Stafford Boat Club to IWA National

Wednesday

After yesterdays queues we decided to leave at 8 am. this morning and I didn't hear any boats pass before we set off. We woke to the sound of rain and it carried on like that for most of the day. We saw very little on the move until we caught up with a Canaltime boat heading back to Sawley and we shared with them all the way to Shardlow where I stopped to visit Millar Marin to buy some 10 w 2D fluorescent tubes without success.  Just above the flood lock I spotted not only a garden railway but also Laplander waiting for Sean's return. In Sawley basin we pulled over and set the anchor out on the deck ready for river use, we then locked down through Sawley Lock on to the River Trent. The level was well down with very little flow, so we had no trouble at all turning sharp left into the Erewash canal just on 2-30 pm. At the top of the lock I had a word with Jan Deuchar before we continued up stream. The water was very clear and the level right up to the top of the bottom gates. Most of the locks were with us and we met more boats here than we did this morning on the T&M. The anti vandal locks on the top gate paddles are bit of a pain as they have to be unscrewed and screwed up again unlike the BCN which are just a 90 deg. twist. I found it strange that they only put them on the top gates, a boat like us going up, leaving all locks full, would make it easy for anyone wanting to drain the pounds. We carried on as far as the pound above Hallam Fields Lock were we moored for the night by the sports ground at 6-30 pm. just as the rain stopped.

You will find our latest position at
http://tinyurl.com/Harnser-s-route