An early start from, leaving just before 8 o’clock. We have made the M5/M6 journey at various times and on different days, but this is the first time on a Sunday morning. The traffic was much less heavy than usual and we arrived about 10 past 10.

After unloading and a cup of tea we set off for Middlewich. There was a short storm of rain just after we set off, but for the rest of the day we had sunshine.

It has been raining heavily all week and everywhere there were floods.

Luck was with us at att the locks. We didn’t have to wait at all, nor did we have to turn any. A few had leaked a bit but tnat was all.

Coming through Big Lock the tiller became caught in the lock gate and the wooden handle snapped off. So for the rest of the day we had to steer without a handle.

On arrival at Venetian Marina we called in their chandlery and bought a new one. A few minutes with some sandpaper to get it tne right size and all was well again.