Coventry Basin Saturday 28 December 2019

Day : Saturday
Date : 28 December 2019
Start : 1030
Finish : 1545 Coventry Basin

A much brighter day and the thermometer said it was warmer, but it didn't feel that way.
One of the tasks today was to fill up with water again so we stopped just passed the A5 road bridge to top up, all the taps we have used on this canal have all had good pressure. I think I have seen more Canal Company boundary markers along this canal than anywhere. The company set them in the ground on the off side to show how much land they owned beside the canal, in some cases all this land has eroded and now the canal bank is the boundary.

The very last mile marker can be found at Marston Junction where the Ashby joins the Coventry and as expected it indicates 0/30.

Once on the Coventry canal we turned left, a bit tighter than 90° and due to taking the photo I wasn't on the best line, still we got round. I better give Christine a mention as she was hanging the washing out as we passed and invited us in for a cup of tea, We refused her kind offer as it would have meant we wouldn't have made our destination this evening.

The excitement of the day came at Charity Wharf, first there were clouds of billowing thick smoke and then just as I was into the bend I saw a boat coming the other way, with boat double moored on the bend I think it was the bow riding against the build up of silt that prevented us actually touching as we came round. The fire turned out to be a bonfire in a large metal container.

At Hawkesbury Junction we sailed straight on, under the bridge with the metal swans heading for Coventry basin. There are a lot of new houses since I came this way last and a lot more being built, not only that the canal on the whole was an awful lot cleaner probably thanks to the canal society who works very hard clearing the rubbish that people just discard. When we arrived at the basin there were probably half a dozen boats moored there so we winded and slid backwards into what use to be the Excellence Afloat moorings for the night.

Today's Journey16 Miles 0 Locks in 5¼ hours.

IMPORTANT NOTICE All of the above is my personal opinion and does not represent those of any official body or notices. All comments made to this blog are checked before being accepted any made anonymously are accepted but if you leave a name I could say thanks.

Hinckley Friday 27 December 2019

Day : Friday
Date : 27 December 2019
Start : 1020
Finish : 1435

It was a dull old morning when we set off and it didn't improve at all, in fact it got quite damp, not rain of drizzle but the air was very damp.
As I said the other day the top end of the canal is a SSSI and British Waterways installed a barrier along the off side in Shackerstone to protect the offside vegetation and bank side, This is Nicospan on wooden poles with holes cut in the material so that birds and mammals can swim through. In the past we have always seen Water Vole up this canal, but none this time so far.

Yesterday I posted a photo of a defaced milepost, so here is one that has not been got at.
Something I have never seen before is a brick bridge with the centre section of parapet wall built independently of the two approach walls, I wonder if the designer was allowing for someone to hit the approach wall section and so limit the damage? but I really don't know.
I also mentioned a couple of days ago about a strange boat, well one with a coffin on the roof was a first for me, there are also a couple of skeletons sitting up there. The wind generator is unusual as well, not sure how well it works on an inland boat with hedges about.

If you are a fellow boater then you will know about following a boat on "Cross Straps". This normally entails having two short equalled length ropes with an eye spliced in each end. One end of each rope is placed over the towing dolly, or T stud of the butty, these then drop both sides of the bow of the butty before being crossed and one put over each of the towing dollies on the motor boat, This holds the bows of the butty inline with the centre of the towing boat. This boat owner has taken the name literally and used strapping to connect the boats.
We passed yet another case of fly tipping, this time actually into the canal, well the road does run right beside the canal at this point. I should point out that the car in the picture was just passing as I took the photo and has no connection to the incident. I have of course reported it to CRT.
We didn't travel much further before mooring for the night on the outskirts of Hinckley feeling somewhat chilly and damp.

Today's Journey12 Miles 0 Locks in 4¼ hours.

IMPORTANT NOTICE All of the above is my personal opinion and does not represent those of any official body or notices. All comments made to this blog are checked before being accepted any made anonymously are accepted but if you leave a name I could say thanks.

Shackerstone Thursday 26 December

Day : Thursday
Date : 26 December 2019
Start : 1000
Finish : 1530 Shackerstone

Well the weather today was somewhat different to yesterday, dull, overcast, cool and light rain, not the most pleasant conditions to be boating in.

We set off for the end of navigation, the far side of Snarestone tunnel. The canal is actually a bit longer than this as the Ashby Canal Association have a bit more in water, but to access that there is a swing bridge and we are to long to wind at the end, so we winded before the swing bridge, had a chat with Mike who is now the resident manager before mooring on the visitor mooring for lunch.

Before we reached the tunnel, which although it wide, it is not wide enough for two boats to pass and also it is not quite straight, we had to pass under Gopsall Wharf bridge, The parapet of this bridges was knocked off some time ago and its still awaiting repair.

The Ashby canal Association decided a long time ago to install mile posts that they have had made all the way from the terminus at Moira and Marston Junction, a distance of 30 miles, each post shows the distance from each end but some has decided that the end is actually Snarestone and has defaced the three posts south of there to show 1, 2 and 3 miles.

After lunch we did walk to the end of the restored section at Faulks Bridge and back, the restored section now looks very established.
As you can see by this map from Waterway Routes the restored canal will have to deviate from its original route quite soon.

There were 4 boats came down and winded while we were moored up and we followed the forth one back to Shackerstone where we both moored for the night in almost the same spot as last night.

Today's Journey7½ Miles 0 Locks in 3 hours.

IMPORTANT NOTICE All of the above is my personal opinion and does not represent those of any official body or notices. All comments made to this blog are checked before being accepted any made anonymously are accepted but if you leave a name I could say thanks.

Shackerstone Wednesday 25 December 2019

Day : Wednesday
Date : 25 December 2019
Start : 1000
Finish : 1315 Shackerstone

Firstly a merry Christmas to you all.

I went for my early morning wee and the sky was blood read along the eastern horizon, I really should have got the camera an taken a photo, but I went back to bed.

We set off at 10 am. in bright sun and it stayed out for most of the day making it feel quite warm, but this after noon the temperature made a marked drop. First job was to top up with water at Sutton Wharf, before you get to the wharf you pass a long line of offside long term moorings, one of the boats had an interesting fender on the bows., there is also another interesting boat but more about that on the return journey. The moorers here are also very specific at what speeds they would like boaters passing their moorings, I don't think I can actually go that slow without dropping out of gear.

As we filled with water I looked over to the rubbish disposal compound, they have a real problem with rats here with fresh holes all over the place and quite a bit of soil on the concrete base inside the compound. There are ten poison boxes around the perimeter, whether they are being kept fully baited I don't know. As we filled with water a hire boat came by, the only boat we saw moving all day. Once full we push on and soon passed that single hire boat as he was mooring up.

It wasn't long before we entered the SSSI that this canal runs through, its a good job its not positively policed as the official as there are not that many official moorings and I don't know what they expect to happen to the grey water.

We decided not to stop for an early lunch as the sun was getting lower in the sky but to continue on to Shackerstone visitor moorings where we have stopped for the night. We just had a light Christmas lunch with fresh fruit salad made wit slow gin for desert. The vegetables are now on the top of the Dickinson and the Turkey roll is in the oven, so we have that to look forward to later.

Today's Journey8¾ Miles 0 Locks in 3¼ hours.

IMPORTANT NOTICE All of the above is my personal opinion and does not represent those of any official body or notices. All comments made to this blog are checked before being accepted any made anonymously are accepted but if you leave a name I could say thanks.

Dadlington Tuesday 24 December 2019

Day : Tuesday
Date : 24 December 2019
Start : 1020
Finish : 1520 Dadlington

Last night we went to sleep listening to the rain on the roof but by this morning it had all stopped and things looked bright. We were about to set off when it started drizzling which was followed by a rainbow and it stopped again, right until I dropped the front rope off, which was for the signal for it to start properly. If we had only waited until 1030 I would have stayed dry. Things were quite quiet today, several dog walkers about and a couple of fishermen. The first boat we saw turned into the Ashby canal ahead of us, I must say its much easier turning off the Coventry into the Ashby the way we were coming rather from Sutton Stop. We didn't meet another boat until we approached the A5 road bridge where we planned to stop for water, the boat coming the other way had the same idea, still we have plenty to last until tomorrow. We caught up with the hire boat we were following when they moored up opposite Ashby Boats, I asked if it was the end of their holiday, but they said that they would still be onboard for Christmas, so we may see them again. As we didn't stop for water I had planned to moor opposite Dadlington Wharf but there were already 2 boats there so we continued for another quarter mile of so to moor between bridges 30 and 31.

Today's Journey15 Miles 0 Locks in 5 hours.

IMPORTANT NOTICE All of the above is my personal opinion and does not represent those of any official body or notices. All comments made to this blog are checked before being accepted any made anonymously are accepted but if you leave a name I could say thanks.

Springwood Haven Monday 23 December 2019

Day : Monday
Date : 23 December 2019
Start : 1030
Finish : 1530 Springwood Haven

A bit of rain overnight but fine with a little cool breeze this morning. Off up the locks with them all in our favour until we reach lock 4 and a I watch a boater turn lock 3 they then wandered off with their boat still in lock 2 so we had to wait for them to arrive and then lock down, we met another boat coming down lock one.

Once above the lock we moored up for a spot of lunch and shopping. We also had a chat with an old boating friend Brian, who we hadn't seen for some time. It was then off to just south of Springwood Haven marina for the night, in the field next to the marina this poor old bull was up to his elbows in the mud. He did move before we left so I know he wasn't stuck fast.

Today's Journey5¾ Miles 9 Locks in 3¼ hours.

IMPORTANT NOTICE All of the above is my personal opinion and does not represent those of any official body or notices. All comments made to this blog are checked before being accepted any made anonymously are accepted but if you leave a name I could say thanks.

Sunday 22 December Atherstone Flight

Day : Sunday
Date : 22 December 2019
Start : 1330 hrs
Finish : 1610 Atherstone flight

We got to do a new section of the A14 today, thankfully the traffic was light so you could read the numbers painted on the road, unlike the normal nose to tail traffic we encounter there. We arrived at the boat we worked our way through the mud to load all the Christmas goodies onboard and then set off south along the canal. This old BCN wooden butty has just come out of the dry dock after having a leak attended to, it certainly looks very smart.

The plan was to moor overnight at the bottom of the locks, but while we filled with water at the services there was a noticeable surge in the canal which could only mean one thing, a boat had just come down the bottom lock and the bottom lock would now be empty and ready for us, so a change of plan to do the first two locks. As I hopped off below the lock I could see it was actually full and the top gate open. First thoughts a boat had just gone up, but then a cruised appeared at the top of the lock coming down, so all was good. We went up the first two locks and moored for the night just before the disused foot bridge.

We plan to spend Christmas on the Ashby and then head towards Hillmorton, possibly via Coventry.

Today's Journey5½ Miles 2 Locks in 2½ hours.

IMPORTANT NOTICE All of the above is my personal opinion and does not represent those of any official body or notices. All comments made to this blog are checked before being accepted any made anonymously are accepted but if you leave a name I could say thanks.

Home Mooring Sunday 8 December 2019

Day : Sunday
Date : 8 December 2019
Start : 1030
Finish : 1130 The Marina

A bit of rain and lots of wind over night but not bad this morning when we set off. A slow gentle run back to the marina to top the batteries up, needless to say just I turned into the marina we had a rain/wind squall which didn't help reversing into our berth, as soon as we were secure the wind dropped and it was the last of the rain.

Today's Journey 2½ Miles 0 Locks in 1 hour.

Total this trip 87½ miles 26 locks 5n 33¼ hours

IMPORTANT NOTICE All of the above is my personal opinion and does not represent those of any official body or notices. All comments made to this blog are checked before being accepted any made anonymously are accepted but if you leave a name I could say thanks.

Polesworth Saturday 7 December 2019

Day : Saturday
Date : 7 December 2019
Start : 1020
Finish : 1300 Polesworth.

Our reason for mooring opposite the Samuel Barlow last night was so that we could use the car to go to the Trent and Mersey Canal Society Christmas dinner at The Red Bull, Kidsgrove.

This morning was a late start at 1020hrs, we thought it was going to be a glorious day as when we got up the sun was streaming in and the pressure had gone up, but by the time we set off it had clouded over.

Just after passing Polesworth we could heat the shooting going on and on the way back a line of beaters were brushing the root crop, I didn't see much get up but did hear a few shots later.

The field to the off side of the canal a short way before the winding hole is still flooded but no so much waster as last time we came this way, I would have thought the farmer would have dug a small drainage channel to let if off unless the middle is lower than the canal level. It was much easier winding this time without the strong flow of water entering the canal and pushing the bows round the wrong way.

Passing Grendon Dry Dock we spotted Birchills, a Earnest Thomas day boat moored up, she was towed here from Birmingham a couple of weeks ago.

It wasn't long before we reached Polesworth and moored up for the night giving us just enough run in the morning to top the batteries up a bit. After lunch we went to look at Polesworth Abbey but it was all locked up.

Today's Journey6¾ Miles 0 Locks in 2½ hours.

IMPORTANT NOTICE All of the above is my personal opinion and does not represent those of any official body or notices. All comments made to this blog are checked before being accepted any made anonymously are accepted but if you leave a name I could say thanks.

Samuel Barlow Friday 6 December 2019

Day : Friday
Date : 6 December 2019
Start : 1015 hrs
Finish : 1254 hrs Samuel Barlow

Boy did it rain overnight, but the temperature was up in double figures. When we set off just the lightest drizzle was in the air. We didn't meet any boat all the time we were travelling and there is very little to report. We called in at Fazeley Mill marina for a pump out and top the diesel tank up before chugging back to moor opposite the Samuel Barlow for the night. Just as we got to Glascote bottom lock the sky's opened and stopped as soon as we had finished, it then stayed fine until after we had moored up.

Today's Journey5¼ Miles 2 Locks in 2½ hours.

IMPORTANT NOTICE All of the above is my personal opinion and does not represent those of any official body or notices. All comments made to this blog are checked before being accepted any made anonymously are accepted but if you leave a name I could say thanks.

Fazeley Thursday 5 December 2019

Day : Thursday
Date : 5 December 2019
Start : 1020
Finish : 1520 Fazeley

Much duller today bit quite a bit warmer, the hat and gloves were not required this morning, but they were this afternoon when things turned much cooler with a little light drizzle.

We were just leaving Wood End Lock when a boat came round the bend ahead of us so we were able to leave the gates open, meeting them made us expect to find the next to ready, wrong, both empty. Passing the moorings between Middle Lock and Junction Lock I spotted this notice about mooring fees, I wonder if they collect much. Once down at the junction we turned right onto the Coventry Canal and stopped for water, again not the fastest of taps. While the tank was filling I refitted the cabin side step. last trip when I stood on it the top screw was lose in the threads, its 5mm. so today I drilled it out and fitted a Heli-coil Its the first time I have used these but I know it wont be the last.

Once the tank was full we were off again passing a few more moored boats than last week, there were a few by The Otter pub and 4 on the Fazeley Winter moorings. We were going to stop there but thought the A5 road a bit noisy so pushed on about a quarter of a mile to moor for the night just as the drizzle started again.

Today's Journey 12½ Miles 3 Locks in 5 hours.

IMPORTANT NOTICE All of the above is my personal opinion and does not represent those of any official body or notices. All comments made to this blog are checked before being accepted any made anonymously are accepted but if you leave a name I could say thanks.

Wood End Lock Wednesday 4 December 2019

Day : Wednesday
Date : 4 December 2019
Start : 1015
Finish : 1430 Wood End lock

When we moored up yesterday I did consider dropping through the lock and mooring there, I am glad we didn't as when we came over the bridge on our way home from the pub one of the boats was still running their engine. As you may have gathered we went to the Clifford Arms for dinner last night, a busy little pub with people eating in the bar and restaurant on a Tuesday night. They had a good selection of beer on, including Broadside and a good food menu as well. 2 courses and a pint each for £30.

There was no frost forecast for last night but it was all white with frost when we got up, the coldest time was 8am when it dropped to -2.5°C but there was very little ice on the canal. The sun was straight into our faces and its the first time I have needed sunglasses to steer on the canal.
Although the sun was bright it was cooler than yesterday but we did meet a few boats, one had just started Armitage tunnel as we arrived so we had to wait for him before proceeding. One thing I noticed along here is that several of the boats on the long term moorings use a Spanish Windlass to tighten their mooring lines.

We carried on to moor for the night just above Wood End Lock before the sun went down.

Today's Journey12½ Miles 2 Locks in 4¼ hours.

IMPORTANT NOTICE All of the above is my personal opinion and does not represent those of any official body or notices. All comments made to this blog are checked before being accepted any made anonymously are accepted but if you leave a name I could say thanks.

Gt Haywood Tuesday 3 December 2019

Day : Tuesday
Date : 3 December 2019
Start : 1010 hrs
Finish : 1400 Gt. Haywood.

What a glorious day we woke to, we didn't even need coats on. Rounding the bend approaching the village we found a dam build along the offside protecting a hole in the ground.
There is also a large concrete pad laid below ground level with concrete steps leading down to it, with lots of pipes laying about and earth moving equipment.

We only saw three boats on the move and not that many moored even in Rugeley. The shed in Rugeley is still standing which is surprising, its slowly twisting and leaning, a little more each time we pass. At the far end of Rugeley there is a sharp bend in the canal before it crosses the Trent, This spot is famous for the Bloody Steps and the death of Christine Collins supposedly murdered by a boat crew. A program on BBC recently shows that the verdict of murder was an unsafe discussion and that she may not have been killed at all. https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m000bq1r

Colwich Railway Bridge is still scaffolded out and the work ongoing with all the signs, I liked the one telling boaters to keep to #the middle of the channel, there is nowhere else to go. There were no boats moored in the section up to the Horse Bridge and only two before Gt. Haywood lock. Just above the lock CRT are piling the offside bank on what use to be the garden of the Cafe, having had to have cleared the prop today I wouldn't want to be working in the water even with a dry suit on. We went as far as the junction where we winded and then came back to almost opposite where CRT were working to moor for the night.

Today's Journey10½ Miles 2 Locks in 3¾ hours.

IMPORTANT NOTICE All of the above is my personal opinion and does not represent those of any official body or notices. All comments made to this blog are checked before being accepted any made anonymously are accepted but if you leave a name I could say thanks.

Handsacre Monday 2 December 2019

Day : Monday
Date : 2 December 2019
Start : 1100
Finish : 1500 Handsacre

There was a good frost last night but the only frozen bit of the canal we saw was where we were moored. We took a walk down to the river and the signs have now been changed to normal with the level into the green, however I would still estimate the flow between the lock and the weir at about 3 MPH and the passed the weir around about 2 MPH so it will be bit of a slog coming from Burton.

The was the flow between the lock and wier

Walking passed the weir the flow was a little less

We wandered back through the village hoping to buy some jars of preserves but there was no products out for sale. They were out yesterday after noon but Diana hadn't taken any money with her. The cottage that sells the produce has a luxurious growth of mosson the thatch. Some of the cars had frost on them so thick it looked like snow, but by now the sun was well out and things were turning wet.

We met our first boat before reaching the lock, that was the first of 9 we were to meet in the next 5 miles, almost like summer.
Passing the rubbish bins at Fradley very slowly as Diana had walked ahead to open the lock I saw 4 large rats scampering around under the bins, that was in the few seconds it took me to pass, with the cafe there I expect there is food waste in the bins.

We stopped for a bit of lunch just above Wood End Lock before setting off in the last of the afternoon sunshine, not that we saw much of it through the offside trees. Just before bridge 56 there is a nice little stretch of piling which suites us for the night.

Today's Journey5¾ Miles 8 Locks in 3 hours.

IMPORTANT NOTICE All of the above is my personal opinion and does not represent those of any official body or notices. All comments made to this blog are checked before being accepted any made anonymously are accepted but if you leave a name I could say thanks.

Alrewas Sunday 1 December 2019

Day : Sunday
Date : 1 December 2019
Start : 1100
Finish : 1540 Alrewas

Our reason for stopping at Whittington last night was to attend the Litchfield and Hatherton Canal Restoration Trust's Christmas extravaganza, well fish and chip supper actually with some superb entertainment from a group called The Zouch Band, with a visual               (Video produced by The Zouch Band)
display telling the story of coal mining over the years. As we walked to the village hall there were a few spots of rain and no sign of frost although it did just drop below freezing early this morning, but that had gone before we were about. Today has been much better with bright sunshine, never in out eyes thankfully and the temperature has been around 4°C.

Just passed Streethay Wharf CRT have made a big impression on the offside vegetation, The A38 was running slowly due to a lane closed so we got waves from lots of cars as we travelled along. We stopped for a short lunch break at Fradley Junction on the visitor moorings just before the water point, there were several spaces but still one boat was moored by the tap. Once on our way again it was through the swing bridge and hard right to Junction lock, stopping at the services to dispose of some rubbish.
Since we were last this way a new marina has started to form down by Common Lock on the offside, this will be known as Fradley Marina when it opens and consists of at least two mooring basins that will be accessed from below Common Lock.

Passing under the A513 where all the visitor moorings are winter moorings with only one boat in residence the view of Alrewas was somewhat different to last time we came with a new housing estate, likewise on the offside behind the willow wall above the lock. When we came through Junction Lock there was a caution notice warning about the river flows, so after dropping through the lock we winded and moored ready to go back up in the morning.

Today's Journey8¾ Miles 5 Locks in 3¾ hours.

IMPORTANT NOTICE All of the above is my personal opinion and does not represent those of any official body or notices. All comments made to this blog are checked before being accepted any made anonymously are accepted but if you leave a name I could say thanks.