Preston District

We had crazy rain and wild winds overnight. There was so much rainwater running off the top of the boat that it actually sounded like a boat was passing us in the canal. If we had been on the Tug, even tied to the dock, we would have been rocking and rolling. Our little narrowboat hardly moved at all. In fact, it was easy to forget we were floating. We were pleasantly surprised to wake up to sunny skies and warmer temperatures. We traveled a short distance to a water point to fill the tanks. We have been really enjoying the big onboard shower. Then, a little further to the Glasson Cut. The Glasson Cut is a small canal with six locks that leads to the coast. It isn't an option for us to travel by boat, so we decided to hike the tow path. We met up with Tony and Sue, who are traveling on another Crabtree boat, and they joined us on the hike. We saw our first lock up close, and Tony and Sue walked us through the process. They are past owners and now hire narrow boats to experience this very cool lifestyle. The walk was beautiful with bridges, locks, and farmlands. It was a little longer than anticipated, so we were quite happy to stop in at the Dalton Arms for a pint. The Glasson dock was very industrial, and it was interesting to watch all the activities. There were a few shops, restaurants and of course a couple of pubs. We enjoyed our beer outside by the water. A very friendly springer spaniel had us playing fetch with any small twigs we could find. Randy looked around and found a proper stick, but the pup wouldn't have it. He chewed the stick into small pieces and presented them for us to throw. When we were ready to leave, we were worried the dog might follow us, so I checked in the pub for the owner. Turns out it was the bartenders dog, and he comes to work every day. I love how dog friendly everything is. We made our way back to the boats and continued to Garstang. It was a little busy there, and Randy managed to put our 44-foot narrowboat into 45 feet of open canal bank. Very impressive. We walked over to the Owd Tithe Barn for dinner with Tony and Sue. It was a very nice way to end a wonderful day on the canal.Read more