Manchester to Liverpool

This trip will start at Stretford Marina where Ellis will have spent a couple of days doing a turnaround ... WITH the luxury of shoreline.   For guests arriving by train, you can either use the tram OR (Capt. E's preferred method) grab an uber from either Piccadilly or Deansgate stations.  HOPEFULLY by then, the train strikes will have ended!

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Guests will arrive approximately 1.30pm on day one and after an introductory blah blah (and most probably glass of something fizzy) we’ll chug off to begin our adventure.

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The aim will be to make it up as we go along but my instinct is to chug along to Worsley (where the water is bright orange from the iron ore) and spend our first night there.  There's a pub across the road with a pool table in and Capt. E (whilst REALLY rubbish), does enjoy a game with a pint (or 6).​

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Next morning after a DIY breakfast, we'll chug off and head towards the Leigh Branch of the Leeds and Liverpool canal... once again, making it up as we go along but mindful we need to be far enough away from Wigan to be away from 'Scrotes' but close enough to get through Wigan and out the other side towards nicer places - Crooke perhaps or maybe even Appley Bridge... we'll see.

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Lunch and overnight moorings will be adhoc but we do have to be mindful a booking will have been made for the Liverpool Link - on this trip I'm hoping it will be 24th April but it's not guaranteed as CRT's booking system doesn't allow me to book 2027 until closer the time... I'll ask Alexa to remind me to check daily after Xmas 26!

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The passage time is technically 1.30pm DOWN Stanley locks onto the link but in reality (well last years visit) we turned up around 11am after an over night in Litherland (bit of a dump) and were welcomed with open arms so they could go home early- we'll not know until we get there so fingers crossed ... worse case, we have lunch at the top - best we have a late lunch and extra time moored in Salthouse dock.

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Once on our allocated berth, we'll plug in to the mains and enjoy the luxury of water on tap (well close enough) and constant hot water.  Guests have 2 nights moored in Salthouse docks so a full day to explore Liverpool before departing, as usual after breakfast on the final  morning.

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Total distance is 57 miles and 14 locks . There are 20 moveable bridges, 23 small aqueducts or underbridges and 3 tunnels (St Nicholas Tunnel (208 yards long), Cunard Tunnel (108 yards long) and Museum Tunnel (96 yards long)