Sunday 28 Sep
Well the weather forecast was right and we had the best part of 9mm of rain overnight, but what a lovely morning was waiting for us.
It was less than an hour back to our moorings and a trip round the marina to reach our slot saying hello to a few of the moorers on the way.
It didn’t take as long to pack away, we had only been onboard for 4 nights.
Today’s Journey
1¾ miles with no locks in ¾ hour
Sat 27 Sep.
We were away at 1030am after a very quiet night, the back pumps were still running when we left. The farmer has made a very neat job of cutting the hedge between his field and the towpath.
A little further on at the off side long term moorings they were hard at work dredging as the moorers were having great difficulty both leaving and getting back to their moorings.
We were soon at Wigrams Turn and turning left towards Braunston Junction, again we would meet about half a dozen boats, although they are stuck on about 16 miles of canal some are moving around quite a bit. Today the weather felt much colder but thankfully the wind was very light. Due to the forecast for overnight rain we decided to go into Dunchurch Pools marina this afternoon to fill with diesel rather than tomorrow morning. Thankfully Dunchurch Pools is one of the cheapest places for diesel I know. By now the clouds were gathering,
so once we had filled up and paid our dues we left the marina, turned left and stopped on the first decent piece of mooring we came to.
Today’s journey
9 miles with no locks in 3½ hours
Fri 26 Sep
Set to working on the toilet again and fitted the seal I removed last time it leaked and guess what, perfect seal and no leaking away.
We were off by 1015 and the painters were hard at work on the bridge. Pity the cyclist didn’t read the notice back at Butchers bridge.
We stopped at the Stop House to fill with water but the flow was so slow we never got round to putting the hose in the tank before we gave up and decided to go else where. We were also told that the refuse facilities there are now closed, even though there are still bins there. The next waterpoint was in use so we carried to the one on the N Oxford just beyond Midland Chandlers,. At the end of the service moorings is a level indicator and it was indicating that the level was now only down 100mm. last time we were this way it was 200mm.
Once full we reversed back past the junction and then headed off to Wigrams Turn where we turned right to moor just above the closed lock flight.
We took a walk around the very empty reservoir and could see that the roots of the Bulrushes were well above the now low water level, so who knows if they will survive.
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When we returned to the boat the back pump around the locks had just started running bringing water up from below the three locks and was still running when we left at ten the next morning.
Todays Journey
9 miles with no locks in 3½ hours
Thur 25 Sep
Late start in bright sun but quite chilly, not getting away until 11am. We managed to reunite the sheep with its rightful owner as we tiptoes through Barby Mooring along the straight. As we made our way we were to meet 7 other boats including a CRT work boat. At Braunston Turn we went left into the village but unlike last time we had no plans to visit the Boat House pub we had to look for a towpath mooring and none were visible as we made our way down to Branston Marina entrance to wind, however the bridge across the entrance to the canal is closed but there is still room for a 57 foot boat to turn with ease.
I spotted a friends boat moored up by Butchers Bridge so I considered mooring along side him and reversed up, but as I approached the bridge I could see the “disabled” moorings the far side of the bridge were free so pulled in there. As I would not be leaving Harnser if by chance a disabled person required the mooring I could move.
I spent the afternoon stripping the toilet pan to fit a new trap seal I had bought on eBay, needles to say it didn’t fit, so I cleaned everything and refitted the old seal only for it to leak worse than before.
Todays Journey
6 miles with no locks in 2¼ hours
Wed 24 Sep
Well guess who left his laptop at home, so the trip report is running 5 days late.
We arrived at the boat around lunch time and were away at quarter past two leaving the marina and turning right. As we passed Barby Moorings I rescued a sheep who spent the night on our roof.
We could only go as far as the winding hole just beyond bridge 74, shortly before the bridge was a lone Calcutt hire boat, moored for the night. Hillmorton locks are still closed so this was the last place we could turn. Looking back at bridge 74 it was good to see that CRT had seen fit to place this sign.
We made our way back to bridge 75 to moor for the night. Bridge 75 is looking quite poorly with large cracks in a the spandrel walls.
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Diana went for a walk along the towpath and came back with half a kilo of sloes for the sloe gin. It’s been a bumper year for them this year but lots look quite small.
Todays Journey
1¾ miles with no locks in 1 hour
Last night we walked up to The Kings Head for dinner and the food was very good, not what I expected from a pub and the portion size was not large but adequate. Walking back we could see the road leading down to bridge 109 still had water right across it so we walked down to 110 .
This morning we set off just after ten on a still sunny morning but it wasn’t long before a breeze picked up taking the edge of the heat. Looking up at the sky this cloud had a rainbow edge to it.
Its not often you see one like this around these parts, I was glad it was moored up rather than coming towards me.
The canal was very quiet until we reached bridge 103 where we caught up with two Napton Narrowboats both travelling at tick over most of the time, some times they were out of gear. We followed them to bridge 100 where we stopped to pick Blackberries and then we stopped again at Braunston to top up with water, this was the level gauge by the waterpoint.
The two hire boats had gone up the North Oxford but had both thankfully moored up. Yes they knew I had caught them up earlier as the back one looked round once and saw me coming, didn’t look again.
By now there were some very dark clouds about and we had a couple of showers where I had to get the brolly out, but they didn’t last many minutes, the last one, which was the heaviest one we were in started just after I entered the marina so it was a trip round holding the brolly up again.
We now have two lengths of wood suspended from the boat roof to prevent us coming up under the pontoon when the water level finally returns.
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Todays Journey
10½ miles with no locks in 4½ hour
Last night we ate at the Boat House as Diana had a 40% off mains voucher so I was able to use their Wi-Fi while sat on the boat.
This morning we were away about 10 am. down to Braunston Marina to wind and then head to Napton, Quite a few boats moving about including hire boats, although Napton Narrowboats look to have most of theirs in at the moment. The level has improved since we were last out and is down between 6 and 8” I would say looking at the level of the water below the weir at Shuckburgh.
At Napton Junction we carried straight on towards Napton, but before we reached Napton Narrowboats it started raining, a good excuse to pull over for lunch and do a couple of outstanding jobs on the boat. Once it had cleared up we set off again planning to eat at the Folly. As we approached the winding hole below the Folly there was nowhere to moor and a party of moorers told us it was packed out all the way to the pub, so the only thing for it was to wind and head back towards Napton Narrowboats, mooring for the night between bridges 109 and 110.
Todays Journey
9 miles with no locks in 3¾ hours
We spent the weekend in Chester, mainly to visit the model railway in Chester Cathedral and of course the Cathedral its self plus the town again.
On the way home we decided to come to Harnser for a couple of days. We were just untying to leave when one of the moorers on the other side of the pontoon said that the Marina were putting the stop planks in tomorrow, so we tied up again. I was about to ring the boss when she walked passed. No problem, if they did need to put the planks in, which hopefully they wont then every one will know a few days before and lets face it, we will always be within a day of the marina, so half three we shoved off with a good southerly blowing me sideways as I slid out backwards, We turned left and soon met a hire boat. As we don’t have fresh food onboard we headed to Branston for the night and luckily fitted in right in front of the Mill House, which of course means I can use their internet + have a quicky .
Today’s Journey
4¾ miles with no locks in 2 hours
It was a lovely evening last night, pity it wasn’t a full moon as it was quite red. not the best photo of it.
Overnight was not the best nights sleep we have had with a cow calling on and off all night, I went out on deck at 5am expecting to see an animal in the cut, but it was calling from the field behind the tow path. When we got up this morning it was all quiet with no sign of any cows.
We were away at 10am heading for Braunston to pick up a new water pump strainer and also fill with water. When we arrived there were two hire boats on the water points but no sign of a hose. we stopped outside Midland Chandlers and got the bits I needed, then Diana walked round for a word with the hire boats who were on their way as we reversed back to the water points to fill up. That sorted it was a trip round the triangle to head back up the Oxford. It was good to see Sandbach without her makeup on.
We headed back north and called in at Dunchurch Pools Marina to top up with diesel as they are the cheapest in the area at 96p/lt domestic.
Some years ago WRG repaired this bridge for CRT, I think it was a sort of try out as to where WRG as a charity could go maintenance for CRT also a charity. Today the brickwork has a crack right through it as the bridge continues to move.
Back at our marina I reversed in to call at the pump-out station before returning to our berth. One of the things that is worrying me is that with the low water levels we don’t actually slide under the pontoon. I also needed to do an oil and filter change as well as fitting the new strainer and adjusting the pressure switch to control the water pump pressure.
Today’s Journey
7 miles with no locks in 4 hours
A nice quiet night last night and we were away a little before ten this morning. Very few boats moored in Rugby when we got there but we had met a few boats, so could have been them.
We arrived at Hillmorton earlier than I expected and there were only three boats waiting below the locks, 2 had just entered to go up and 2 down so it was a bit chaotic just below the lock mouth. Us and the boat behind us waited at the water point for things to clear out, only moving up as the last 2 boats were going into the locks. There was a Volockie on each of the tree pairs of locks all in radio contact so things were moving quite swiftly. The back pumps up the flight were still running at full capacity and I would estimate the level of the Braunston pound to be slightly down on last week, but only marginally.
 Last weeks photo showing the backpump level |  This weeks photo showing the backpump level |
We had hoped to moor just before bridge 75 where there is a short length of piling, but there was already a boat there. This is probably the quietest spot until you get the other side of Braunston, so we had to continue south. We passed our marina, we were now in the middle of a convoy or 6 boats having caught up with a very slow hire boat. We pulled in at the first reasonable bit of bank between bridges 78 and 79, but as we ate dinner we felt the traffic on the motorway a bit noisy, so after lunch moved on for about mile and three quarters to the north edge of Willoughby and moored up there in the silt.
Today’s Journey
8¾ Miles with 3 locks in 4 hours
Last night we we came home from Bella Italia I could hear a helicopter circling overhead so went out for a look, what impressed me more was not the helicopter but a bat zooming around above the boat in the well light Coventry Basin.
This morning we were a bit late getting up before heading to Playwrights for breakfast followed by a trip to the Latvian shop for biscuits, the cakes were bought yesterday from the Portuguese shop.
We passed this building, last time we were this way a chap was building up the eves, I do wonder if they had planning consent.
A little further along CRT were re-piling the collapsing towpath edging in the rain, did I mention it started raining as soon as we set off.
As we approached Hawkesbury Junction we passed these wooden seat with carved end.
At the junction the boaters services are now closed because the building is unsafe, so no toilets, showers or elsan disposal.
The waste disposal is still available in a separate compound, it did have a gate on it but someone didn’t like that, it also has bins for different uses, but people like to throw stuff in the first bin they come to.
We turned onto the N Oxford canal and the iPad said light rain will stop in 20 minutes, it didn’t say it would turn into a downpour, however looking slightly behind me was a bright blue sky, but at the end of the day we survived storm Floris.
We arrived at Newbold and there was not a space big enough for us to be seen, so I requested one of the boats to move to the end of the space they were occupying to make room for us, thankfully they were fine about the idea. This leaves us about 2 hours to do in the morning to get to the locks which are on restricted opening hours, so to arrive just before mid day is the plan.
Today’s Journey 
The water levels on this section of the Coventry canal and also the Ashby canal are within an inch of the spill weir level so that’s good.
We were away at 10 on the dot, so we didn’t need to follow anyone for miles at two and a half miles an hour. Our mooring yesterday evening was nice and sunny and the hedge low enough for sun this morning, however we hadn’t been going long and the brolly was out again for a short time.
There were loads of volunteers working around Hawkesbury Junction, well not quite try, some were working but most taking a coffee break. The Greyhound looked nice as we passed.
There are only a couple of boats in Exhall Basin and its completely covered with waterlilies now, so I doubt they ever come out.
The canal water was quite green in colour, getting darker as we approached the terminus. There was a lot less floating debris than last time we visited so I guess the Coventry Canal Society must have been down with Panther gathering it up.
Last time we were this way these trees had just been cut back hard, the are shooting well now.
We didn’t meet any boats on our way along the arm and wondered if the basin would be full, but when we arrived there were only 3 boats here all in the South and which meant we could moor in our favourite spot at the mouth of the North arm, since we have been her 2 more boats have arrived and one is moored directly opposite on the towpath side.
This is the view from the rear doors.
Today’s Journey
9¼ miles with no locks in 3¼ hours.
