Time to move on

After spending what seems like an age in or around the environs of Nantwich we have decided it's time to stretch our proverbial legs and move somewhere a bit further afield. Winter days have been spent keeping warm in front of the stove and cuddling the cat and dog! At least being static has given Jill the opportunity to paint plenty of stuff.

Jill hard at work

So after the weekend we'll be heading off along the Shropshire Union towards Audlem and hopefully a rendezvous with our new composting toilet!

Harry & George keeping warm

Having been in Nantwich for over two weeks, it's probably time to move on. Next destination, down onto the River Weaver via the Anderton boat lift.

Nantwich

Made a move when the ice thawed sufficiently to enable a passage without taking too much blacking off the bottom. We are now at Nantwich which is ever popular with boats, boaters, dog walkers and the odd gongoozler. Every time we come here there seems to be the same boats moored up on the embankment.
Engine serviced yesterday by myself, which included changing the oil and new air, fuel and oil filters. It takes longer removing the contents of the engine room and all the floorboards than it does to fettle the engine. Booked the boat into Aqueduct Marina in June to have the hull grit blasted and zinc coated. Expensive but hopefully it will last longer than conventional blacking and extend the life of the boat.

We have been living afloat now for the best part of two years, so I thought it would be a good idea to share some of our experiences of living on 'the cut'. Galatea is a traditional stern narrow boat and was built in 2004. She is in generally good shape but we hope to make some improvements both to improve life aboard and also to prolong her life.
We are currently on a visitor mooring on the Trent & Mersey Canal at a village in Cheshire called Wheelock, not far from Sandbach. The plan was to leave today but we discovered that the ice on the canal was about half an inch thick. We decided to stay another day and enjoy a good lunch at The Cheshire Cheese pub.