips of green and packed-in piers and jetties, and instead masses of trees and greenery backing our pier together with walks galore plus a massive park to exercise dogs and another canal-side area for the same, being such a home for masses of birds and insects. (The first two pictures show what is pure scenery and the one below of our jetty and the Park below that.)
It was way under British Waterways when there was an added interest in boating and more moorings were required and the then boss at Sawley packed in new piers and jetties at virtually every available place, all with short jetties on both sides of the piers with little enough room to even get in or out a 54ft narrowboat, never mind anything longer.
These berths were quickly filled but new marinas such as Mercia and others sprang up giving better services. So Sawley just as quickly lost boats, also helped by those six difficult broad locks, leaving the marina about three quarters full, as it has been ever since the new marinas were opened.
But back to our new abode that has everything with all the boat services you could wish for and something very liked—a jetty as long as the boat which is very handy indeed, together with anti-slip covering on both jetties and piers.
Then there are the restaurants and cafês together with a general shop and many others selling a host of items.
And the marina being built from a fishing lake means it is much lower than ground level, so obviously cuts down on the wind clearly shown by most boats backed stern first in their moorings.
Such an expanse of water and the piers obviously well-planned means there is plenty of space to manœuvre even if reversing the boat, that is all to the good, so it looks as though we are there to stay.
I can see I'm getting carried away here, which really isn't me, so should perhaps add that none of our mobile phones get even the whiff of a signal at our berth...
(The picture below shows the Broadwalk and Piazza with shops restaurant and cafe, with other buildings offering goodies behind from where the photograph was taken during last week.)
Another long stoppage
It looks like being another long job on the Leicester Section with the 'damage' to Kilby Lock.
We were told on the 16th it is a 'structure failure'—with no further details other than a crane boat is required, which is now on site, but it doesn't look too good as told this is a complex job and there can be no time scale when the work will be completed.
CaRT admits there are boaters stuck at both sides of not only this but the closure of Birstall Lock as well.
But it does tell the stuck boaters that if any require water there is a water point at Friar's Mill visitor moorings that can be used—that I find a rather stupid statement as how will boats get to fill up if on the wrong side of the stoppage, or those poor sods who are way past, and have to reverse the miles to get to it?
And still they come
Still they come indeed with more closures with Wrenbury Lift Bridge on the Llangollen (pictured) closed again, due this time to a fault, which is more information than last time as then no reason was given.
Another bridge broken again—Low Lane Swing Bridge on the New Junction that has a fault
With the Rochdale closed again with Lock 48 suffering a damaged cill making it the eighth time since May and the second of its cills to be 'blown' as it is now called.
As a Friday has just gone that means the contractors will have finished their week's work, so both the Wigan Flight on the Leeds & Liverpool is now open as is the Huddersfield Narrow and the Erewash water level starting to improve.
With my thanks to our Keith for all this information.
One or the other
In the cries caused by less money for CaRT from the government, comes one complaining about the 'encroaching vegetation' being a challenge, that canot be cut because of the lack of cash.
What encroaching vegetation? When the vegetation 'tween bank and water was purposely left to grow for the insects.
Eh?
We are told that 70 tonnes of silt was taken from one lock on the Wigan Flight. Surely that is over a lock full!
And does that mean there are 70 tonnes still left in all the other locks on the flight? And if so what about space for water and boats?
Me thinks one is pulling one's leg, don't you?
Victor Swift—telling tale for 23 years.