Boatdate: 01092019
Canal: Macclesfield
Heading: Up
Weather: Storm coming

Back to Macclesfield. 1st mate got train home leaving Capt Maddock to solo it to the top of the Macclesfield canal. There was nowhere convenient to moor at the junction with the Peak Forest canal so reluctantly made a start on the 16 locks of the Marple flight and did 4 of them before the rain came down. Next day was much brighter and made an early start on the remaining 12 locks. They are hard work solo as very deep and much care needs to be taken climbing the slippery lock ladders. As working solo I wore a life jacket and promised to get myself a fall restraint to clip onto the lock ladders when working them on my own. Worked slow and steady through each lock and met nothing coming up until the very last lock no 16, a father and son going to Worcester, the son was going to study there and live in the boat to save money, a fine idea.


I crossed the river Goyt on the Marple aqueduct and as a break was very much in order after a tiring morning I moored up in a pretty wooded spot where the canal runs parallel to the river with the small town of Romily nearby.