UK Canals - Journey reports

Grand Union Canal:Bridge 100

We left the Blue Lias to return to Brinklow after a fun weekend with fellow CUTWEB members.  We had an army of lock wheelers and were in the company of nb Jenny B, so it was an easy ride albeit with an awful lock wait below the second from top lock while two novice boaters, one a Viking hire, the other an ownership, got themselves organised with instruction from our team.  It seems there was some doubt in the beginning by the second that two boats could get in the lock.  A common misconception by very inexperienced crews.  Whist maneuvering got into the mud on the offside and picked up a garment on the prop.  However not a problem, just a quick visit to the weed hatch which is very easy in a Braidbar boat  such as ours. The sun was shining and the rest of the trip to our usual holding place before Braunston Turn was uneventful, though I'm still grumbling about offside vegetation.

Grand Union Canal:Boat Inn (Stockton Top)

Up early to await the arrival of family who had left Chatham early in the morning for an easy trip.   Shortly after we set off down Stockton Locks.  Good mooring at the Blue Lias.

Grand Union Canal:Bridge 100

Just a short trip.   We are on our way to the Blue Lias for this year's CUTWEB annual rally.  It's really not far from where we started, but on another canal, so it takes a couple of days (if you are not in a hurry).   There is just a little concern about the weather today as the Met Office has named a storm that we are in the tail of, suggesting 75mph winds, heavy rain.  In the event is certainly has been windy, but mostly either from the front or behind which is easy to cope with and the wind chill just means heavy clothes.  Quite a lot of sunshine too!   Today we've just gone around the corner to the Grand Union out of Braunston.  We get good TV here and there's always plenty of good mooring on piling.   There were just three locks to negotiate at Hillmorton.  These are paired narrow locks (i.e. can just take one boat each), but today half are closed as a bottom gate beam on the middle pair has snapped, so only one lock is available for each of the three to keep the water balanced.  We have remarked on the amount of traffic on the canal today, fortunately though there was no holdup.  Tomorrow were are moving to the top of Stockton Locks expecting to meet Chloe, Kai and the children on Friday morning.

We think that Canal and River Trust are going to have their work cut out this winter dealing with vegetation issues if the Oxford Canal is anything to go by.  In particular it is the offside vegetation spreading over half the canal in some places and obstructing navigation.  The worst examples always seem to be on the inside of bends where the view of oncoming traffic is restricted.  Not only that it is on the sharp curves that passing boats need extra maneuvering room.  This picture is take from bridge 50 looking back towards Newbold Tunnel.   Coming round from the tunnel towards this spot you really need to see if a boat is just about to come under the bridge in front of you, but with the bushes you can only take a precautionary route which I did nearly wiping out some swans in the process and then getting trapped on the outside of the curve.