There are goals in every world – home, career and it turns out inland waterways.
Our home and career goals are clear – go slower and savour moments. Inland waterways goals it appears, can combine both of those and achieve a plaque at the same time.
This week we’ve had a wonderful week away. A week that took us on a historic city trip. A breathtaking scenic journey into the heart of a city’s docklands, and it earned us another location on our Silver Propellor Challenge.
We cruised into the wonderful vibrant city of Liverpool, to a gated mooring in Salthouse Dock. It was a round trip of 84 miles, 2.5 furlongs and 28 locks, 40 moveable bridges (fortunately some were left open) and 6 tunnel trips. We went out and back through the St Nicholas Tunnel (208 yards long) the Cunard Tunnel (108 yards) and the Museum Tunnel (96 yards).
After the Stanley flight of locks we came down into Stanley Dock alongside the Tobacco Warehouse – the largest tobacco warehouse in the world apparently and destined for redevelopment, the Titanic Hotel and the King’s Pipe. The latter is the chimney of a furnace which was used to burn spoiled or seized smuggled tobacco.
Onto Bradley Moore Dock, site of the new Everton stadium, then Collingwood Dock with the Octagonal Clock Tower, from Clarence Dock out along Sid’s Ditch into West Waterloo Dock, Salisbury Dock, Trafalgar Dock, Prince’s Half Tide Dock, Princes’ Dock, Canning Dock, the Albert Dock which now houses the Tate, and finally into our allocated, paid for berth at Salthouse Dock.
En route we had spectacular views of the iconic Liver Building, the new Isle of Man Ferry Terminal, the Mersey, accompanied in part by lapwing and flocks of Shelduck.
Salthouse Dock is one of 68 locations across Great Britain chosen as destinations for the Inland Waterways Association’s Silver Propellor Challenge.
The locations are chosen to encourage boaters to explore lesser known or lesser used areas of the waterways and we discovered with some surprise that we’ve already completed at least 6 of the 20 we need to qualify – unfortunately we visited some without knowing about the Challenge and failed to take photos. By the end of this year if we get cruising again in August, we may have managed another 13, so we should be able to apply for our Silver Propellor plaque.
This short foray into Liverpool has reminded us of the value of even a short time travelling the waterways – relaxing, therapeutic and a chance to unwind. If you feel in need of such a break get booking your canal holiday now – we can recommend Floating Holidays if you want a choice of cruising destinations. You could visit some Silver Propellor locations!
Whatever you choose, we wish you a relaxing, recharging week in inspiring surroundings.
Pickingupducks 