Bradley Green to Hawkesbury Junction (13 miles, 11 locks)

Things didn't start too well last week when we decided to do a few locks....

Whoops, that lock still hasn't been fixed since last time we came this way!

It was 8am, and we thought 6 locks, times 2, because they are single and we have to do each one twice, easy done by about 10am.   Nope!  The above picture depicts what happens when the bottom lock gates leak like a seive!

Echoes waits patiently below the leaky lock whilst the 'big' boat (in the lock already) also waits for the pound above to fill up

So Richard strode up to the next lock and started to let water down into the pound.  Slowly, after about an hour, it was half full and a little while later we were able to fill the lock and let the boat travel sluggishly up to the next lock, trawling the bottom as she went!

A bit better but not quite full enough!

When we were raising the butty up through the leaky lock, the man from Canal and River Trust arrived to say he would let some more water down, and blamed other boaters for the lack of seal on the bottom gates, but hey what do we know!  

Quite low levels all the way along the flight

We spent the rest of the morning waiting around after 4 locks for the CRT man to finish being happy with the water levels, to then let us pass.  At around 1pm, we managed to get moored in the long pound next to a boat, where the previous day it's occupant had mysteriously drowned.....

Islonian - or the The Vapes Boat with Jim taking pictures of us as we leave

We met up with Sheila and Jim from narrowboat Islonian and had a lovely evening with them before carrying on to finish the flight the next day.

Leaving the water point at the top lock on the Atherstone flight

That's the last time I ask someone to 'hover in the middle' of the canal whilst I moor up to wait for the butty to come up.  The boat's steerer proceeded to moor up (not hover in the middle)and then the woman dropped the lock water for the butty instead of putting their boat in the lock first!  Completely misunderstood what I asked, thinking we had to pull the butty up in between as a priority.  I felt awful for the rest of the afternoon, as the woman didn't see the funny side, that I had called her husband a 'noodle' for not using the water.   Oh well, won't give any instructions or requests to anyone this year, unless they are getting on my nerves.........

Old 'moggy' minor!

Bit foggy as we set off from a tranquil mooring in the middle of nowhere, the next day

Looking back at where we had been moored

Cruising past Hartshill Yard

Approaching Nuneaton. we spotted Sue from narrowboat No Problem and shouted our greetings.  We pasted each other last year around the same time.

The hire company have moved from Spring Haven marina to the Coventry basin.  Looks a bit empty now, but still a lovely location

Nuneaton was, as usual, unkempt and dodgy socially and canalwise, but we dared to moor for about half an hour whilst Richard ran to Jewson to buy some wood for the new cratch (framework which holds the cratch cover on the bow of the boat).   Shame really because it would have been nice to 'do' the shops and spend the night.  Come Nuneaton clean up your canal!!

Mooring up for the night before Hawkesbury Junction, we bumped into more friends, Dave and Dee from narrowboat Medos (Sod 'em, backwards!) So, we ended up in the pub The Greyhound Inn at the junction for a couple.  Looks like it's going to be a year for bumping into old friends!

Alrewas to Bradley Green (21 miles, 7 locks)

The car passed it's MOT just in time for it to go into safe parking for the next few months.

I love this inscription, it really says it all

So, we had set off from Alrewas after a few days and made our way slowly up the locks, to stay at Fradley Junction for another couple of days.  The afternoons, then, we are free to get projects done or go shopping etc.

Being towed on a long line by the motor

With the butty being 60 feet long now (recently stretched to be the same length as the 'big' boat) I have found that long lining rather than cross-strapping the butty, is more enjoyable than before.  The butty behaves better, but you have to keep concentrating like you are steering a powered boat, as it all goes wrong very quickly!

Moored up in Whittington - butty in front, so the wooden rudder is protected from boats without brakes!

We have gradually made our way along the Coventry Canal, stopping along the way for a night or so, as the weather has allowed.  There is no particular rush as our first festival booking isn't until mid April Chamberlain Carrying Co calendar-2014

Outskirts of Hopwas

Being the time of year that it is, all the bills are typically due at the same time, including the boat licences. What a fiasco we have had again with the Canal and River Trust.  We had gone into the office at Fazeley junction a few weeks ago, when we still had the car, and paid for the big boat and butty up front, but because the butty is longer, we had to pay a different amount than was on their invoice.  Oh dear, confusion raineth.

Fazeley - with the Canal and River Trust office to the left at the facilities point

We hadn't heard anything about our payments for weeks, so after several phonecalls to CRT,  eventually I managed to pay someone the £19 difference from what we had estimated in the office and the documents would be in the post.....

Murals on the wall at Fazeley Junction

We dropped into the office the other day on our way through Fazeley on the boats to pick the licences up, but they still hadn't arrived!  Luckily later on they appeared miraculously in the post.  This is all well and good, but boaters form a big part of CRT's revenue and to treat us with the contempt that they can do, just is not good enough.  But what choice do we have.  I was going to write a letter to complain about staff members being permanently in meetings, especially as it had pushed us over the expiry date. I may give them another opportunity to redeam themselves....

Scoob on the big boat at Glascote locks

Fully paid up with glistening new licences in the windows, we carried on up through the 2 locks at Glascote.  I took the big boat up the second lock as Richard bow hauled the butty up the first, then boats arrived in front of me in quick succession, when we had not seen any moving around all morning.

Looking back down to Richard at the first lock

It was nice because the timing was excellent for the first boat to drop down, as I left the top lock.  And the sun was out!

New 'proper' stove in Echoes and Lister on the 'big' boat, thinking about jumping over

We have been looking for a reasonably priced stove for the Boatman's Cabin in Echoes for a while now and suddenly discovered one the other day on the internet.  We bagged a bargain, as it needed a lot of attention.  Spending a day getting the chimney to fit correctly and seal it all in, we have now installed it in the butty and it works beautifully.

Fuelling up with Rick from fuel boat Auriga supporting our fellow traders. These guys are moving in all weathers just to keep people supplied. Use them or lose them!

Whilst mooring outside Alvecote the other day, I nipped off the butty onto the wet mud and slipped clean over onto my back and banged my head on the ground.  Wow, what a shocker!  Richard came out of the butty and picked me up, but I was covered in mud and a bit embarrassed for my lack of care.

Towpaths in places are total quagmires

Where we were moored wasn't too bad, but in the picture above, you can see what it can be like!

The bows looking good with the ropework

I have been busy setting up my counter space in the shop, for the weekend, if the sun comes out and the wind drops!

Scooby and Lister on a dry bit of grass in the sun yesterday

And the boys, well, they've just been enjoying the sunshine!