Coventry Canal:Fazeley

We set off early as usual to get the Atherstone Flight out of the  way before the locks got too busy.     The bottom mitred gates are much heavier than those on the Oxford appear to be and are sheeted on the downhill side meaning that there is nothing to grab old of when leaving the lock to close the offside gate.    Fortunately the locks have steps on the offside, but it does mean stopping the boat in the right place.   Bywashes emerging under the walls make this a risky procedure unless a rope is taken ashore.    Lock 10 had one top paddle u/s and as we were then waiting for a boat to come up meant a 20 minute delay.    Alfie thought he would be very clever and walk along a tiny ledge in the lock throat to hasten his return to the back of the boat.   He duly fell in and got himself between the boat and the lock wall, ideal for squashing him.    He was duly lifted back out after having swam hither and thither.     We carried on at the bottom, wary of the bridge holes because the wind generator is stowed in its normal position making the tail fin the highest point on the boat.     We just squeezed under at Polesworth and also under a bridge near to Glascote.     We do know that we cannot get it through under some Trent & mersey bridges, so we have to reverse the position putting the tail in the rear hatch.    OK under normal circumstances, but messy when it rains of which we seem to have had a lot recently.   We are now moored opposite the "Three Tuns Inn" in Fazeley where we have found a BTWiFi signal from the boat.    Might check the pub out later.