Not a lot to report

I did eventually get back from the last trip, it took a couple of days as it suddenly got very cold about an hour away from the marina so I decided to stop. It was pleasant but uneventful. Since then I was just at the marina which pleased Lyra as she could play with all her friends and have plenty of swims in her ponds.

On Tuesday I had to move the boat, a pump out was necessary which meant that I had to come out again. Stopped off at Sutton Stop on Tuesday and then went down the 5½ into Coventry yesterday. I do really like the trip down into the city, but it seems to be changing every time I go down there with another building having been demolished, or a new one having sprung up. As usual there was very little rubbish evident, possibly due to the City Council now using the work boat “Fazeley” in addition to the regular clean ups that the Coventry Canal Society do.

Had a friend, and one of her Shepherds, over to visit us in the basin, so Lyra and Ben had a good run on the towpath, although Lyra was a bit confused when Ben launched himself into the canal, it being too deep for her.

After two days of lovely boating weather, this morning was a bit of a disappointment as it was cold and drizzly, but it did seem to be clearing up. That was just to trick me and as soon as I cast off it started raining, lightly but persistently. Made a quick stop at Tesco, using the piling on the towpath side for a change. It seemed to be as good as the old wharf as it wasn’t much further to walk and it’s deep enough to get to the side easily.

Have moored just past the junction, still on the Coventry, so I’m not sure where I will be headed next. It’s very much dependant on the weather, but a trip up the Ashby may be in order. if I decide against that it’s not far to the winding hole to allow a return up the Oxford.

Took Lyra round to the wide grassy area on the Oxford side for her evening walk, to find Eric from the marina moored there. This meant that Lyra and Rocky could have a good run together and tire themselves out.

Summer’s over

I did end up moving on Saturday morning as it would have been a very long day of doing very little if I hadn’t. Moored for the rest of the weekend just above Lock 10 of the Atherstone flight. As usual the race on Sunday was pretty unexciting, I’m beginning to wonder why I bother to arrange my weekends round the races.

Woke very  late this morning so by the time I had done the next 4 locks it was time to stop for lunch. This had the advantage that, as a boat came down whilst I was stopped, the last 5 locks were all in my favour. Continued for a while after getting to the top and am moored close to Nuneaton.

It felt a bit chilly as the sun set this evening so I have lit the fire, so I suppose that that means that summer is now officially over.

back in familiar territory

Stopped off at Peel’s Wharf to dispose of some rubbish, and more importantly the significant amount of recycling that has built up whilst I’ve been out. Once past the junction I was very much back on the water that I know best.

It took a while to get through the Glascote locks as there were a few boats already waiting and the locks aren’t the fastest in the world. The top gate of the top lock is also very difficult to close so I stopped to help close it for the boat about to descend before moving on a bit and stopping for lunch.

I intended getting a bit further along the canal, but as my normal spot at Pooley Fields was empty I decided to stop. Couldn’t get in to the edge due to the level being a bit low at the moment so am moored slightly further along.

It’s another GP this weekend so I might end up staying here, but it can get a bit busy at the weekend so maybe it will be better to move to somewhere quieter.

The day started well…….

It was a lovely morning, it had been a bit overcast and chilly first thing for the last few days, but today it was warm and sunny. Being right next to the nature reserve meant that there was somewhere good to take Lyra for her morning walks, and tucked away behind the pool is this wonderful sculpture of a heron.

I was about ready to leave but I looked back along the canal and saw a working boat approaching the bottom lock, so had another coffee and waited for it to come up and pass me. It turned out to be nb Hadley.

Once she had continued on her way I left and that’s when it all started to go wrong. I have avoided ranting about the actions of other boaters on this blog as I’d rather not have the reminder of the less good parts of my trips when I look back, but today’s idiot needs a mention. I left my mooring and headed towards Junction Lock. There was a boat that had been using the water point and I could see him untying the boat, nothing wrong with that, in fact it’s the right thing to do as it would have meant that if I was planning to use the water point he could move off easily. He then got back onto the boat and seemed to be waiting for me to pass. Once I was virtually on top of him he decided to put his boat in gear and move into my path, without a single glance behind him. I had to put the boat in reverse at full revs to avoid a collision. Eventually he managed to get his boat alongside the lock mooring, but managed to be in a position that meant that there was no room for me to pull in behind him despite there being plenty of space for two boats, so I had to wait mid channel until the lock was prepared for him. He seemed to be totally oblivious to what he had done when I got to the lockside, I’m sure that he had no clue that I was there rather than wanting to beat me to the lock, and I couldn’t face having an argument so I just let them work the lock alone.

I wonder what the outcome would have been if he had tried the same thing in front of Hadley, with much more momentum, traditional engine controls and limited visibility over the bow of an unladen Large Woolwich.

Thankfully they headed on up the T&M so hopefully I won’t come across them again. I got through the lock and swing bridge and headed down the Coventry, deciding to stop fairly soon after. A play with Lyra meant things didn’t seem too bad.

The day improved after that, and I had a pleasant run and am now moored on the outskirts of Fazeley.

Fradley again

Yesterday was another pretty short day. Not a lot happened except at Willington where there was much excitement, with a fuel boat breasted up doing trade and boats crossing between the visitor moorings and the water point. This all meant that I needed to try to keep my boat still in the middle of the cut in the stiff breeze that was blowing. Moored at Branston again as Lyra loves the pool so much.

it would have been wrong to have travelled through Burton without sampling it’s produce and as I am definitely in the “Hate It” camp an alternative had to be sought. This was found in the Bridge Inn in the form of a pint of Pedigree. It was so nice that it just had to be followed by another. This had it’s usual effect and I felt too sleepy to do anything once I got back to the boat. Lyra also seems to have great taste as she really enjoyed the small amount that she was allowed.

This morning the locks worked out pretty well, meeting boats at each one, and got to Alrewas, where there was plenty of space to moor,  in time for lunch. I was expecting to meet nb Hadar sometime today, and thought that it would possibly be at Alrewas, sure enough they were moored further into the village so we stopped for another chat. Lyra was intrigued by Marmite as she hasn’t met cats before.

I almost stayed where I was as it was trying to rain, but decided to press on. I got into Common Lock, but the bottom gates wouldn’t close behind me. Flushing water through wouldn’t dislodge the “something” so I moved the boat back and had a poke around the cill with my boathook. Whatever was there obliged by moving out of the way and I was soon on my way. There do seem to be more “somethings” lurking in the depths this year as I haven’t encountered any before but that is now 3 this year.

Tied up below Junction lock tonight. Had to pay a quick visit to the Swan, but haven’t fallen asleep yet. Should be back on much more familiar waters tomorrow.

Heading for home

We couldn’t leave this morning until Lyra had had another swim, she made that clear on her first walk, which is just a short one she had before breakfast to do what little dogs need to do, when she headed straight for the swimming point. She came away when called which was very good. She did get her swim on her proper walk after breakfast so she was happy. Just as we were getting ready to leave the boat moored in front of me was also getting ready so we ended up following it to Branston Lock. I really like this little lock with it’s position out in the middle of nowhere. Once through we had a pleasant run into Burton.

Ended up behind another boat, which I think had just winded, at Snobnall so followed them to Dallow lock, which today was where the wonderful smell of hops appeared. Carried on until we got to bridge 29A where we moored outside the pub for lunch.

It’s perhaps not the most scenic point in Burton, with a modern pub building, a modern bridge and an industrial estate on the offside, but it was where I stopped on the first night after I had bought the boat and was moving it my mooring. As it was also where Katy spent her fist night on the boat, I couldn’t help get a bit upset as I still miss her terribly.

Once out of Burton, the canal is lovely but never far away from major roads or the railway. Approaching Stenson I saw the temporary bridge that is providing a crossing due to the proper bridge having suffered from a tractor crossing it. I didn’t want to go down the wide lock at Stenson, so winded in the marina entrance and have moored near to the damaged bridge for the night.

The damage is pretty severe, with about half the width missing.

There is a notice on site saying that the bridge is going to be rebuilt as original, and the work is scheduled to start during this winters stoppages so it should be back to it’s former glory by the time I next come this way. On our walk, we crossed over the temporary bridge and followed the canal back down to the railway bridge which has a pedestrian arch on the offside. There is a small area, Stanhope wood, here which had been cut off by the canal, railway and new road from the rest of the farm and has been planted with native trees, with a wildflower meadow.

Day off

Woke fairly late on Friday morning, but it was still pretty cool, cool enough for Lyra to not want to have a swim on her morning walk. Had a short run into Rugeley where we stopped so that I could pick up a few things that I had forgotten when I last went shopping, which merged into an early lunch break. Passing through the town I witnessed a first for me, in the 6 or so years and however many miles I cruising I have passed countless fisherpersons, but Friday was the first time that I have actually witnessed one of them catching a fish.

Armitage “tunnel” is one of the few places that I find does cause me a problem as a singlehanded boater, but I came up with a cunning plan. I needed water anyway so stopped at the water point on the straight before the “tunnel”. Just as the tank filled a boat passed me so I could pack my hose away and follow the other boat through. Once through I held back to create a decent gap between us. Once out of the towns, the next section of canal seems very remote, at times the only buildings visible being the cooling towers at Rugeley. I caught the boat I had followed just as we were arriving at the lock but they moored for the night so I again had a quick passage.

I expected the moorings above Fradley locks to be full,it being about 4pm by the time I arrived, and they were. I didn’t want to go through so had a feel for depth just before the VM. It was pretty shallow but I could get the front of the boat to the edge if I left the stern quite a way out in deeper water. I could probably have moored parallel but then would have needed to use the plank which Lyra is scared of. 

I walked down to the junction, and had to have a pint outside the Swan, only one boat passing in the time it took to drink it, and noticed that there was a space on the moorings at the junction and a bit of space below Junction lock.

As I was firmly on the bottom I didn’t feel boats passing, but they must have made bow the boat creep forward and the stern inwards as by the morning it had moved quite a bit.

This did cause me a bit of a problem as I couldn’t pole the stern off the mud, Seeing a boat approaching I ran back to ask them to pass quickly in the hope that it would float me off the mud. It worked enough to make poling off possible.

Despite it being Saturday morning, getting though Fradley locks was quite quick, with only a couple of boats waiting at Junction lock when I got there. There was a space just above Bagnall lock when I got there, and as it was about lunch time by then I moored up expecting it to be busy in Alrewas, but walking Lyra down the towpath revealed that there were only a few boats moored.

The river was well down, it wasn’t even in the green at Wychnor lock being at least an inch below the bottom of the indicator board. Once through the lock the next section of the canal would be wonderful it it wasn’t spoiled by the constant traffic noise from the A38 running alongside, but soon the canal veers away and peace is restored. Soon after we arrived at my planned destination at Branston. We ware moored next to the water park entrance which is very convenient.

I was feeling pretty tired when I got here so decided to do as little as possible today so have stayed here. Lyra has loved it as it means she has had lots of walks and swims. The dog swimming area being just a few yards from the boat.