Bandit Country

We left the Portland Basin Marina at 7.30 this morning and we were not the first boat away.  Another boat breasted up with us last night and they left 30 minutes before us whilst it was still dark. The Ashton Canal from Dukinfield to Manchester Picadilly has a reputation for being unsafe for mooring so boaters tend to traverse this canal in one day.  It is not long -6 miles  - but the  18 locks are slow to operate as every paddle is locked to prevent mischievous operation. As we were following another boat we had to fill every lock.  It was a shame that the preceding boat locked up everything as they left the locks thus doubli ng their work and ours. I am pleased to say that we encountered no bandits and everyone we met was friendly.

The area around Picadilly has been subjected to considerable renovation - most involving demolition.













There are some unusual buildings




















But moorings are sparse.