This Blog will be the travel log of Narrowboat Harnser as we cruise the system. We are not continuous cruisers but just spend as much time as we can on the boat.
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A very short run today, only 15 minutes and a third of a mile. We had a boat go passed at about 6-30 well before we were up. We were away well before 10 am with a sunny chug to the marina, we drive in, wind and the reverse back down to out slot, its probably the first time I have done it with no wind and here the trip ended, just pack up, load the car and go.
We spent 24 nights onboard, travelled almost 170 miles, did 147 locks all in 80 hours. That is almost exactly 4 lock miles per hour.
We had two great meals last night in the Dog and Doublet from Peters Wok Kitchen beef for me and Duck for Diana. This morning we were away before 10 with a stow away on the pigeon box, maybe this is where the name comes from. It stayed put as we went into the lock and also while we dropped down, but flew off as I moved forward.
A boat had gone down earlier but we met one at the Bodymoor Heath services. An interesting notice about CRT’s recycling policy.
Down at the bottom lock we had a family of Gongoozles keeping an eye on operations.
We backed into Fazeley Mill Marina to top up with diesel before heading to the Coventry Canal. A boat had just come through Fazeley Junction and there was another not far behind so Diana said “at least the locks will be with us”. When we arrived at Glascote bottom there were boats in both locks going up and two waiting, by the time we went up there were another two behind us. Not the speediest of transits, especially as the boat waiting behind us turned the lock and came up before the boat we were waiting for coming down had reached the lock. Just above the locks we passed this boat moored up. That is some paint job.
We were in two minds whether to drive home this afternoon or tomorrow morning, in the end we settled for tomorrow so we have moored ½ Kilometre short of the marina for the night.
We did consider eating in The Boat last night but we wanted to watch the Olympic opening ceremony on TV, we did nip in for a bint but they didn’t have anything on the pumps, so we nipped out again. May as well open a bottle on the boat. Opposite where we moored is one of those canoe catamaran things that you normally see full of youngsters, its been moored there for some while and the local ducks look to have taken a liken to it.
This morning we set off at 10, before the hire boat moored ahead of us who arrived yesterday evening. Curdworth Tunnel is completely full of cobwebs, I wouldn’t want to be walking along the tow path through there.
We arrived at Curdworth top lock to find it full a good result, we even met a boat a short way before lock two and then an other further down at 5 so all locks were with us and most were full. Down in the area of lock 5 HS2 is plodding on as the bridge over the motorway is creeping towards the canal, at what point does it become a viaduct ?
By now the hire boat we had been moored ahead of last night was in view, but they were never waiting for the lock we were in of even the pound above. The last lock of the day for us was lock 8 which now supports one of CRTs famous temporary balance beams, at least it keeps the lock open until a new one can be made.
We moored for the night on the end of the row of boats by the Dog in a Doublet pub and a short time later the hire boat moored behind us. Since lunch both the hire boat and the boat ahead have moved on and we look like the git gap kings in the middle of a long space, but there is room for boats both side of us.
We hadn’t noticed the road being so noisy in the past, so not the best nights sleep. This morning as expected CRT came and lifted a paddle each end of the top lock. Around half nine I heard the paddles rattling so guessed they had finish and just after ten got ready to set off, only to find all four paddles on the lock fully open. A few minutes later two CRT chaps worked their way up the flight closing paddles, apparently the long pound at the bottom had been very low. The good new, all the locks would be full or near enough full. On the way down we passed a CRT litter bin that looks as if its being used for slightly more than litter with a black bag of something on top. Down at lock 10 they are installing another new illuminated advertising board, I am sorry, these things don’t do it for me.
With the water levels in the pounds now so high the water was overtopping the paddles at lock ten and entering the locks while we were trying to empty them, giving us problems opening the bottom gates.
Further down we passed the World Junior Ultimate Frisbee Championships taking place at the Birmingham City University sports complex. I didn’t even know it was a spot, I thought it was just something you chucked about with your mates.Down at the bottom of the flight we encountered a slight problem, at Lock 12 I got a jacked round the prop as I entered the lock, it wasn’t helped by being entwined with brambles then at the bottom lock the top gate wouldn’t close, the reason a car tyre, This is the third tyre I have had in a gat at this lock, the one in the bottom gate I had to call CRT out for as I couldn’t reach it, but I have removed both the top two with a short shaft. Once the gate was shut it leaked like an absolute sieve, its the worst we have encountered this trip.
Between the last two locks a team of volunteers were working hard trying to clean the place up a bit, weeding and cutting back the jungle.
From here we headed down under Spaghetti Junction where we were making better progress than some of the HGVs above.
In the distance under the bridges you may just be able to see a toll island, there was a fisherman sat at the very far end, I had to shout to him to lift his keepnet out or it would get squashed. He was proudly showing off the large red clawed crayfish he had caught. On the offside there is another large showing of giant Hog weed. Lets hope its been treated with weed killer.
Our original plan was to revers up to Star City for the night but a change of plan had us continuing on the B&F with a plan to moor outside The Boat at Minworth. Much to our surprise we met two boats between Salford Junction and Minworth locks, especially as one was under a bridge on a bend. The house on the off side that has had a bus stop sign among other things canal side now has an ex GPO post box.
We moored a short way before The Boat for two reasons, there was a fisherman set up near one end of the moorings and two the rings are right adjacent to the bridge the new Kingsbury Road.
This morning we set off just after ten and it happened again, I was just about to release the stern rope and a boat came up behind us. This time I pushed off in front of them as Dian had just set the top lock ready for me. They in turn moored in the spot we vacated and came and closed up for us fully appreciating the situation. This is the first time I have been through Rushall locks when all the paddles have been operable on the top lock. Down below the lock we passed the boat moored in the short pound just above lock 2. I think they would have been much more comfortable moored below the lock in the long pound as you can see where they have been listing badly as the pound dropped.
The Rushall canal is just on 3 miles long and unlike the Daw End Branch 2¾ miles are ear enough dead straight just bending at the end.
We had a little help from two small children out with grandma, they were over the moon to open the near side bottom gates alone. The lock cottage down by lock 3 is looking very smart.
I assume its CRT via its canal volunteers have been planting fruit trees in places down the flight, so far they look to be surviving well, lets hope they get looked after, not just planted and forgotten.
Further down, lock 6 is on the move, CRT are aware and have marked measurements on the crack to monitor the movement but I can’t see it being a weekend job to fix.
And so to the end of the canal at Rushall Junction, all the locks had been against us but everything worked well apart from two handcuff locks we couldn’t release. At the junction we passed under Rushall Junction Bridge to join the Thame Valley canal, who ever painted the bridge, I don’t think it was CRT, only painted the bits visible from the Thame Valley Canal, the rest is black.
The Thame Valley is quite a wide canal and in places the bridges are quite high like Scott Bridge and Chimney Bridge.
In less than an hour we would be at our mooring for the night at the top of Perry Barr locks, it looks like we are moored on the lock moorings but they are actually official 24 hour moorings, I don’t expect there will be a rush waiting to go down the locks before we leave in the morning. One thing of interest, we passed this sign at Perry Aqueduct. In the past smoke control laws have never applied to boats, strange I know, but now that’s changed.
Last night we are in The Finger Post, they were rushed off their feet and warned us it would be 30 minutes before our order went to the kitchen, actually it was a bit less. The Beef Rendang Curry was well worth the wait. This morning a boat came by before we were ready to leave and also the two chaps came back to try to get their boat going that broke down yesterday. A few spots of rain as we set off at 1030 heading towards Brownhills and Catshill Junction but they didn’t come to anything, so we had a dry but often cloudy run. For some time now the visitor moorings have been in need of some attention as the edge appeared to be caving into the canal, it looks as if its about to happen.
Between here and Catshill Junction is the first bit of floating weed we have come across, but it wasn’t thick enough to cause problems.
At Catshill Junction we turned down the Daw End Branch, this proved slower going than the Wyrley & Essington where I was surprised by the lack of weed for mid summer. Just beyond the junction is one of CRT’s metal stop plank houses, there are a few on the BCN, this one looks well overgrown with weeds.
By Walsall road bridge there is a metal silhouette of a fisherman, Many times I have tried to photograph this and failed because of the light, this is my best yet.
Its good to see that this Mural has not been defaced yet. Its been here a couple of year now I think.
Aldridge Marina is still as empty as ever with only one boat on the moorings, maybe he is the owner.
Mind you the signage doesn’t really look inviting and as you can see from the photo there are plenty of them.
The canal got more and more silty as we went along, there is a stream coming in on the off side and I think it dumps loads of silt in the cut, it was just past here that I had to do a weed hatch visit, one of the things I found was a 2Mt steel tape measure, thankfully that hadn’t wrapped round as was just trailing. We cast a couple of CRT contractors busily cutting the towpath grass, one with a strimmer and the other following with a mower. Not long after this we arrived at Longwood boat club at the junction with the Rushall Canal where we have moored for the night. We hadn’t been tied up long when it started to rain. Looking down the flight I can see a boat moored in the first pound, he is probably sitting on the bottom.
Last night there were some spectacular fireworks being set off straight across from where we were moored. Going out on deck to watch just as they were ending, before we came in we were surrounded by bats, I cant remember last time I saw so many. Lots of rain overnight and this morning so no rush to set of so it was quite a surprise to see bright sunshine when we got up. We set off back to the junction and turned right, the bridge just prior to the junction I thought quite interesting with its steel construction.
We encountered a few patches of floating Penny Wort along here, I had seen a few straggly bits an Sneyd Junction but this was much thicker.
We passed another gang resurfacing the towpath, this looks a complete waste of money as they are hot tar spraying and applying granite chippings onto a perfectly good ashfelt path. Its not like its carrying HGVs. As we headed to Pelsall Common we lose the beads of water lilies on each side of the channel for reeds and also more underwater blanket weed.
Once you pass under Pelsall Works bridge the canal changes again.
Now it a straight wide open waterway with quite hard edging, in some places its very shallow by the edge so you have to chose your mooring spots carefully.
To our left, right in the photo above as I was looking back is the Cannock Extension running off dead straight as far as the eye can see. unfortunately it was chopped off by the A5 road several years back.
We only went another couple of hundred yards before mooring for the night just before The Finger Post pub where we intend to eat tonight. I think it was our first BCN explorer cruise when we last went in.If anyone is interested in exploring the BCN but are a bit unsure about things the explorer cruises are a good way to start.
Last night was a full moon and was visible just before we went to bed even with all the street lighting, not so good on a photo. The moon is just to the right of the second street light to the right of the sign. No you cant even see it.
The same view this morning at 10 am just before we left with a much more overcast sky.
As planed we pulled Harnser out of the arm backwards into clear water before engaging gear and it worked well. We only had one trip down the weed hatch, I didn’t bother tying up, just let her drift about. That was the same time that the only other boat we saw all day came along. The cause of the problem was I lump of cushion foam, not on the actual prop but against the rudder so how it effected thrust so much I don’t know. The canal was no where near as weedy as I expected, lots of lilies but a clear channel down the middle.
We chugged merrily on in the sunshine that came out more and more. I failed to make Sneyd Junction in one, left it too late and the bows just caught the mud. about a mile after this they are resurfacing the tow path with hot tar and chippings. I don’t think its
CRT as there was just a small notice by the bridge saying pedestrians use other path, I’m not sure where the other path is? We decided to moor just above Walsall Top Lock as there is rather a nice 2 day mooring. As we chugged down from Birchills Junction we noticed that there is now a new development on the right hand side, they were working on this last time we were this way.
Down at the locks there was already a boat on the moorings so we had to wind and come back up to the junction. Winding wasn’t easy as the canal is quite silted and getting to 90° across the canal was easy but pushing all the way round took more effort. On the way back we noted another development on the off side.
There are some mooring rings just before the aqueduct where we have moored before, but its even moor silted now but we got close enough to step ashore at the bows.
