Retirement with No Problem

Milford to Great Haywood, Staffs & Worcs Canal

Gosh we need to get cruising.. Yesterday didn’t help waking up to yet more ice.  It took a devil of a job to get No Problem to leave the mooring.  Everytime I tried the boat just wanted to give up and stay put into the side!

‘Tis a heavy boat, the only way was to break a big hole through the ice across the canal at the stern, then once out in the middle full blast the make the bows crack a line towards the middle.. phew done!

Not far though, there was more wood to pick up from what we had left the other day… that was hard work too, very heavy big bits up a slippy incline.  With that done, down came the snow.. enough was enough and we retreated to the cosy salon for the rest of the day.

Great Haywood today..

The lovely cafe just by Haywood Lock, always open come rain or shine.. or snow and shine..

Yes we did eventually make it here today despite more ice on the canal.. Luckily a day boat from the local boatyard here at Great Haywood came past us.. hooray, a path through.  It was difficult though, and as we got to Tixall Wide another narrowboat was coming in the opposite direction.. with no direction, and we both followed the thin line of broken ice.. the two boats rubbing together in perhaps one of the widest stretches of canal in the country!!

Both crews laughed.. well it was a bit thick out there.  Settled tonight though, and hopefully tomorrow we will be on our way for some serious cruising.. that is if…..