Alrewas

Well the plan just changed, today we decided to go to Alweras for the night see https://canalplan.uk/journey/19491_cp the reason being we wanted to go out for dinner, we considered The Plum Pudding but its changed hands and no longer an Italian restaurant, so we are going somewhere in Alweras.
In view of the weather forecast we set off at 9-30 with next to no breeze and slightly cool, I even put a fleece on after an hour. We had a good run to Fradley where we wanted to fill with water but both taps were in use, however the boat at the front walked to do the swing bridge, didn’t do it and came back shouting he was almost finished and a couple of minutes later he was off. As we filled with water it started to rain, life was a bit chaotic at the junction with most boat coming or going towards Alrewas, add to that a bunch of canoes and paddle boards being launched by the top of the lock from the lock moorings. When we nosed out through the swing bridge there was one boat in the lock going down and one waiting with the canoes etc launching by his bows.  They all eventually went up the Coventry Canal and I waited for my turn at the locks. It was going to be a slow journey with boats seemingly taking for ever to come into or leave a lock. BY now it was raining much harder, as we were working down Keepers Lock the Volockie left us and went for his lunch, I think we met a boat at every lock but we still queued at each one . Most of these locks have water coming not only under the top gate but through the cills.

We chugged down passed all the long term moorings to Common Lock. The marina here now looks quite full with a very nice looking workshop at the end of the slipway.

We didn’t meet any more boats so its close the gate before you leave, half way to Bagnall lock we passed a semi moored boat, it pin at the front had pulled out of the bank, I was about to pull along side and re-pin it when I spotted someone onboard, a few blasts with the new horn I fitted while filling with water soon attracted the owners attention and he was able to sort it.  A little further on and we passed a field of corn with a bank of poppies flowering in it, they must have missed that with the weed killer.

A new sign has been erected at Bagnall lock to indicate the river flow, not sure if its yellow and improving or yellow and getting worse but likely to change.

There are two moorings between the lock and the winding hole, the first was vacant but on a bend the second had the boat we had been following moored there, so we winded and reversed further down under the bridge to find another couple of vacant 14 day moorings that will do us for the night.

Today’s journey

 

5½ miles, 5 locks in 4¼hours