UK Canals - Journey reports

Saturday

Much nicer day and batteries changed successfully.

The marina party went ahead as expected and was rain free in spice of distant thunder.  A screen had been set up on the workshop wall facing a grassy area where an open fronted marquee had been erected and prepared for food service, provided by the management.  "Bring your own chairs and drinks".   There was some other shelter arranged should the weather had deteriorated, but in fact it was a lovely warm sunny evening - until the sun went down and it got chilly rather quickly.   There was a film show - "Mamma Mia" - very professionally done I must say.  Food was simple but excellent and all told a very enjoyable evening indeed.   Well done Barby Moorings.

Home tomorrow

Friday

Not as bad weather as forecast, but there were heavy showers .  Not the best time to find oneself crouched in the engine compartment.  We did get an excellent take away from the Spice Lounge in Hillmorton.

Thursday

We are staying with the boat until Sunday.  There is a marina party arranged for Saturday evening which we thought worth staying for.  In the meantime, if our new batteries arrive we ca possibly swap them out.

The batteries arrived late this afternoon, but the weather tomorrow looks "bad" - wind and heavy showers.  Saturday looks much better.

Return

Wednesday July 28th.  We set off early to get our visitors back in good time and got back to the moorings within the hour.  No traffic and not a lot of moored boats to slow us down.   I never seem to be able to predict where we will find loads of moored boats in the morning.   For example, the GU:Oxford section was virtually free this time round, but other times it has been solid nearly all the way.   The wind has got up again and it looks like another low pressure system is going to hit in the next few days.   Getting into the mooring is not dead easy in a crosswind and a crew member on the bow ready with a line is a good plan.

I have ordered new batteries.   We are planning a trip to Liverpool in August and although the batteries have not let us down they are over 7 years in use now and are long overdue for replacement.   Reading the voltage early every morning gives indication that the capacity is falling and once the voltage gets around 12.00, failure to hold a useful charge is not far away.   Don’t want this to happen while on a trip.

 

 

Return to Barby

Tuesday morning dawned bright, but with heavy showers forecast.   We like to set off early up a flight of locks if we can, but there are drawbacks to this idea as you will see.  The Warwick and Birmingham Canal locks are of a relatively modern design.  They are wide with solid gates which are often described as heavy.  The stonework is pretty consistent in layout with decent bottom landings and stairs up, so it is possible to line the boat up, slow right down and step off the counter with a centre rope, climb up and have plenty of time to use one turn of the rope on a back bollard to slow the boat down and stop it neatly against the lock wall and tie off.  If you have a half decent crew one will be shutting the gate behind.  If a single boat in the lock as we were, it is only necessary to open the same side paddle as the fill is so fast, and the water flows in such a way as to keep the boat tidy against a the lock side.  The third crew member (if you have one as we did) is meanwhile prepping the lock ahead so that there is no delay between locks.   To be correct, if the lock ahead was full it should not be emptied until the lock below is filling to save water.  This day the lock by washes were running, so not relevant.   So what are the drawbacks of leaving early?   Well lock 7 was empty as was the bone dry pound above.   So how could be the by-washes be running then?   The water from the by-wash coming in to the empty pound was the source of a stream that ran through the empty pound under the closed top gates of lock 7 and out through the bottom closed gates.  All paddles were down.  It looked as if the bottom seal on the top gate was defective, however, alternating the gates proved that both seals were good but the gates were not shutting completely as if the mitres were wrong or the gates had dropped slightly from a loose collar.    Perhaps with a full head of water they would seal anyway, but even so this shouldn’t happen.  Dog walkers informed us that this is a normal almost daily situation.   CRT notified, but with boats appearing in the flight above and below steps were taken to warn them to wait and to start letting water down.  The pound filled very quickly and we were all on our way again and our timetable rescued.   There was absolutely no mooring available in Braunston below the Marina, so we turned and set off to find our usual mooring below Willoughby Wharf.   Wind generator in use for the first time this trip, but the batteries now in their 8th year are showing signs of age and will need to be replaced before our forthcoming trip to Liverpool.

Visitors

Pat & I promised our daughter and grandson a week’s “trip”.   Summer holidays for a six year old are difficult to cater for in these COVID times.   As it happened the week was curtailed due to other needs.   So our guests arrived on Sunday.  We were all ready and got moving by 10:30.   The plan was largely dictated by the need for a pub meal on Monday evening.  Top of Buckby was not open on Monday, but The Boat at the top of the Stockton flight looked excellent and a booking made.  The idea was to turn back there and make for Braunston for the last overnight before returning.  Daughter had to sit an exam on Thursday.

Barby to the top of Stockton is an easy run, so we took our time expecting anyway for there to be long queues at the 3 Calcutt locks.  The first stop was for lunch just after Willoughby and the first night on the lengthy sheet piling just before Bridge 100 on the Grand Union (Oxford) section.   Monday was a late start and slow cruise.  There were surprisingly few boats moored along the way and nothing else visible going our way.  Calcutt Locks were free, no queue, and we were at a mooring opposite the Boat Inn by midday.   I had expected from memory that there would be no problem winding at the Kate Boats marina entrance, however a brief reconnaissance put grave doubts on that idea.   Theoretically possible I’m sure, but there were moored hire boats in the way and it would have been tight.   Given the need to be back at Barby on Wednesday morning a cast iron plan was called for.   I guess we could have waited till the morning and decided then, but the only option then would have been to reverse to the Nelson Arm and turn there.  So crazy as we are we decided to cancel the Boat booking and go down the Stockton Flight and moor at the Blue Lias.  That only took an hour and 10 minutes including winding before a lovely mooring spot on the pub wharf under some shady willows.   No booking needed for the garden dining and a pub that we know well.