NB Centurion Trips 2005 Continued

Continuing with the early journeys of NB Centurion, July 2005 we left Anderton and headed for the Llangollen Canal. Our diary says we had decent weather and did not have to queue at any of the hot spot locks. The whole canal was rather quiet. We had daughter Toni and her boyfriend with us for the trip so had an easy time of the locks.

Hurleston Locks.

Waiting for Swanley no 2 Lock.

Waiting for Wrenbury Lift Bridge.

Incidentally Wrenbury is to be our new base for a year, we don't mind going back to the Llangollen, but not sure if the ABC base at Wrenbury is a good place to be! We will not have the luxury's we currently have at Alvechurch.

Think this is Willeymoor Lock.

New Mills Lift Bridge, Whitchurch arm to the left.

Our diary says we spent a day and night in the Whitchurch arm before carrying on towards Llangollen. Don't seem to have any photos of the Whixhall or Ellesmere area for some reason, we spent a night in the Ellesmere arm and ate somewhere in the town.

Nice Traditional boat.

On Chirk Aquaduct.

On Pontcysyllte Aquaduct.

Near Bryn Howel.

We spent a night and day at Llangollen, moored in the new basin on pontoons. We had a good look around Llangollen, walked to the source of the canal at Horseshoe Falls, and had a ride on the Steam railway from Berwyn.

Horseshoe Falls.

Berwyn Station.

GWR Prairie Tank at Llangollen.

We left Llangollen, down the 2 narrow sections, surprisingly meeting no other boats to head back towards the Shroppie.

Back down the Llangollen.

We had an uneventful journey until Maesbury Marine, where a boat came through the bridge far too quickly, we chucked into reverse, the throttle cable broke, and we went haring off backwards into something hard which lifted the tiller and bent the skeg. It was a Maesbury boat that came through the bridge, and as it was witnessed by Maesbury Marine they supplied a new cable and attempted to fix the rudder, however it would not go back in the spigot. Arrangements where made with Nantwich Canal Centre to dock Centurion so we limped there with limited steering.

Skeg straightened and rudder in its spigot.

We had an enforced remote handover to the following owners who where grateful to be nearer their destination of Llangollen.