Branston Water Park to Alrewas (5 miles, 4 locks)

Where did last week go?

The beautiful 'model village' lock at Tatenhill

We had arrived at Alrewas and ever since then I have been completely under the flu bug's command.....but feel better today, now the cough has subsided and I can sleep at night.

I love this little narrow bridge (Bridge 36, Barton Turns), damage to the stones is getting worse as people miscalculate!

Richard had managed to sort the water pump cooling system out after about 6 different rehashes until he was happy and we set off for Alrewas.

We keep seeing swans preparing for their arrivals.  They are understandably getting quite territorial!

The wind had picked up quite a bit as we pulled up for water before Barton Turns lock.  Richard separated the boats and let me slip along the outside of the big boat, but it all went wrong as the wind caught me and I was sent sideways gently into the offside moored boats!

Safely tied up for water at Barton Turns lock

I grabbed the barge pole and pushed with all my might against the moored boat (no damage done, I hasten to add) and Richard caught my centre line to pull me back over.  Eventually, in between gusts, we secured the boats together and pulled them both in to moor against the towpath.  As we were trying to get control of the situation, a boat came out of the lock and went full throttle past us, sending the butty slinging back astern, snapping one of the new answer rings off the stern of the butty.  More work for Richard....

All the sluice gates are down, so not in flood today!

Gliding up through Wychnor lock, we were relieved that this short river section was relatively calm, since last time we came through (September 2012).

Weir on the Alrewas river section.  The wind makes it look choppier than it was!

We didn't meet any other boats coming down river, luckily, so we had lots of room to manoeuvre along this part of the waterway.

Round this last bend is the lock to lift us up to Alrewas village

The wind had eased enough for Richard to slip off the cross straps and allow the butty to come into the towpath for me to tie up, but he remained onboard the big boat, for me to open the lock.  Meanwhile, a hire boat pulled up behind us and struggled to pull their boat into the armco.  I got Richard up through the lock and he ran back down to help pull the hire boat in to the side.  It was a slow job against the wind again, but those very grateful holidaymakers helped us to pull the butty up through the lock, for which we thank them.  It was hard work, I hate boating in the wind!

Lister relaxing in the sun, nevermind about his back legs....

Thursday, we travelled in the car to Rugby, to attend a meeting with other boaters and representatives of the Canal and River Trust.  It concerned proposals to change restrictions on moorings and other issues specifically aimed at 'Continuous Cruisers'.  We come into this category, as we travel around during the summer months and abide by the current mooring timeframe regulations.
We found the meeting interesting and it helped us to understand the depth and cost of other projects necessary to the waterway's survival. The debate remains though, around the tightening of mooring durations as opposed to simply enforcing the current rules!