Wombles needed......

......in Nuneaton.

Yesterday began well, I had the remaining five locks of the Atherstone flight to go up and then a lock free cruise to Nuneaton, I was in no rush at all and at 9:30 I went up on deck with a cup of tea just as a volunteer lockie was passing, he stopped for a chat, as you do, and just as he was departing he said “I am just going down to the next lock so hang on a bit and when I get back I’ll set the locks for you”, oooh lovely, so I waited until he came back and off I went, he walked ahead setting the locks and opening the bottom gates, closing them after I entered, then went to the next lock while I filled the lock and exited closing the top gate, easy peasy, love a good volunteer J

In the first lock

The services are on the right immediately after the top lock so I swung out left and reversed back onto them for the usual fill and empty and a cuppa while waiting.

On the service point

Then it was off again through lovely countryside.

This stretch is very pleasant cruising up until you pass Hartshill, I had stopped there on the way up, but after that the bags and plastic bottles start appearing in the water, lots of them, you are approaching Nuneaton where the canal seems to be used as a rubbish disposal area, it gets worse the closer you get, I passed an old TV, smashed but recognisable, floating, along with a child’s tricycle, also floating, numerous bags of rubbish on the banks and in the trees as well as in the water  and so many drinks bottles you would think a marathon had just passed through and they hadn’t tided  up yet.

I had intended to stop but it rather put me off, so I continued on, just outside the town I heard a loud crack and a splash and looking behind me a rather large branch had broken off a tree and come down in the canal, a lucky miss, had that landed on my solar panel it would have smashed it, lucky timing.

I continued on until I saw a nice more rural spot and moored up for the night, I am staying put today as well.

Current mooring

Totals yesterday: 7 miles : 5 Locks

Project updates, for those interested:

My battery bank before and after the replacements:

My fuel theft preventer, this is as it was, accessible with no lock.

I started with a lump of 5mm metal, a hacksaw, a club hammer, blowtorch and drill and fashioned and then painted this device.

Add a couple of padlocks and a retaining chain ( you soon learn not to drop things in the canal!) and that is it, it wont stop determined thieves, nothing will, but should prevent the opportunists.

And finally, as newsreaders say, for those of you who don't know what a Womble is Link. They lived on Wimbledon common and collected rubbish (I think! never watched it, honest)