Home mooring

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.

Todays Journey

 

10½ miles with no locks in 4½ hour

Napton Marina

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

Braunston

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

Home Moorings

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

Willoughby

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

Newbold.

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 17½ miles with one lock in 6 hours

Coventry Basin

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.

Nuneaton

We set off a few minutes before ten, just after the boat with a funny name came by who had been moored just around the bend ahead. When we passed where he was moored this is what I saw. Yes he had dumped his hot ash in the bottom of a dry hedgerow, thankfully a couple of buckets of canal water fixed it.
Just by where we were moored and at regular distances along the towpath are these metal “bits” set in concrete, there are none North of the Anchor pub. Any ideas anyone ?

We passed the Hartshill CRT maintenance Yard, a few boats there but looking very unloved just like the landing area for the waterpoint, It would be great if a local volunteering group took it on.

Yet another sunken boat with all its belongings floating about . Needless to say I had just met a boat coming the other way.

Mancetter Marina have created about a dozen on line moorings since we were last this way, a bit moor to do at tick over. However I must say I like what they have done with Archimedes.

We carried on to Atherstone and moored up while Diana went for a few bits of shopping, while she was gone I fitted a new smoke detector. Did you know they have an expiry date? After lunch we continued to the top of the locks to wind passing the old hat factory. The bridge has now been partly cordoned as the building is collapsing.

 

While we were moored two dayboats from Boot Wharf came by for a large 60th birthday celebration but they weren't  self drive, they had employed skippers. After turning round we headed back to the south of Nuneaton, but on the way we stopped to pick some plums by bridge 34. there are loads there if your passing that way.

We passed the sunken narrowboat near Springwood Haven again and these are the two notices on the towpath side .

We carried on through Nuneaton to moor for the night just south of the new distribution warehouse after Gipsy Lane bridge  17.

Today’s Journey

  11 miles with no locks in 4½ hours

Hartshill

Away at our normal 10 am, most of the other boats had gone and made our way towards Hawkesbury Junction passing this field of cows on route, not much grass there for them to eat.

We stopped for water just before Sutton Stop and noticed there was a Volockie on duty, most unusual. tank full we set off and headed north up the Coventry canal. Notices like this seem to be getting more popular on the system.

Of course you can’t pass this old post without taking a photo.

Just beyond Springwood Haven is this poor sight, there is a notice in the window with a phone number saying it will be raised and removed in late June, its now August.

 

We carried on for a bit and stopped a short way before the Anchor Pub.

Since we have been moored up I have fitted a new pater pump, not quite as straightforward as I hoped as they now have screw connectors on the pipes so the filter wouldn’t as there wasn’t room, then when I had got it all in the filter leaked. A load of sealant and its stopped, but the top will never come off again, so new one next trip.

Today’s Journey  
12 miles with one lock in 4¾ hours

Ansty

I found the trains a bit disturbing last night and was awake early, but as the locks didn’t open until 10 there was no point in setting off early, although a couple of boats came by to be first in the queue.
Opening the back doors there was a large spider web from the tiller to the back deck and right in the middle was a Damselfly. It looked dead but when I broke the it moved so I was able to set it free. 

I then went to take the exhaust cover off and found this moth resting on it. He soon found it too warm to hang about.

Once the boats that had passed earlier started to lock down we pushed to use the offside lock, the bottom gates leak like a sieve and Diana was unable to open the top gate alone with both paddles up. While I was waiting I looked at the bywash weir and

after giving the marker a good scrub the level is not down that much, maybe 4”. Of course the back pumping is going flat out and probably  replacing the lock usage.

There was a Volockie at the top lock organising and assisting. She told the youngster working the lock to never let go of the windlass while its on the spindle. Very good advice, I immediately lost my grip on my windlass as I lowered the paddle and now have a black thumbnail and bruised . We met boats at all the rest of the locks and there were 4 waiting below the flight with more arriving.
Just before Newbold these cows and very young calf were having both a drink and a paddle, they obviously knew where the water got deeper.

There were also lots of boats away from their home moorings at Newbold its self, so I had a clear shot of this sign, in the past there have always been people and boats in the way.

We met a hire boat in Newbold Tunnel, for some reason he thought there would be room for us to pass if he carried on coming down the middle of the channel, there wasn’t and there was a loud bang.
The moorings at All Oaks were completely full and we carried on passed the cutting which is still closed to pedestrians.
As we approached Rose Narrowboats someone on foot crossing the bridge kindly opened it for us. Diana hopped off and closed it after we were through. Some are so impatient they can’t even wait for the bridge to close fully before crossing.

Luckily we fond a spot to moor at Ansty, the ring spacings are not the best but it will do for the night.

Today’s Journey12 miles with 3 locks in 5¼ hours