If the first rope doesn't trip you up ...

... the second will garrotte you. Fortunately you don't see too many examples of boats tied up this way, with the stern line knotted to the centre line and the whole looped over a mooring restriction bollard, right across the towpath.

Perhaps the hirers hadn't found the piling hooks or mooring pins - or didn't know what they were for.

But that was after we'd set off. Before then we helped a couple on a Diamond Resorts boat moor behind us in the Ellesmere Arm, then got talking to them and invited them on Jubilee for coffee. David and Pauline come from Canterbury and are involved with Great Wood Camp, a Christian-based holiday/campsite in Somerset.

On our way up the LLangollen Canal this afternoon we met up with BCF members Chris and Sally on Kairos. They brought cake! They came aboard for cups of tea and to share their cake. We hadn't met them before, so it was good to get to know them a bit.

Did I mention they supplied cake?

Later we passed a boat, The Staffies, with a T-stud in an unusual place: on the gunnel.

Not a great photo, I know.

We tied up just before the Poacher's Pocket pub, where we ate. The place was packed; we had to wait half an hour for a table. This didn't matter as we had a drink at the bar; when our order was taken at our table it took only two minutes for the food to arrive! Despite that it was fine.

Perhaps someone ought to tell them that the usual place to hang paintings is on the wall.

Lots more excitement tomorrow as we enter Wales properly - we've already dipped in and out - and cross the great aqueducts of Chirk and Pontcysyllte before reaching LLangollen itself.