Wet, wet, Wrenbury

With the scheduled maintenance now complete on Poveys and Willimore locks we were able to move on to Wrenbury. The CRT may have improved the condition of the locks but they'd done nothing for the state of the towpaths, long stretches of which were collapsing into the canal and / or boggy with mud.

We initially pulled in just beyond the electric lift bridge by the wharf at the start of Wrenbury. On closer inspection we decided the ground was too muddy so moved further along. Will was ok on board but Vicky, Tiger and Leo found their way blocked by a massive muddy puddle. Only Leo managed to keep his paws clean.

Thankfully a shingle path saved us from needing to get mucky every time we stepped off, but even the fields were sodden, limiting the options for dog walking.

While the familiar sound of church bells drifted through the air, the internet signal did not. The Llangollen Canal in general has poor signal but here it was virtually non existent.

On Sunday we cleared out the electrical cupboard and removed the 20kg inverter charger from the wall. Will had wombled a sturdy cardboard box from a supermarket and Vicky used this, together with a stanley knife and gaffa tape to package the unit ready for sending back to Sterling on Monday morning. We feared the cost of postage would be exorbitant, but we got away with £22 for 24hr Parcel Force delivery.

With the electrical cupboard empty, Vicky took the opportunity to rearrange boxes from under the bed and dinette. Rainboat had been listing to port so shifting some heavier items to starboard levelled her up a bit. Unfortunately there was quite a bit of damp and mould on the walls in the bedroom cupboard and under the bed. We've managed to increase the air circulation slightly but it will always be a problem storing things directly against cold external walls.

As a treat we had lunch at the Dusty Miller (great name for a pub!). Unfortunately they'd run oit of many of the dishes on their menu, leaving Vicky with a beyond meat burger with a mushroom on top. Not the best but at least Will enjoyed his battered haloumi burger and pint of the locally brewed Trooper.

Later that day Sharon and Nici of the Beanie Boat pulled up in front of us. Nici knits some amazing items and creates patterns while Sharon makes a range of soaps. Vicky is currently trying to use up a rather large yarn collection but we were running low on soap so we asked if they had any on board we could buy. The next thing we know Sharon is giving us a huge slab of her charcoal and cedarwood soap, refusing to take any money for it! What a kind gesture!
https://beanieboat.com/もっと詳しく