Stourport

An early start this morning, we were away by 7-25 am as Bevere is only open at certain times as the lock keeper works there and Holts Lock, so if we weren't at the lock tween 8 & 9am we would have to wait until 11am for a locking. We passed the entrance to the Birmingham and Worcester canal with its sign post.It wasn’t a bad morning, quite warm and it was about an hours run, so nicely timed. Firstly it started to drizzle then passing the Race Course,  a loud rattle from the engine like something flailing around inside it had me diving below to check it out, engine down to tick over, swing round in the river and hope to get to the canal and off the river with Diana steering. A good look round with a torch and thankfully the problem was soon identified, the domestic alternator belt had come lose and was slapping against a copper cooling pipe, a quick flick with the screwdriver and the belt was off out of harms way. Winded in the river again and put the power on to make up lost time and catch the Canaltime boat that was now well in front of us. Thankfully we made it, passed them and were first to the lock they were just on a slow cruise.This was our going back and forth.

Once we were both up the lock we headed for Holts Lock again about an hours run, when we arrived the gates were open and a hire boat was just going in, so we slid in beside them and the poor Canaltime had to lock up afterwards. Today we have seen a few Kingfishers and Egrets, the Kingfishers wouldn’t sit still long enough. A good indication of river levels.

A much longer run up to Lincomb Lock, we overtook the hire boat shortly after leaving the lock when he asked me if we were restricted to Canal speed on the river, I told him he could go a bit faster. Came up to Lincomb lock and got the red flashing light for a long time, turned out there was a boat ahead who had just going up. The hire boat decided to fill with water below the lock so we were on our own, but not for long as we soon caught up with the boat ahead going very slowly. What do I do follow him at well under 3mph or overtake and steal the lock, I decided to go by, as we got level he called out, could we share the wide locks, to the best of my knowledge that have to be booked and only available for wide beam, so he said go ahead and we will follow. I did back set both the staircase locks into the basin for him. We stopped in the basin fo fill with water which worked well as when we were ready to set off a boat had just come down from the canal and when we got up another was waiting to come down, that saved a bit of work. Once back on the Staffs and Worcestershire canal we pulled into the first mooring spot for the night.
After lunch I set to putting the alternator belt back on and rearranging the tensioning system a bit, its rather a bodge up to be honest.

Today’s Journey

14 miles, 8 lock in 5¼ hours