Coventry Canal:Fradley Junction

We still have an irritating intermittent fault on the left hydraulic bowthruster.  Don't need the bowthruster you will say and that is true, but every now and again it is very useful.  Thinking it must be an electrical fault because the right works reliably I have checked wiring as best I can, but have no circuit diagram and do not wish to start taking things apart.  Certainly the control switch is OK.  Then I had the sudden idea that it could be the fluid level which is on the red line in the reservoir.  So where to get some HLP22 hydraulic fluid.   The search is on!   We waited at Rugeley for opening hours to try a motor factor there, but no luck.  They only had HLP32.  So we have moved on to Fradley Junction, Fazely tomorrow.    Leaving Rugeley we met a regular stream of opposite direction boats, stopping at Armitage tunnel for one.   Soon we came up behind a Canal Cruising Co hire boat having some difficulty getting off the bank, just round a corner requiring an "emergency stop".   They were a little slower than us ahead which really doesn't matter but they kept slowing further trying to get us to overtake.   On a narrow shallow canal it very tricky to overtake a moving boat.  Firstly it can take a long distance, other boats can suddenly appear ahead and the water dynamics are such that strange things happen.  It is best to pull in, jump ashore with a centre rope and wait for the overtaking boat to pass.  So we held back and in the end they got the message.   Why rush anyway, Woodend Lock was not far ahead and we would have to wait.   As it happened, there was no queue and we were soon on our way.   Volockies were at the three Fradley locks.   The first, Shadehouse Lock has very low bottom gates such that the button rides up over the top.   Just managed to catch that in time as the paddle was opened.  At Middle Lock the volunteers have invented a large board which they can hang on the bottom gates to indicate to the Junction Lock Keeper which way boats are going so that unnecessary cycling of the lock can be avoided.   Very clever!  Actually it was agreed that the day was very quiet with few boat movements.  Certainly we were expecting queues.   Having failed to get into a mooring between two boats, one very kindle shifted for us, so we are secure.   But it is a long haul with a heavy rubbish bag to the services.