A Short Cruise

Sometimes, when it is sunny and warm, it is nice just to spend a day on Uppie.  This is what we did one weekend in early September.

We can have a day out on the lovely Macclesfield Canal with only one very shallow little lock to work through, and we usually see a kingfisher somewhere along the route.

The first thing to do is always to put our lifejackets on.  Hanley Bear decided he didn't want to wear one.  He said he was going to be a pirate and tied his neck-a-chief around his head.

"Arrrrrrgh!" he went.

'If you don't put your life-jacket on, I'll take you off the boat and you'll sit in the car until we get back!' Polar warned him.

Hanley gave her a medium-hard stare but did as he was told.

Polar and Grizzly brought some bread, butter and milk so we could have lunch - there are always tins of soup and teabags on the boat.  This time, we moored south of Congleton where we had a good view across the fields to the long ridge running north from Mow Cop.

Polar gave us some seeds and crumbs to feed to the ducks from the side hatch. 

As we made our way towards the 'winding hole' where we were going to turn around, we saw a very unusual craft coming towards us.  It was shaped like a narrowboat, but had a very tall chimney.

It was a steam-powered narrowboat!  It's name is Emily Anne and it even has a steam whistle, just like a railway steam engine.  The nice young humans steering it said their grandfather had built it and that it lived near the Anderton Lift, so we hope we might see it again one day.

We always look out for Ramsdell Hall on our way home.  On very short trips, this is where we turn around.  Sometimes we moor nearby to go to the Rising Sun pub where some of Polar's painted things are sold, to have a Sunday lunch, but this time we were on our way home.

Grizzly says Uppie is going to a boatyard to be repainted, and we will have a journey down the Cheshire Locks and onto the River Weaver soon, so we hope there is not too much rain and stormy weather this autumn. 

We are looking forward to being boat once bears again!