Cruising the Ship Canal

Published: Monday, 05 July 2010

AS PART of the Bridgewater Motor Boat Club's cruise to support the Tom Rolt Centenary celebrations at Chester, 31 of its members brought their boats back along the Manchester Ship Canal.

The cruise, which was organised by Frank Hurst, entailed the flotilla leaving the Boat Museum at Ellesmere Port then onto the ship canal, with Frank writing:

Excitment

Tuesday morning saw a damp start and at 0830 hours we started locking down to the lower basin eventually getting all the boats into the basin at 10.30am, we then at 10.45 am saw a mass exodus onto the ship canal, I had asked boaters for a tight group on the ship canal but as is usual, excitement got the better of some of the participants, and we ended up with a long line of boats, this was no problem as traffic was light and no significant shipping movement was imminent.

We all arrived safely at Weston Marsh lock where staff from British waterways locked us all onto the Weaver safely; participants enjoyed the trip and eventually made their own way up the river towards the Anderton Lift. I would comment that the staff at Anderton Lift were as usual very helpful and efficient coping with the extra boats appearing as from nowhere—well done Anderton.

I would like to express my thanks to the Manchester Ship Canal Harbour Master Colin Chambers, also the staff at the Boat Museum, and staff from British Waterways who made sterling efforts to get us all onto the ship canal despite low water levels at the Boat Museum. £75 for the charity Help for Heroes, it was weeks of hard work organising the event but very satisfying.