Managing stress applies as much to the seemingly laidback life on a boat as it does to bricks and mortar, 9-5 working, or travelling across the country in other ways.
This week has seen us travel from Barlaston to Anderton, a voyage of 34 miles and 41 locks through the heart of the Potteries, underground via the Harecastle Tunnel, down the locks of the Cheshire Flight aka Heartbreak Hill, into and through the town of Middlewich and on towards Preston Brook, the end point of the Trent and Mersey Canal.
In the past two weeks we’ve travelled a total of 113 miles and worked 65 locks. At a maximum of 4mph we’re doing well. Drivers stationary on the M6 when we passed underneath them were shouting out that they’d swap with us – needless to say – we didn’t take up the offers!
The weather has been with us too, but this week has been far from plain sailing. For many boats doing this route alongside us, it has been a hugely stressful week, and it could have been the same for us, without our automatically employed anti-stress strategies.
Prevention rather than cure is one key stress management tool. Approaching the Harecastle Tunnel we took the chance to delve into the weedhatch to pull off anything clogging our prop, and managed to get some muck off which would have made steering more difficult. But then, as we headed towards the 2.6 kilometre-long tunnel, we developed a horrible rattling and clunking. We pulled in and tried to resolve the issue – taking off the weedhatch and reattaching it, resiting the paint tins stored around it, and phew – noise resolved before we were ushered into the tunnel and the doors clanged shut behind us.
The issue of this week really was, once again, the ageing infrastructure of the waterways network. All was going well until we left Lock 67, Crows Nest Lock, the first of the three locks on the Booth Lane Flight in Cheshire. A man walking a black Labrador called across to us that further ahead, a pound (the stretch between locks) had no water in it at all. As I left the lock, it became apparent that the pound I was entering was low and getting lower. Mud banks had formed at the sides, and I needed to stay firmly in the central remaining channel to avoid getting stuck. Rounding a bend to the next lock, I could see three boats already moored in a queue in front of the lock, clearly aground from the odd angles of their tunnel bands.
I came as near as I dared, managed to moor up, and we set off to explore taking the dog for an unexpected additional and appreciated walk. Sure enough, Canal and River Trust (CRT) staff were already in attendance, and Lock 69 was clearly out of action.
A ground paddle had given way, but by the time we walked down, repairs were almost complete. The issue then was refloating the pounds, both the one between 68 and 69, but also the one above 68 where we were waiting. Below lock 69 another 4 boats were queued, and by the time the dog and I returned to rejoin our now stuck-in-the-mud home, another two boats had appeared behind us.
Around us some boaters were getting stressed by the delay – holiday makers worried about getting back to their home bases on time, boaters out of their marinas for a few weeks with bookings to keep further on, and some people who just hate it when things don’t go according to their plans. The delay was put to productive use for us – time for a cuppa, with biscuit treats (thanks Mum), and an opportunity to make an appointment for a haircut in Middlewich (for the next day so we didn’t have to worry about the length of delay). I also managed to make the dog an appointment in Greater Manchester for her booster in a few weeks time, and Steve had another long conversation with insurers. We are trying to set up a floating trading business and it’s proving a nightmare to get the required public liability insurance so we can get a CRT trading licence. Stock is building up on the boat, making space tight, and we need to sell stuff, but we can’t! Frustrating, but we take a deep breath, recognise it might take time, and keep trying.
We took our coffee onto the towpath for a chat with those around, discovering more interesting people, meeting a delightful travelling cat, and some very friendly dogs as well as their owners. It gave me a chance to really look at some beautiful marsh orchids, growing alongside the towpath on the canalside, orchids I might have missed if I’d been “dashing” from lock to lock. Stress buster no. 2 – look and find the positives in a situation.
Once the water came we refloated almost happily – in reversing to get us off the mudbank, I managed to get hit by a gust of wind and got very close to managing a Suez moment! That felt a bit stressful but with the help of Steve on the bank and a centreline hurled to him we were sorted. The boat ahead of us wasn’t so lucky. The lock was open ready for them, but they were unable to get to it. So wedged on a ridge of mud eas the boat that it took 6 people to get them shoved off and underway once more. Those of us behind edged tentatively past the spot where they’d had issues, trying to stay as near to the middle of the canal as possible.
Boats coming up faced issues too – the Canal and River Trust workboat was wedged in the mud well and truly as we headed down and away. According to a volunteer we met when leaving Middlewich, it took some considerable time to free it.
The solution for us in avoiding stress is to factor in potential delays. We had appointments to keep in Middlewich but we’d allowed ourselves an extra 24 hours of travelling time just in case of delays. If we arrive somewhere early, we have extra exploration or chill time. It’s a bonus – not a stress. We spent a happy 48 hours getting some work done on the boat at Middlewich Wharf, getting my haircut and socialising with friends before we headed off once more.
This weekend, finally, after years of trying, we are going to experience The Cathedral of the Canals, the Anderton Boat Lift. We have booked our slot, and we ready in place half a day early. The 25-metre-tall lift – England’s only working boat lift – will take us the 15 metres down from the Trent and Mersey to the River Weaver below, and we’ll return the same way later in the day. Fingers crossed there are no breakdowns, delays or dramas with this trip – not sure I’d like to be stuck part way up or down – but if we are, I guess I could use the time well to begin knitting a jumper I’ve been asked to make! Find out next week what happens!
Pickingupducks 
bollocks
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