Hopwas

Last night we chose our mooring spot to be the furthest point from the railway with a very small hill between it and us. What we didn’t barging on was them working on the line all night directly opposite where we moored with lights and machinery running.

We didn’t set off until 1140 this morning, before leaving I remade the coax ends on the Moonraker TV aerial which hopefully will make it more stable in windy weather. Just as I was about to untie NB Briar Rose came by and we exchanged greetings, as you do.

There are a lot of young ducklings around at the moment, I expect these are probably second brood when the duck lost her first clutch and not doing too well with this clutch.

We had a good run and at Glascote top lock a boater who was taking on water kindly opened the top gate for us.We met more hire craft today than we have all trip, only one in a bad spot but several pulled over to far and took a trip through the trees.

Passing through Fazeley there were hardly any boats moored which is unusual whereas Hopwas was pretty full and we had to pass through to the far side to find a spot, and now even more boats have arrived.

Todays Journey 11 miles, 2 locks in 4 hours.

Grendon

A very nice Indian Take-a-way last night from the Raj Mahal in Atherstone, I went in and ordered early evening for a later collection, just the set meal for 2 but it will also go a long way towards tonight's dinner as the portions were so large.

The towpath was very  quiet overnight and this morning which was good. I received news last night that lock 9 was broken from a boater moored below it, so this morning were were a bit undecided, but CRT were there early and said it was sorted, so at 1015 hrs we were away. There was a boat going down some way ahead and the lady Volockie was emptying the top lock when we arrived, but no boat coming up, she was letting water down a lock full at a time. When the lock was full again we went down with the next lot of water that almost flooded the towpath, I suspect the bywash on lock 2 is well bunged up. One, of the allotments above lock 3 is brightening things up a bit.By lock 4 we had caught up with the single hander going down, as he sat in lock 4 there was another single hander waiting to come up, so Diana went down to help them while I slowly worked lock 3. The single hander stopped below lock 5 and we were away, but not for long. Just above Lock 8 a CRT chap waved me down and said there was a problem on Lock 9 (the one that was fixed earlier) and they were cleaning the cill and paddles. I didn’t shop where he said but carried on to lock 8 lock moorings as I didn’t want to be grounded when they refilled the 8 to 9 pound, this is what it looked like when we arrived.The CRT chap removed several lumps of brick from lock 9 top gate cill which were stopping it fully closing and was well on the way to finishing when we arrived, walking down Diana spotted these footprints in the mud of the drained pound. I think they were too widely spaced for a Mink but what ever it was must have been down there this morning while the pound was low.

We were soon on our way again heading for lock 10 but we didn’t get there without being observed. Once clear of the flight we stopped for a bit of lunch on the moorings below the bottom of the flight. Even this was problematic, Diana tied the front rope to one of the mooring rings and immediately a swarm of ants appeared from the brickwork around the ring and headed straight up or mooring rope, so we let lose and moved backwards to the next ring which looked clear, but as soon as the rope was on out they came, round the steel ring and straight up the rope towards the boat, I suppose they could smell where the others had gone. In the end we used a mooring hook a little further up.

After lunch we moved up to the water point to top the tank up and then continued North, we were hoping to moor a short way North of Grendon Dry Dock where the canal loops away from the railway and there is a small hill between them, we were in luck as there was only one boat there so just after 3pm we tied up, just before the rain.

Todays Journey 3 miles 11 locks in 3.6 hours.
I am still trying to find the most user friendly map, this could well be it unless I can find a downloadable one that users can open.

Atherstone

Another early shout this morning, the boat moored about a yard behind us left before 6am this morning making our rudder bash about.

We were away a little after 10 and it was less than a mile to the junction, but in that mile we were to see our only single Water Vole of the trip, we normally see a few when we come this way. So only a quick photo from well passed it.

We just cleared the junction before a boat coming from the Coventry direction wanted to turn in, we turned left heading north again.

Some of the gardens in Nuneaton are quite interesting, some tidy gardening and some with a sense of humour like the end of this shed.

Between bridges 24 and 25 there is a sunken, burnt out cruiser that is hardly visible as most of it is submerged, the duck on the corner makes a good marker.

Once at the top of the Atherstone flight we found a spot to moor and the other vacancies soon filled up, but now several of them have left and the four boat ahead of us all look unoccupied now. A quick trip into town to do some shopping including getting a couple of face coverings/Chinese foam dust masks in case they are required before we get home.

Today’s Journey 9.8 miles in 3.5 hours

Bedworth

Well the day started damp, very light rain which stopped before we left, but it ended wet with real rain, we did get some sun in the middle.

We were away at half ten but several boats had come by in both directions by then.
The moorings at Stoke Golding on the long bend were completely empty, just as they were on our outward journey. I mentioned earlier about the state of some of the bridges along this canal, here is another example, but not due to vehicle impact this time.

CRT contractors are still working on the towpath at Hinckley with a floating digger with a flat half full of surfacing sand moored alongside. Later in the day I was to meet another flat full of surfacing sand being pushed with a small tug, of course I met it on a bend with a row of moored boats on the outside of the bend and an overhanging tree on the inside, We passed green to green with a cheery wave.

As we passed the Lime Kiln pub I noticed this canal marker set well back into the lawn, this would donate the where the the ownership of the canal company ended, now CRT. We pushed on a bit further looking for a mooring before the junction, we found one just through bridge 3, there were three boat here already well spread out but there was a 60 foot gap between the last two. Just as we were pulling in 3 more boats came the other way, the last one being a Sea Otter who was able to pull in at the other end.

Todays journey 11 miles in 4.5 hours and a new map.

Sutton Cheney

We overslept this morning, I think it was due to the early morning ducks and then dropping off again. Its even hotter today, around the 25° mark but in the early hours it dropped down to 4°C. It was getting towards 11am when we set off, Diana went to dump the rubbish and open the bridge but was beaten to it by the boat ahead, they were stopping for water so I went on ahead, The moorings beyond the bridge were already full with new boats arriving, some even opposite the winding hole, the last boat to arrive asked it it was OK to moor where we had come from, he said it was 25 years since he last visited.

Just as we were about to enter Snarestone Tunnel a boat headlight arrived at the other end so we pulled back and waited. There were 13 boats moored the far side. It wasn’t long before we passed another defaced mile post. This time they didn’t paint out the original 10 mile marker.

There were lots of people out enjoying the sunshine today, Magnet Fishermen, Walkers, Fishermen, Canoeists and even a couple of Stand Up Paddleboarders, non of which caused us any problem. 
Some of the cloud formations today were quite interesting from this very light wisping through to the small fluffy blobs.

We made a short stop at Shenton Aqueduct for Diana to replenish supplies from Aqueduct Farm shop which is close by.

If the visitor Moorings at Sutton Cheney had have been open we would probably stopped there for the night, but they are closed for refurbishment. At the moment they are made of recycled plastic and haven’t stood the test of time, so we carried on for about a mile before mooring in the middle of nowhere.

Today’s Journey 12 miles in 5 hours

Snarestone

A fine day but still quite chilly when we set off at 1015am. The offside willows at Market Bosworth will so require some attention, the canal is down to one boat width now.Again in the first hour we met 5 boats, 3 of them at bridges. We stopped for a short chat with Derwent 6 who we hadn’t seen for some time, but knew they were this way from their blog.

It is important to stop water getting down the chimney into your stove as the cast iron soon rusts and blows the joints, so people fit purpose made caps but others just use what’s to hand.Lots of the bridges on this canal are in need of some attention, some moor than others, I wonder it the wall was hit by a passing vehicle and if so did they own up to it.The Ashby Canal Association (ACA) have gone to a lot of time and expense installing new “Mile Markers” when they did this they decided to future proof them and stat from the final terminus, unfortunately someone disagrees with them and think it should be from the present terminus so have defaced 3 of them by changing them to 1 2 & 3 painting out the correct number. We stopped just prior to the full size winding hole for lunch before walking the restored section and then the unrestored length as far as the Snarestone Road where the route of the restored canal will leave the original line. The ACA erected so interpretation board on the old route indicating what use to be there, there is also a marker showing the depth of the Ashby coal seams.

We wandered to the ACA shop for ice creams and buy a few bits and bobs before returning to Harnser to reverse the newly restored length. To access the new length you have to pass through Swing bridge 61a which our old friend Mike opened for us, it was then backwards all the way through the new bridge 62 to the terminus, there is a winding hole at the terminus but it is slightly too small for us to get round. Once we had done the photo at the very end we came back under bridge 62 to moor just before the swing bridge over night. It has got very busy here this afternoon with all the visitor moorings taken on the CRT section of canal and 4 of us down here on the ACA section.

Today’s Journey 7.5 miles in 3.5 hours

Market Bosworth

We had heavy rain overnight but woke to a sunny morning, but despite the sun it was cooler than yesterday, overcast at times with a few spots of rain just before we moored up. Again its been a reasonably busy day with us meeting over a dozen boats in 4 hours.

Ashby boat looked as they were getting 4 boats ready to go out, one had just returned and the family were packing the car with all the kids toys they had taken with them.

We have moored at Market Bosworth for the night, just beyond the bit controlled by Bosworth Marina, it looks as if they now have 4 long  term moorings there, maybe no one wanted to pay to spend a night on the towpath. Its a pity because they were good visitor moorings that were well used.

Today’s Journey 9.6 miles in 4 hours with no locks. You now have a choice of maps.

Hinckley

The trains were surprisingly quiet last night considering how close the line was. It was almost 11am when we set off and the weather was almost fine, not almost, the fine drizzle just got heavier and heavier as the day progressed.

We passed one boat who is trying for a Darwin Award, you can just see the generator inside the back doors, well its running so who knows where the CO is going.

We met several boats as we made out way to Marston Junction,  one of them just before the  Anchor pub,  I could see something in the water on the towpath side so held back to allow the oncoming boat space to go round it. Unfortunately he didn’t see the obstruction which turned out to be a sunken, burnout cruiser which cannoned his bows out across the cut.

When we reached Marston Junction we turned sharp left into the Ashby Canal, nicely round in one and luckily no one about to come out.
The going on the Ashby was quite good and again we met several boat. The weather was so miserable we decided to stop for lunch, we normally eat on the move.  Again while we were moored several boat passed in both direction, we didn’t feel them as we were half a meter from the bank and hard aground.

After lunch we did another hour and a half mooring in Hinckley a short way before Trinity Marina.

Todays journey 10.6 miles in 3.85 hrs with no locks

Springwood Haven

I think it must have rained most of the night and when we set off just after 9am it was very fine drizzle, this stayed with us half way up the flight before clearing out for a while.
As we went up in lock 11 we could see a boat coming down in lock 10, a hire boat was going up someway ahead of us.  The good luck didn’t last as the boat coming down had only been moored above lock 10, so after that we were following. Between locks 10 and 11 there is a very tall rose growing on the offside, it must be 12 to 15 feet tall. As we went up in the lock a moth joined me and settler down in the engine room, I have no idea where he is now.

The pound between 9 and 8 was well down and Diana dropped the water from before I could leave lock 9, I understand someone had already run water down so the next pound was also off the mark a bit. We caught up with the hire boat, all doors open moored on lock 5 moorings, we thought they had all gone to set lock 5 but there was no sign of life, a Kate boat Mary Celeste. At lock 4 we came across the first Volockie of the trip helping a boat down and another at 3 had the gates ready for us and suggested Diana went and opened Lock to, there was a third Volockie at the top lock so that was the last one also ready for us.

A little way beyond the top lock we passed this garden on the offside, funny how some people turn their backs on the canal and others make it a feature.

Since we were last this way Rothen Group have completed their off side quay heading and very smart it looks to.
Just through the bridge they are turning a large bay into a Marina, This bay has been here for many years but not connected to the canal, at one time there was even a narrowboat moored in it, but now it has an entrance, pontoons and water and electric points. I wonder if Rothen will operate it?

We carried on now back in the rain to just beyond Springwood Haven Marina where we moored for the night.

Todays Journey 6miles 11 locks in 4 hours

Bottom of Atherstone Flight

Firstly I have just manually added a map to yesterdays Blog, it looks as in MotionX GPS is no more, well I can’t find an up-to-date App for it, which would account for it not forwarding to my PC. The logging program works Offline so that still runs on the Ipad

Very fine drizzle  this morning when we set off at  11 Am. and a surprising number of boats on the move in both directions. Passing through Drayton Swivel Bridge I noticed that the deck is in a very bad way.

Now one for the know-alls' what are these buildings almost opposite Debbies Day Boats as can be seen on this screen shot from Google Maps?

When we arrived at Fazeley junction we pulled into the water point to fill with water, as the water had been sitting in the water tank for 3 months in some very hot weather we decided to dump it rather than use it for cooking and drinking. We were about half full when another boat arrived wanting water so we pushed off to let him use the waterpoint, we winded and headed back along the Coventry Canal heading south. Again we struck lucky with Glascote Locks, a boat had just come out as we approached and although there was one going up in the top lock , there was another coming down before we left the bottom lock. To cap it all yet another boat arrived at the top just before we were ready to leave so again we left the gates for them.
A short way above the lock CRT and their contractors have been busy installing some new piling, but it looks as if they have been unable to drive it in fully.
As the day progressed the weather got even wetter and the umbrella was working overtime, but far better than togging up in coats as even with the rain it was quite warm.  We pulled over at Grendon Wharf to finish topping the water tank up, then it was just a few hundred yards to the bottom of the locks. Needless to say almost as soon as we moored up the rain stopped, the sun came out and the birds started singing.

Todays Journey 12.4 miles, 2 locks in 5.75 hours.

Curdworth locks Mon 6 July 2020

First trip out since the shutdown came on. First problem is trying to remember how Open Live Writer works, but at least now I am on Windows 10 I have a spell checker on it, it still wont know what word I wanted to use but it will save a bit of work.
We left home just before 9am and were at Alvecote just after mid day thanks to the great improvements along the A14.

The boat was in good shape, rather a lot of water in the bilge which was strange because I turned the stern greaser before I left. The engine started first turn of the key and the domestic bank were well up thanks to the small solar panels I have..
It was just on 2PM when we left the marina, the plan. Always have a plan, the plan was to leave the marina and turn right heading for the bottom of the Atherstone flight for tonight, however lock 10 on the Atherstone flight is bust so we turned left.  Between Alvecote and Fazeley we met 9 or 10 boats heading towards Atherstone so the queue by tonight will be even longer. We struck lucky at Tamworth with the top lock full and a boat coming up in the bottom lock, by the time we reached the bottom lock there was another boat waiting to come up, so the only gats we closed were top ones.

At Fazeley junction we turned sharp left on the Birmingham and Fazeley canal towards Curdworth, it wasn’t long before we passed John and Jan making their boat ready to set off, they are also heading Atherstone way but not leaving until Wednesday so we may see them later.  We carried on towards the Curdworth, but as we had no intention of going up the flight I let a following cruiser pass us so that I could just chug slowly as far as the winding hole, here we turned ( I made a right mess of it) and we headed back to moor for the night by the Gravel Pit Bridge.

Once moored up I gave the bilge a dose of looking at. The container under the stern gland was bone dry and floating around the bilge, as I bailed the water out I found the port side deck drain blocked so it must have been rain water coming in during one of the downpours over the past 3 months. A quick poke with the drain wire soon had it on its way. The bilge is not fully dry as I got fed up laying on my chest bailing out, I will do some more tomorrow.

Todays journey  8.7 miles, 2 locks in 3.25 hours,