Coventry Basin

A much calmer day today, last nights wind and rain just a memory. We stopped to fill up with water by the Ansty Club, its quite a good tap, flow wise and as there are three live aboard boats it gets regularly used. Just beyond the M69 bridge on the offside is a farm, I have spotted a Blood Bike here in the past, today one of their vans was in the yard.

We passed the boat that had been sunk just passed bridge 5, the back door had been sealed by a piece of wood, further on at the bend just before Hawkesbury visitor moorings we encounter some oil and absorbent pads floating around on the canal, they have travelled a long way from where the boat sank. As we approached the lock the ex-working boat Stanton was just leaving, but they turned right towards Atherstone whereas we turned left to Coventry, a much easier turn.
Last time we came down here we spotted 3 foxes but I was to slow to get a photo, today we just saw one. It looked in very good condition.

As  we came towards bridge No.1 at the entrance to Coventry Basin 2 paddleboarders came out followed a few minutes later by a canoeist, as we came under the bridge I could just see a second in the bright sun reflecting off the surface of the basin , he kept out of the way until I cleared the bridge and then headed off up the canal. As you can see the bridge has no towpath, this was a security feature of the basin to protect the cargos from theft with the basin also being walled in and gated. 
Once in we winded and then dropped back against the locked open swing bridge.

Today’s Journey

 

9 Miles with 1 lock in 3¾ hours