Finally!

12th December 2009

Paddling the other bit of the 'Mac'

Look at the link for the earlier trip.

Now, after having not being able to paddle because of the horrendous back trouble I've suffered all the autum/winter this year, I was exited to be finally heading out with the boats on the roof.

We had loaded the boats the previous night, so managed to get away nice and early for a 1 hour drive over to Congelton.

We started this time as far South as we could at Bosely Top Lock. When we got out of the car it was absolutely freezing, although to our surprise, there was no ice to break on the canal.

Completely flat water on the canal is very different to the sea, but it was so good to be back in the kayak. I would have to go steady, and test the situation with the old back carefully.

Its was good to know Dad was with me, if I'd had a problem with the old back, I'd have needed a tow.


Once on the water the back felt as good as it had ever been, this picture was taken with a new setting I found on the camera.


Hovis Mill, Macclesfield. It made brown bread in its hey-day, now its flats!


The near-perfect still water gave some brilliant photographic oppertunities.

On the way back we took a rest here, behind Dad in this picture was a bus depot, and nearby a council vehicle park. In front was a main railway, and above the flight path from Manchester airport, of course we were sat on the canal, transport through the ages!


We waited......and waited.....and finally a train came past for this photo, there's probably a plane in the sky somewhere.

If you look closley at my kayak deck, you can see the bow is starting to freeze up. It only did it in the starage area's at the front and back. I presume the heat I was now starting to loose was preventing this.


At Bridge 49 on the way back there was a que of cars waiting to join the main road.

Just near to the end, the sun had dissapeared, and the temperature had really plummeted.
We got out, got changed and went back to the waters edge for the boats, it was absolutely baltic now, and whilst the sea is a dangerous place, I think here would have been a very uncomfortable place to be if we were much later.