Our Last Day's Cruising on MM (but not quite The End...)

 Wednesday 24th June 2026 in Tattenhall Marina.

We had left the front stable door open all night so a soft, cooling breeze wafted over us as we slept. We awoke to the dawn chorus.  This summer, the bird song along the waterways has been exceptional.

Today we will deliver MM to Tattenhall Marina and then spend 24 hours sorting out "stuff" on board, much of which is going home with  us, before driving home tomorrow. We set off at 7:30 in the morning to try to beat the heat, which was forecast to exceed 30degC. 

Twenty minutes later we arrived at Bunbury Locks, which are a “staircase”. In this case, there are only two locks but as always with a staircase, they require careful thought and extra care, so we studied the instructions carefully. 

 

The staircase locks were against us.so it was necessary to empty the bottom lock and then fill the top lock.

 

The Manager of the pretty little wharf and its Anglo Welsh hire fleet arrived at 8am and helped us with the high, heavy gates. 

A staircase lock is always something that needs to be approached with respect and they always look very intimidating. All the lock gates were leaking badly and R had to go up and down the ladders and walk across MM's roof at each stage.

 Tilstone Lock is interesting with its mysterious circular building which appears to be growing hair!

 

At Tilstone Lock, M was much taken with this exquisite rose growing beside the lock.  It was clearly a “memorial” planting, as indicated by the little plaque beneath it dedicated to a lady who had died there a few years ago. The bush rose was spectacular and had a lovely fragrance. 

  

Not long after, the tell-tale vibration of the tiller indicated that we had picked something up on the propeller. It turned out to be a high-vis jacket from the University of Chester!

 

Coming into the last lock, MM was till running quite quickly so, when R tried to stop her with the centre rope, she heeled over, the kitchen drawers slid open and a small glass bowl got broken. What an eventful last day: a staircase lock, a trip down the weed hatch and a breakage!

 

 

 M always loves these grass covered "accommodation" bridges. This one is very special because in the distance, on the top of the large hill, stands Beeston Castle, unassailable on its high rocky crag. 

 

 

 

This is leaving our very last lock at Wharton. After 15 years, this was lock number 3,851. 

 

 

Shortly after, our good friends Martin and Brenda appeared, walking towards us on the towpath with their cute dog Sox. They live fairly close by and had arrived with the intention of helping us through the locks but instead walked beside us for a while, taking photos. 

 

Finally, the moment M, in particular, was dreading – the entrance to Tattenhall Marina and MM’s final destination on our fifteen year journey after 6,414 miles.

To our surprise, there was no one to greet us, despite the fact that the staff knew we were due in that day.  A tad disappointing, to say the least. And inconvenient, as we didn’t know where to put MM. Everything was closed – the office, the chandlery, the café. We later learned that this is in part due to the difficulty in getting staff, something one hears all too often nowadays.

Brenda and Martin were there ahead of us and we were finally allocated a mooring space by Olly, the Manager, who eventually showed up.  One of the boats beside us was also moored very close to us at the Crick Boat Show last month.

The four of us then went out for a lovely lunch at a super (and very old) pub in Tattenhall Village called The Bear, with origins dating back before Elizabethan times. Martin then kindly drove Robin back to Venetian Marina to pick up the car and we returned to MM to continue the emotionally challenging task of packing up a much loved home of fifteen years. 

Next morning, Martin returned to perform yet another kindness for us.  He took away our geranium troughs, which are now looking magnificent, to keep them watered for us while we are away for the next two weeks.  What very caring friends we have!

On 6th July we will return to finish getting MM ready for sale. In the meantime she will be subject to a detailed survey on 2nd July. On 8th July we are scheduled to take the buyers, Michelle and Steve, out for the day on MM so that we can all (including MM) get to know each other.

Today: 6 Miles, 6 Locks and 3.7 Hours.

Trip: 194 Miles, 145 Locks and 96.4 Hours.

Since MM was Launched: 6,414 Miles, 3,851 Locks and 4,096 Hours