Minworth Greaves Tuesday 15 July 2014

The moorings opposite Cadbury’s World are quite good if you don’t mind an early wake up call as the trains run every few minutes from 6 AM the good thing is that there don’t seem to be any night trains after midnight.

We set off at about twenty past eight this morning as we knew we had a good run ahead of us, unfortunately the boat at the far end of the moorings set off at eight and didn’t do more that one and a half miles an hour, sometimes a lot slower so we caught them up at Selly oak Junction when they stopped completely for a boat coming the other way.

CaRT contractors are relaying the tow path from Bourneville all the way to Edgbaston so it will be much better for the cyclists.

They finally pulled over to let me passed, but on the wrong side, the chap onboard jumped ashore with the front rope nearly knocking a cyclist off his bike.

Since we were last this way they have completed not only Selly Oak Aqueduct, last time we went round a diversion loop, but now it looks as if its been here for ever but also they have also built The Cube. Again last time we were this way it was a big hole in the ground. We met fellow bloggers just as we approached the roundabout at Old Turn Junction, I am never sure which side to go so I went to the right and down towards the Farmers Bridge flight of locks. Needless to say they were all against us, but with Diana working ahead we were soon on our way. This is what the flight looks like on the Waterway Routes program on my I pad. We are at lock 6 but the photo is not clear enough to see that. I find it an interesting flight of locks, one being this lock in an old tunnel with a stout fence along the towing path so the horses didn’t fall in, it makes it a bit awkward getting on and off the boat to work the lock unless you are hard back against the gate which the old working boats would have been. Again there is a lot of development going on alongside the canal. It was at this lock where we met a locky who told us there were two boats coming up and he had told the first one to wait in the next lock, he then proceeded to close the gate after we had left! so the last two locks were with us, but the second boat had closed up behind them so we still had to open that.

After seen these two boats that had left Minworth at 6-30 we were surprised to find the Aston flight against us. We worked our way down setting ahead, As we were going down in the second lock a CaRT employee coming up the flight shut the paddle down, sat there for a while before opening it again and then crossing to open the offside one as well. Why he shut it I don’t know but he did also open the top gate for me.

After the next lock we met a couple of boats coming up which helped but below lock 9 the pound was down and I had a job getting out of the lock grounding on what felt like loads of bricks so I would imagine a working boat would have problems with the pound on weir level.

One of the locks in this flight has a cantilevered bridge across the bottom of the lock, there is about a 6” gap at the towing path end where the tow rope could pass when boats were towed along by horses. I am surprised it has not been removed on Health and Safety grounds.

Just as we approached Salford Junction I spotted the bows of a flat coming in from the left so a blast on the horn was required, it was more material for tow path repairs as they are doing all the ones down this flight as well.

Turning right we were out of their way meeting several boats coming towards us. A fisherman said we were the twentieth to have passed him in half an hour, I didn’t ask how big the fish were he caught, but it was busy.

At Minworth Top lock we caught up with a queue of 3 boats waiting to go down the lock and one just below who had stopped for water. One bottom paddle was out of action making the lock very slow. Below the locks the bank stands very high above the road and over the years has been in danger of breaching, BW packed puddle clay along the edge and then erected this scaffolding to protect it, this looks bit of a permanent solution.

One of the bridges has quite an interesting collection of “things” under it arranged along the Offside.

We pushed on for a mile or so before mooring for the night against a hard edging at the back of an industrial estate at Minworth Greaves about quarter of a mile before the old Kingsbury Arms at Curdworth.

Today’s journey.

Bourneville Monday 14 July 2014

Last night we ate in The Boot pub and it was the best meal we have had out this month

We only heard one boat go by before we set off at 9 am which was a surprise as I was expecting boats leaving the rally this morning to come this way. The boats moored ahead of us had left which included “nb. Oakfield” 

This really is a pretty canal, this was the view from the front of our boat as we set off this morning in the sunshine.

The first two locks were against us, but as we cleared the first we spotted a boat coming down so that changed things round putting all the locks with us. We met boats quite regularly as we made our way up to Kings Norton Junction. Some of the residents are not to keen to have boats moored by their property but when they buy a house by the canal they don’t buy the towpath as well. 

There are three lift bridges along this canal, two of them are manually operated where you turn a handle on a hydraulic pump which jacks the bridge open, the first one was very hard work to lift. The second is also hydraulic but much better balanced, if anything it required more effort to lower it.

But the third is electric and its just a matter of pressing a button to stop the traffic and raise the bridge.

We stopped to fill with water by bridge 5 and while Diana was filling the tank I took the opportunity to delve down the weed hatch and remove some black polly and string from around the propeller shaft.

We pushed on to the end of the North Stratford canal through Brandwood tunnel where the tunnel light decided it wouldn’t light any longer so Diana stood in the bows with an LED torch, I couldn’t see with it, but boats coming the other way could see us, without it they wouldn’t know which way we were going. 

At Kings Norton Junction and turned right on the Worcester and Birmingham canal towards Birmingham. On the junction stands an old navigation authority house, these are quite common on junctions and are designed so that the occupants can see in all directions from the windows

We will be travelling through Birmingham tomorrow,  but now we needed to find a safe mooring for the night. A couple of miles from the junction is the Bourneville Chocolate factory and as they are open to the public they often get holiday makers on boats visiting. Holiday boats moored outside the factory became a magnet for the local thieves and vandals so British Waterways created a mooring on the opposite side of the canal and to access it on foot you require a British Waterways key that all boaters have. The moorings are just long enough for three average length Narrowboats and there were two here already with a bit of a gap between them, but we have just managed to squeeze on the end by lifting our back fender.

In Birmingham the Fire brigade still maintain the doors in the bridge parapets painted red so that they can hang a suction hose down into the canal for fire fighting water.

Overall its been a good run today, some 9 hours with just a short stop for water and Diana to buy some fresh fruit. It started with blue sky and sunshine but clouded over about lunch time looking like rain, but thankfully that never arrived.

Lapworth Sunday 13 July 2014

Things don’t always go to plan and sometimes you go forward half a mile and back four. Today was like that.

About 2-30 we walked back to the boat and decided to set off north. Just before we reached Harnser a hire boat came by with a young lad and a dog playing on the roof, I said to Diana I really don’t want to share locks with them, so we set to removing the bunting, we had just about finished when another hire boat came by so I had avoided that one. When we reached Knowle bottom lock there was another boat waiting to go up and the two hire boats in the full lock, waiting for the second to open, when they moved off we turned the lock and boat went in. The other boat had the same thoughts about them as we did so were pleased when a second boat arrived. As we looked up I could see that at the lock ahead which now looked full someone was winding the bottom paddle up with the boats still in the lock. By the time we could find out what was happening the paddle was closed again and the boats left.
We were soon to find out what was happening as once we were up Diana and the chap from the other boat went forward to turn the lock, They drew the paddles but water was coming in nearly as fast as it was going out. What had happened was that the top gate had been lifted out of the cup and was sitting at and angle.

I rang CaRT and they called back within minutes to say that someone would be out from Birmingham. Both the other boater and I decided we would go back down and use the North Stratford, so we winded in the pound and locked back down. By now there was a hire boat waiting to go up but they decided the would go to Stratford instead, so we all trooped back through the rally site to Kingswood junction, hence half a mile forward, turn round and four miles back. The pound between Knowle and Hatton has been quite low all weekend and we have spent most of the time listing, you can see from this weir how low it is.

I went into lock 20 first to find a family of swans at the top, mum and dad on the bank and four cygnets swimming around the top gate, so we could only use one paddle as no way was dad letting anyone near the other. Just as the lock filled both parents launched into the cut and they all swam round to lock 21.

Before we cleared lock 20 a boat had come up the South Stratford so they were now right ahead of us, as it turned out this didn’t make much difference as they were mob handed and worked ahead.

We went as far as lock 15 and then moored for the nigh about 6-30 so in three and a half hours we have gone fore miles backwards. Done one wide lock twice, up and down followed by 6 narrow lock once. Still the sun was shining and we have enough time in hand. If you look at the map you can see how far we went north before coming all the way down to the junction to do about another half mile north.

Black Buoy Cruising Club Fri 11 July 2014

We had planned to cruise here last night but then decided to stay at Kingswood Junction and walk to The Navigation at Lapworth for dinner. The place has gone up market a bit since we were last this way and offer a set price 2 or 3 course menu plus bar menu. The food was fine but some of the dishes were not as exciting as you would expect from the menu description. Two courses cost £16.95 and three £19.95

We set off this morning at 1020 with only about 4 miles to our destination. One of the first things I spotted was bit of a collectors item, it was a BWB no overnight mooring notice on the offside, I wonder if at one time there were day time moorings there.

Just passed The Navigation stands a cottage, this has always been derelict in the past when we have been this way, but is now looking quite smart.

As there were no other boats about we decided to top the water tank up by bridge 66, it only took a few minutes as we only replaced what we used yesterday and showers this morning, but we wont have an opportunity to get any more until after the weekend. On the underside of bridge 66 there is a notice stating that this is the boundary between Trent and Severn water. 

By Bakers Lane Bridge, No 68 we could see the first of the boats who where here for the rally our moorings were at the far end beyond Kings Arms Bridge No 70. The section opposite the club house was quite congested with the club boats moored on the offside and trading boats from the floating market on the towing path side.
When we reached our allotted mooring we found the space allocated to The Erewash Boat Club who we were with for the weekend was somewhat tight, 280 ft for 10 boats moored side by side and not one was under 55 ft long, so we continued another couple of boat lengths to the end of the allocated moorings and pulled in bank side there. Well almost bank side as we are on the bottom. Today’s journey

As we will not be moving over the weekend the next blog will be on Monday evening.

Kingswood Junction Thu 10 July 2014

Last night we were miles from a pub so it was dinner onboard. The trains proved a bit noisy as after about 10pm the goods trains thundered straight through, before that they waited to be passed by the passenger trains.

Setting off at our normal 10 am ish start we headed off towards Shrewley Tunnel. This proved to be a very wet tunnel even if it is only 433 yards long. The tunnel profile is quite a high brick arch with quite a bit of head room. It also has square side tunnels running off which I assume are for drainage to relieve water pressure on the roof. One can be seen just on the left of this picture.

We were soon back out in the sunshine, not far beyond the tunnel at Shrewley Common someone has been working on this pair of old boats for many, but progress is very slow.

Just before Rowington Hill bridge there is a brick shed on the off side. High on the wall there is a small opening with a pair of rollers mounted on the outside, I wonder if anyone has any idea what they were for?

The water point at Rowington has been changed to a stainless steel unit and is operation at long last, the first time I have ever seen it working. Further along we passed a CaRT maintenance boat and laying on the roof was a long handled scoop which is used to clean the silt from along the cill and behind lock gates. The local IWA branch have made a very good job of  restoring the finger sign at Kingswood Junction and it seems they had an official unveiling this week.We moored for lunch just beyond the junction on the 48 hr moorings, it seems that these mooring were donated to BW by Richard Bourke, as they are on the towing path I take it this means that he paid to have the rings installed.  Since we have been here the Waterways Chaplin has had a walk down the moorings and had a chat with us. This organisation does a lot of good helping boaters with their problems especially those who fall on hard times, they can be reached at workplace.ministry@stalbans.anglican.org

 

Hatton Wednesday 9 July 2014

Last night we ate in The Cape of Good Hope, very convenient as our front deck was about 3 yards from their front door. When we went in the place was heaving, no vacant tables, but a pair of boaters kindly invited us to share there table. When we ordered the food we were warned there would be about a 50 minute wait and they were spot on. The food was very good, even better than last time we visited and they had 6 beers on the pumps, the only down side was football on the telly and when it started they turned the sound up even though no one in the back room was watching, so after finishing our meal we went back to the boat. By now the area outside the pub was full of cyclists drinking. By 11pm it was all quite and we crept off to bed.

This morning there were several boats going down the locks and just after 10 am. we moved across the cut to top up with water. A lady wondered round and told me she follows my blog so I hope she had a pleasant run back up to Stockton. Nearly all the boats that had been moored here last night had left so it looked as if we would be doing Hatton alone, but as we left the water point a hire boat was coming up the locks and they caught us up at Hatton bottom lock so were able to share. They had 3 strong fit men onboard so with Diana working ahead we made good progress. It turned out they were carers for a disabled gentleman they had onboard. We only encountered one obstacle on the flight and that was this barge that had been moored about 60 foot from the lock mouth.

There is a nice bit of graffiti on the bridge above the lock, if graffiti can ever be nice. Just after this we started to meet boats coming down which eased thing a bit. CaRT are repairing the offside of one of the lock and here we encounter the volunteer locky who was on lock 10 at Napton when we came down. We asked how he got on with the butty going up and it turned out it was stuck in lock 9 for about 2 hours with the owner getting quite abusive to people with very strong language.  It seemed that he had only just bought the old butty and was told it was only 6’9” wide. He also got stuck in several other locks and friends of ours who were following took 5 hours to do the Napton flight.

Once we reached the Hatton Workshops the locks were once again against us but it didn’t cause a hold up working ahead. We said goodbye to our new friends at the top lock and sent them on their way, they have to be back at Alverchurch by Friday morning, some 18 miles and 20 locks in a day and a half so they should do it OK. We continued on for about a mile and moored for the rest of the day and night just below Hatton Station in the sun at 2pm.

Today’s Journey

Cape of Good Hope Tue 8 July 2014

Last night after the rain finally stopped we went for a wander round the village, it was quite pleasant after the thunder.

This morning it was away at our normal 10 am,  as we approached the Bascote stair case we could see a boat leaving the bottom chamber so Diana went down and asked them to wait at the next lock for us, she needn’t have bothered as by the time they had set the look and got a gate open we were there. This time it was a Danish couple we would be sharing with who had never been on a Narrowboat before, but we were soon working well and making good progress.

I was quite surprised to see this boat still afloat, I photographed it about 3 years ago and it wasn’t the only one as we passed this one near Radford Semele

Fosse Middle Lock has a nice new sani station with a water point a bit further down the bank. The old one was quite a state and if I remember correctly the water point was adjacent.

We stopped for a bit of lunch opposite Radford Semele Church, its the first time I have seen it with the scaffolding and plastic covering removed. I couldn’t see it very well due to the trees and farm buildings but it looks as if they have taken the opportunity to modernise it.

Some how we managed to pass Tesco without stopping but one of the boats moored there we had seen down the K&A.

We passed one family of Cygnets, their necks seem to go on for ever, a still photo doesn't do it justice.

Arriving at cape locks we met a boat so the bottom lock was with us and the bottom gates slightly open. Diana went up and was told by the Cider drinking chap on the balance beam that she needed to fill the lock first. She explained we were coming up and said he could remain on the gate as she would open the other side, but he wandered off anyway. Just below Cape locks is a new CaRT water point, I photographed it and made comment because its the only one I have ever seen that still had its padlocks and was actually locked up.

At the top of the locks we decided to call it a day at 4-30 outside the Cape of Good Hope, as we are on their moorings I suppose I will have to test the beer.

Once moored I fitted a relay to energise the 24 volt alternator, wired it all up, dropped a nut in the bilge which involved stripping the battery box to retrieve it only to find it didn’t work. Checked the connections and then got the meter out. An unused relay with an open circuit coil, so I nicked the one from the tunnel light which worked OK.

Today’s Journey

Long Ichington Monday 7 July 2014

We actually travelled to the boat on Friday so that we could drive to the Stratford on Avon river festival on the Saturday.

Friday evening we went to The Bridge at Napton, this has just reopened under new management, they had only had the kitchen open a week and still don’t have credit card facilities. I must say its well worth a visit with good food of sensible portion size and a good pint of beer. They had Doom Bar on when we went and it was a good pint. WE wish them well for the future.

Saturday evening after returning from Stratford the evening cleared out so we had a BBQ on the towing path.

Sunday saw us drive down to see my son and grand sons for the afternoon, returning in very heavy showers and brilliant rainbows, at times double and often a full ark, thankfully as we returned to the mooring the rain stopped so we didn’t get a soaking.

Monday morning at 10 am we were away. For those of you that reads Sue’s Blog as she travels on “Retired with No Problem” will have seen her use of Waterway Routes on her I Phone in a smart little wooden holder. Well, not to be outdone here is my Waterway Routes on my I Pad in its ex cereal and milk carton sun shade.

There was a steady stream of boats coming up which we mostly met in just the right places. There were several mother and calf Buffalo in the fields beside the canal they are quite well known by boaters in this area.

Lock 10 on the Napton flight is causing a problem and at busy times bit of a hold up, the bottom offside wall has collapsed and as a temporary fix CaRT have fitted a steel goal post to hold the wall up and a covering of the offside bank to stop erosion.  Also to stop erosion the lock bottom gate is being operated by a CaRT volunteer and only the offside paddle is in use. Due to the boats have moored in the pound the only passing place is just at the mouth of lock 9 for one boat.OK for us, but just below lock 9 we met a motor and butty, so that could lead to a little head scratching and waiting.

At Napton bottom lock we bumped into the owners of nb. Avalon who we spent a couple of days with on the K&A, they were heading home from the Llangollen Canal.

We continued on to Napton Junction where I had to wait while 3 boats came out, they would be the last boats we would meet today. Stopped for water at the top of the locks and decided to have lunch, needless to say half way through a boat came to use the water point, so we slipped over into the lock ready to go down and continued eating, a few minutes later a boat returning to Calcutt marina came in beside us, so it was off down the locks with them.

Passing Stockton Marina I noticed this car transporter standing in the yard, with an interesting load onboard. Approaching the top of Stockton I could see someone at the locks and the top gate open, there was also a boat making ready to leave the long term mooring so I thought he was sharing with whoever set the lock, but he invited me to pass, it turned out it was his crew who had set the lock and he had waited that far back. There were 3 Norwegians on the boat, a gent steering a young chap and a girl on a 65 ft boat. talking to them it turned out the rest of the group, 6 of them were coming by train and were going to meet them this evening at Leamington, it was now 1445 hr and they had a good 6 hours to go with 20 locks and 7 miles.
We were working quite well until the Blue Lias came along and they decided to stop for a late lunch, so we carried on alone, we were half way down Shop Lock when they pushed  off again, so we waited at the next lock, but by then they had been joined by another boat, so again we carried on alone until we moored just passed The Two Boats pub on the concrete edging. No soon had we stopped and first the traffic started with an endless stream coming up which was soon followed by rain and thunder with even more boats passing through. So no traffic between 12 o’clock and 4-30 when it turned into the M25 with similar speeds, some hardly moving and some in a hurry to get somewhere.

Today’s journey

Home Moorings Sunday 29 June 2014

OK, first some boring updates which I need for my own records.

You will recall on our last trip we were suffering from a screaming 24 volt domestic alternator. I had a spare onboard but the fixings were slightly different so a few modifications were required, so to this end I took the old one home with me and had some bushes made up. We returned to the boat just for the day on the following Thursday to do a dummy fitting, all was OK even the same belt fitted even though the new alternator has a smaller pulley. What didn’t fit, even though I changed its orientation was the adjusting arm, so the first job was to swap the front end plate to its original position. I then made a template of an additional adjustment arm and we headed  back off home to get the necessary bits fabricated.

With a selection of bolts, nuts and washers plus the new bracket we headed back to the boat on Friday 27 June, thankfully the new bits fitted, so mechanically the new alternator was working. One of the advantages of the old one was that it was self exciting so did not require a switched feed to the alternator to make it work, this is often referred to as the ignition lamp which is switch via the “ignition” switch. The new one requires this supply to start it generating. Another slight problem was the old alternator pulley sat slightly further aft than the new one, but this was achieved by a couple of washers on the main front mounting bolt.

So apart from requiring me to hold one lead on the Ind. terminal and the other on the B+ terminal for a few seconds to start it charging once the engine is turning, we are up and running.

On the Saturday we visited the Braunston Historic Boat rally by car. I didn’t take any photos as the weather was atrocious with torrential rain, we returned in the evening to sleep on Harnser before heading home again on the Sunday.