The last time I wrote to you all, we were hopeful. The plan was simple enough: move on, find water, empty the bins, and continue north. Alas… winter had other ideas. We were iced in for another four long days.
Needs must, so we wrapped up and made a trek to the local Co‑op to buy nine litres of fresh drinking water. At least we could have a cuppa while we waited for the thaw.
Following in Someone Else’s Wake (Literally)
On 12th January, two boats moored behind us decided to head out, bravely breaking up the ice as they went. Watching them crunch their way forward gave us hope, so we thought we’d follow in their footsteps.
Reader… that was a mistake.
The canal was still thick with ice in places and progress was painfully slow. About a mile in, as we rounded a bend, we were greeted by a very upset gentleman standing on the roof of his boat. He gave us a thorough telling‑off about travelling in icy conditions.
As you can imagine, this really upset us — the very last thing we ever want is to annoy fellow boaters. But just in front of him were the two boats we’d followed, and they very kindly helped us pull in and moor up safely. They reassured us with a quiet word: “Don’t worry about Dave — he’s like that with everyone.”
To be fair, we completely understood his frustration. We were the third boat to pass him that day. And in a lovely twist, Dave knocked on our boat the following morning and apologised — in his own wonderfully gruff way. Boating life in a nutshell.
Community, Cuppas, and Cracking Finds
We waited out the ice for another couple of days, but not before being told about a local community shop called The Very Green Grocery.
Run entirely by volunteers, the shop’s mission is to stop good food going into landfill. You pay £7 and can fill two large shopping bags. We walked away with cereal, tea, bread, tinned goods, frozen meat — easily £50 worth of groceries for seven quid. What an absolutely brilliant resource.
Ice, Again — But With a View
Once more we headed north, hoping to finally reach services. We managed another mile or so before the ice closed in around us yet again. This time though, the mooring spot was stunning — peaceful, scenic, and well worth the delay. Once again, kind boaters helped us gently into the side to moor.
Finally, after another two days, the ice had melted enough for us to move on. At last, we reached services to fill up with water, dispose of rubbish, and feel vaguely human again.
Our First Lock!
From there, we headed north and out into the countryside — and went through our first lock.
Now, I say lock… the difference in water height between the gates was minimal.
What is a lock?
A lock is essentially a water elevator for boats. By filling or emptying a chamber between two gates, boats can be raised or lowered to match the water level ahead.
This particular lock exists to preserve water between a Canal & River Trust (CRT) canal and a privately owned canal.
After navigating through, Chris immediately turned the boat around and we came back through the same lock — because we couldn’t go any further due to a breach further up.
What’s a canal breach?
A breach happens when part of the canal bank collapses, allowing water to escape. Until it’s repaired, navigation beyond that point is usually impossible.
We moored up in a lovely spot for a couple of nights and enjoyed some beautiful walks — the kind that make all the delays worth it.
Disaster Strikes 💻
Then… disaster.
Our external hard drive suddenly appeared to be completely empty. Hundreds of videos, photos, and memories — gone. Nowhere to be found.
After 24 hours of trying everything we could think of, we made the decision to hand it over to a professional. That meant casting off and heading back into town.
We moored up at Anderton Boat Lift again, dropped the drive at the computer repair shop, and then did the only sensible thing: headed to the pub for a very much‑needed drink.
Unexpected Visitors & Full‑Circle Moments
While waiting to hear about the repair, we received a message from Karen and Jason of “Just Two People” saying they’d just walked past our boat.
So of course — aboard they came for a cuppa. Our first guests!
Here’s the magical part: Karen and Jason were on the Queen Mary 2 at exactly the same time as us, completely unbeknownst to any of us then. And just like us, they were leaving the USA to move onto a narrowboat.
We’d chatted a little on social media after discovering our shared plans, but this was our first time meeting in person. It was fascinating (and reassuring) to talk through how similar our thoughts were about leaving America and starting this new chapter.
The Morning After… 🚿
The following morning, after our lovely visit with Karen and Jason, I decided a shower was in order. What could possibly go wrong?
Well… as I was getting out of the shower, I slipped and fell. Thankfully nothing was broken — just some impressive bruises and a very bruised ego. After a brief moment of lying there questioning my life choices, I accepted the inevitable and invested in an old-lady non-slip shower mat.
The joys of getting older — narrowboat edition.
Fingers Crossed 🤞
So today, we’re sitting tight, waiting for the computer shop to call. We had to order a new external hard drive, but the technician believes he’s recovered everything and is transferring the files as we speak.
Thank goodness.
Hopefully, once this is sorted, we can truly head into new waters — exploring new places and meeting new people.
And on a very happy side note: I’ve booked a flight back to Tennessee in April, and I cannot wait to see the kids again.
Onwards… ice permitting 🚤❄️
And Away... 