A very quiet night, and awoke to light rain.
My daily check of the propeller and the weed hatch rewards me with this little haul. Mainly bits of fishing line with assorted trapped vegetation. The nylon line is surprisingly difficult to remove, having wrapped itself around the drive shaft and needing to be unwound. The drive shaft bolts are holding tight much to my relief
There is a share in the boat for sale, and we have agreed for someone interested in buying to have a look around the boat. I have emailed them our location, along with a map screenshot, but it takes a surprising amount of time to finally locate us
We have lit the fire and the boat is extremely welcoming, warm and cosy when the prospective buyer arrives. We chat away over a cup of tea and show him around the boat. I am surprised that he hasn't been on a narrowboat journey before, as this is the normal route into buying your own boat, but he did have a holiday on a boat on the Norfolk Broads as a teenager
It seems strange that anyone can just buy a boat and head off without any experience or training, but that would appear to be the deregulated British way.
After our visitor has left we have lunch of pitta and dips and then go on a short walk around Colemere. Vera loves splashing through the mud in her new wellies
The Shropshire Meres formed at the end of the last ice age. The melting and retreating ice was depositing huge quantities of rock and debris. The theory is that large blocks of stranded ice were covered and surrounded by this boulder clay. When the stranded ice finally melted it left a hole in the ground, an imprint of its existence, which filled with water and are still with us today
The issue of a novice boater joining the syndicate has been preying on our minds. I call and message the seller with my concerns, but apparently the sale is already agreed
It is a short voyage today to Ellesmere. Short but exciting, as we go through a small tunnel, seen here in the background with a following boat just emerging. Short but exciting, as we spot our first ducklings of the season - a huddle of seven fluffy babies closely following Mummy Duck. No photo I'm afraid
We moor up and head into town
Ellesmere has its fair share of quaint timber framed buildings, but the town itself seems to lack the vibrancy of other places. Maybe we are just here on a quiet day
We have a pint in the Vault, a subterranean den full of quirky and interesting objects
You want to know what sort of car superman drives? Wonder no longer
Tea is had in the Red Lion, as the more interesting looking Black Lion closed a few years ago. It is still empty. Events are moving fast on the sales front however. There is a clause in our agreement saying that anyone selling their share has to offer it to the existing members first, and this hasn't been done
The walk back reveals views of Ellesmere the mere not the town.
The evening sky is looking stormy and threatening, we wonder what tomorrow will bring. I get the fire lit, and we sit around and chat. Vera thrashes me at Rummikub
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