Thursday 26 Aug 2010 Cuckoo Wharf Birmingham

Yesterday evening it rained, it was raining when we went to bed and it was still raining when we got up, it stopped for a bit at about 9 30 this morning when we took the dog for a quick walk  but had started again before we set off and its rained most of the day since then.

Our first port of call was Fazeley Marina for a pumpout £15 and to fill with diesel, Its a long time since I last paid this price, 64p/lt and self declaration. The only thing to note is they close all day Wednesday. There were hundreds of geese on the stubble fields a short way from the marina.
We met several boats in the Curdworth flight but none of them in really helpful spots, we were ether waiting at the bottom of a lock as they approached the top or they had not seen us and just turned it.  At one lock a boat was coming down a lock as we were coming up the one below on a pound less than quarter of a mile long. We each left the lock at the same time but the other boat not only closed the gate behind him but I had to wait until he cleared the lock moorings before I could enter, needless to say we left the top gate open ready for him.
It would seem that BW are now using so much plastic meshing, commonly know as DEFRA rash they are now buying it in company colours,i.e. Blue. This is being used rather than carrying out the repairs needed, in some places its been there for well over 2 years and even been renewed after it has disintegrated with time.
I managed to catch the leading edge of the handrail as I exited Curdworth Tunnel, I had forgotten about the bid bump that just lines up with the handrail, looking at the brickwork so have many others and the bump will soon be smoothed out at this rate.
The Kingsley Pub still looks to be closed as it was last year when we were this way, it looks all ready to open again if required, it even has the lights on. 
In the first pound of the Minworth flight there is a cruiser sunk right under a bridge, I am sure that BW must be aware as its tied up with blue string to the same type of post that the orange/blue mesh is attached to. We carried on meeting a surprising number of boats until we turned left at Salford Junction to moor for the night at Cuckoo Wharf. Most of the wharf is now residential mooring but there is a small length at the end reserved for BW boats but may be used by visiting boats if it is still vacant at 1800 hrs, we arrived a 5 pm so we are hoping that no BW boats arrive in the next half hour.