Marple, Macclesfield - Wednesday 29 August 2012
The Ice Breaker effect on the weather is still working, I woke up to blue skies and white fluffy clouds, at 08:15 I started the engine and it has rained since!!  Notwithstanding, the run through the locks was good as I completed all 16 in four hours.
The technique that I was using was to get the boat into the lock, climb the ladder, close the gates and start the ground paddle filling.  A check that all was working ok then go up to the next lock and empty if it needed it (most didn’t as I was the first through and they had drained during the night) and open the bottom gates and lower any paddles.  Go back to the lock where the boat was and use the gate paddle to finish filling, open the top gate and lower both paddles then get the boat out, keeping hold of the ‘centre rope’, close the gate and get back on board and move to the next lock!  Phew!  It seems harder when written down.
One thing on this run was that the locks are close together so I could keep an eye on the boat.
There were lots of dogs and owners out, only one seemed too nervous – apparently she had never seen the locks in use and barked like mad at this boat appearing ‘out of the ground’.