home again

My pump out trip continued to be eventful. I tied up in the woods just prior to the marina and had a lovely relaxed afternoon, much needed after a really busy week at work and then the run in with the loon on the flight.

Bright and early the next morning I took the boat into the marina ready for my much needed pump out only to find their machine was broken! Fortunately the wharf close by is managed by Tom who did my blacking recently and he let me go there to be pumped out! However I had to manoeuvre into a very tight space at the wharf and then was told that in order to get diesel I needed to go back out and reverse in. I looked at the space available and the breeze blowing. I then dipped my diesel and decided I had enough to last me another month. What a coward!

My trip back down the flight made up for the trip up. I met boats at every lock and without exception their crews were friendly and helpful. One was also informative when she told me that the Napton flight of locks have just closed for 3 weeks due to 100 feet of bank falling into the canal! It has trapped boats within the flight and has caused particular problems for hireboaters as there is no road access.

I got back to my mooring by lunchtime and then went off to the supermarket as I needed a food shop before returning to work tomorrow. Tired now but happy.

Trouble on the flight

I had to take the boat out on bank holiday Monday, not something I would usually do, but I was overdue a diesel and pump out visit to Kings Bromley. It was predictably busy and I didn't start till about 9.45. However there were more volunteer lock keepers about than you could shake a windlass at so help was at hand.

All was well until I reached the third lock in the flight. There was a boat waiting to go through the next lock that was tied on the lock bollards in such a way that I would struggle getting in behind him. I slowed right up and saw the boater chatting to people on the towpath. I called out in my most friendly and polite manner and asked him if he minded moving his boat forward on the bollards so I could fit in behind. I saw him say something but couldn't hear him so I repeated my request. This time it was obvious the man was annoyed. His wife then had a word and reluctantly and making a great show of effort, they moved their boat a few feet so I could get in.

The wife went off to the lock and the man, in his 60's, stayed with the boat. I secured mine and then wandered up to have a word. I said I was sorry if I caused him a problem to which he replied "I don't like bossy females at the tiller" I was about to respond in kind when I noticed his boat (Rosy) was covered with Boater Christian Fellowship stickers. I asked if he was a member, he said he was. I said "well you aren't a great advert are you?" To which he asked what I knew about it. Well I couldn't resist and said "I was an evangelist for the Church of England". I paused and saw him thinking maybe I was part of his club and then said " but then I saw the light and left."

His response honestly shocked me. He came up very close, poked his fingers at me and hissed in a low, vicious tone "get away from me you devil!" I said "devil?" He replied that if I was "an ex" then I was a devil and then he disappeared inside his boat, even though the lock was almost ready for him. I was stunned by the mixture of fear and fury that flowed from him and decided not to speak again as he was clearly unhinged.

But I still had to follow him up the lock flight and being that he was slower at the locks, I kept catching up with him. I noticed he was smiling and chatting and even handing out chocolate to the volunteer lock keepers but when he glanced at me, which he did regularly, his mask slipped and I saw what was underneath. At the last but one lock he got his camera out and appeared to take a photograph of me and then nodded as if to say he had me now. No doubt I should check their website in due course. I might find my mugshot on it with warnings about the devil!

I know I should just shrug it off but it still bothers me when I see such an ugly face purporting to be Christian. I also know he is in a tiny minority (although I have met two other rude members of the same organisation) but as I tied up in the woods I was very grateful again that I no longer have anything to do with organised religion!

Cruise End

Bonny and I had a well earned rest at Hopwas until Sunday morning when we mooched back to Fradley, stopping at the new King’s Orchard Marina where I filled up with diesel for 80p a litre which was a good rate for red diesel. I then found the last space on the visitors mooring on the Coventry at Fradley Junction, ready to take her into dry dock on Monday morning.

I had thought that if I get the boat up before 9am I could transfer my belongings at leisure into my car to be transported to Stan’s. However, when I got to the Junction Tom, the boatyard owner was already there so it was all a bit of a rush to get my bags etc off as well as remembering the jobs I wanted Tom to do on the boat while she was out of the water. As well as having the hull blacked (painted to keep the rust at bay – called blacking because of the bitumen based paint they use,) I also needed a small welding job to be done, the tiller bearing to be replaced and my tunnel bands repainted. All of that will cost me in excess of £550 and my licence is also due this month – costing another £770 so not a cheap time in my boating world!

Here is my boat in dry dock – I forget what a big bum she has!!

Then, reluctantly I left Don’t Panic in a damp shed and went off like a refugee to be put up by Stan for the week – and very kind it was too of him to put up with Bonny and I as lodgers.

On Friday there was a treat in the shape of a host of pre WW2 cars coming to the junction as part of a rally. Here are some highlights…

A 1911 Maxwell – my favourite.

Aston MartinSS Jaguar – Stan’s favourite.

I could go on! One of the cars apparently was recently sold for five million pounds!!!

I am also back to work now and the change from solitary cruising to living with someone else and being desperately sociable is a shock to the system! But since somebody managed to fall in a dry dock and die, we are not allowed to stay on board anymore, so I don’t know what I would have done without Stan offering me a roof over my head.

Having said that, I am very much looking forward to returning to my floating home. All the work is done but she will stay in dry dock for the weekend so the paint can dry properly (or cure). Then, promptly on Monday morning I will take possession, cruise to Alrewas to turn round and then, after 3 weeks, finally return to my mooring. Job done!

A Bad day at Black Rock

I don't know if you remember that film but after it was on, whenever we had an awful time that's what we used to say.
 The day (Thursday) started OK with an early walk and cruising from 8am. It took 4 hours to do 11 miles and two locks but I arrived in Hopwas and found our favourite mooring vacant. I was so pleased with Bon as she had been so good and patient with all the cruising so I popped her on the towpath whilst I secured the boat. The time was 12.10pm. Having got the boat sorted, I fetched her lead and called bon to have her walk. Nothing. No sign of her at all. I assumed she had started without me and so walked the way we usually go. No sign or sound of her.
After an hour or so I finally spotted her at the bottom of the field, worryingly close to the mainline railway. I did my usual walking away and calling her but she immediately dived into the trees to the side of the field and that was that. I tried all the usual tricks to get her back but she had slipped into that mad state of mind where humans, particularly me, were the enemy and to be avoided at all costs.
I won't bore you with all the details of the endless afternoon but despite hail storms, wind and almost constant rain, by dark she was still on the run. I was fairly sick with worry, particularly when the trains flew by.
At 7pm I saw movement outside the boat. I made her supper and called Bon to come in. At 8.10pm, 8 hours after she went, my bleep bleep dog jumped in the boat. She was soaked through, covered with brambles and shivering with cold. I was not sympathetic, although I did let her warm up on my lap.
So we will be going to bed shortly as I am shattered. Fortunately I was planning to stay here till Sunday. Guess who won't be running free in the woods this time?!

Return journey

The plan came together and I had the best cruising weather so far for my journey from Hawkesbury to Mancetter. I managed to get the same spot and was untroubled by any neighbours for my entire stay, just the way I like it! Here is a picture I took from the top of the hill opposite my boat.

It reminded me again what a small footprint I have, and am. My wee 50 foot living space looks so small in the large landscape, but it is more than enough for me. I may have a small home, but what a garden!! It made me think how insignificant I am in the world as well. No one in that town behind my boat knew of my existence. I shall move on leaving no trace that I was ever there. Having had two careers where being significant to a lot of other people was par for the course, I can honestly say that anonymity suits me better now.

Mancetter, a suburb of Atherstone has some of the best signed footpaths I have ever seen. Lovely circular walks and good posts so there is little risk of getting lost. I wish more parishes followed suit. Here is Bonny panting to get started on an excellent woodland walk…

The plan to stay through Tuesday was a good one as it rained without pause from when I first woke up at 7am until we went to bed at 10pm! I did walk the hour round trip into Atherstone to buy supplies and of course walk Bonny – three times! But not cruising was a good option and meant that we could explore more of this hidden gem. The Midlands keep surprising me. When I first came here, I expected cities and dark satanic mills, but even close to places like Nuneaton or Tamworth are the most beautiful areas of countryside.

Today (Wednesday) I started off at 8am to tackle the Atherstone flight while it was quiet. I felt I had cheated a bit on the way up by accepting lots of help, so this time I faced the 11 locks alone. And I really was alone. I only met one boat, a working boat at lock two and then no one else until lock 9. It meant that most of the locks were in my favour which really helped, but because there were no other boats coming towards ,me, it meant I had to balance my boat at the tail of each lock and then climb back up to close the gates. I worked out that at each lock I opened or closed a gate 5 times and there were 11 locks, so that makes… my arms very tired!

I stopped at the bottom of the flight to water up and get rid of rubbish and then went on to Meadow bridge (is what it sounds like) to moor.

After a shower my arms still felt like limp spaghetti but I am happy that I can do 11 locks and 4 miles in less than 3.5 hours! It has hailed and rained this afternoon (after I was safely moored) but I am hoping it will dry up for our return to Hopwas tomorrow. My plan is to veg there till Sunday when I will very reluctantly return to Fradley to put my boat into dry dock for blacking and then return to work.

Alvecote to Hawkesbury Junction

Here is a picture of the working boats at Alvecote, mentioned yesterday…

I set off for Atherstone by 8.30am in almost dry but fairly chilly conditions. The wind which has been our constant companion so far wasn’t too troublesome. It took about 90 minutes of cruising before I reached the bottom of the Atherstone flight. I received unexpected assistance when I reached the fourth lock up in the shape of my mate Stan and a small herd of volunteer lock keepers. With their assistance I rose to the top lock with relatively little effort. Stan and I then visited the chippy and a local pub before I waved a fond farewell and carried on my cruise.

I moored only a couple of miles further on near Mancetter as it had started to rain quite hard, but after the bustle of Atherstone, it felt a lot further…

 

There were some fantastic footpaths here and so I have decided to stop for the day here when I return to explore further. My ankle is almost recovered but just to remind me that suffering is good for the soul, I am brewing a cold!

Sunday morning, and after a lovely though chilly walk around the golf course and woods, we set off for Hawkesbury junction where the Coventry Canal meets the North Oxford and where you can get a rare picture of two canals in one frame…

The Coventry is just visible on the left, the Oxford on the right and at the junction of the two, a pretty bridge and attractive pub…

It took three and a half hours to get here and this time the wind was absolutely bitter and it felt like a lot longer. Still, once I lit a fire and had some tomato soup for lunch I felt sufficiently recovered to take Bonny for a walk. I had particularly wanted to come to Hawkesbury Junction as I had stopped here once before when cruising with my friends Roger and Shirleyann. It is an area where there used to be mining and once the pits were closed, the area was given over to nature and I had not had the chance to really explore on my previous visit. I had remembered a lovely wooded and gorse covered area with footpaths running all around. Unfortunately on our return I discovered the walk I had remembered was no more. The trees had all been cut down and the gorse pulled up, leaving behind a barren wasteland, suitable only it seemed for motocross judging from the churned up tracks!

Ah well, never mind, a night here and then I shall mooch back through the fairly unattractive Nuneaton to Mancetter where I shall sit out the forecasted bad Tuesday weather. I am also fairly short of food so I shall wander into Atherstone for supplies.

Oh, I do wish I was well enough off not to have to return to work. The North Oxford looked so inviting, and then I could have followed onto the South Oxford, The Thames and who knows where I could end up! Ah well, seven more years before I get my police pension and then there will be no stopping me.

Hopwas to Alvecote

I’m glad I took another day before moving as my poor sore ankle got a bit fat…

 

But it got much better so this morning I took Bonny for an early walk and then made the most of the sunny morning by setting off by 8am.

We had a lovely but uneventful cruise through Tamworth to Alvecote, where we found a brilliant mooring near the ruins of an old priory and close to Alvecote Marina which is known for its collection of working boats. There used to be mines here but they are now nature reserves and Bonny and I were delighted to find some beautiful walks. We are close to the M42 here, but you would never know it as any noise is muffled by all the trees.

Tomorrow I will work a bit harder as a few miles ahead lies the 11 lock Atherstone flight. Thank goodness I have practiced sizeable flights quite a bit now and so it holds no fears for me. I just hope I don’t have to do it in the rain!