We got a convoy.....

.....a slow one.

The fuel boat duly arrived Monday afternoon, I took 7 bags of smokeless fuel and asked for a diesel top up, and I certainly got a top up, unfortunately he tried to squeeze as much in as he could to round the cost up to the nearest £ and without realising managed to overfill it allowing a litre or so to seep down onto the swim and into the bilge, I only discovered it later when I noticed the diesel smell was quite bad and investigated. So that all had to be soaked up into nappies for disposal later, another lesson learned, don't let anyone try to fill it to the brim!

On Tuesday I cast off around 9am for the fairly short hop to Fazeley jcn. about 4miles and two locks ahead, I had put on my back support as it still feels a bit tender but I don’t ‘expect’ any more problems for now. It was slightly misty but not too bad weather wise.

There are 11 bridges along the first couple of miles so if you are going to meet another boat it is almost definite that it’ll be at a bridge hole, but today it was quiet and I met nothing.

There was a boat coming up the first of the two Glascote locks (12-13) as I arrived and they were fully crewed so I only had to wait until they had finished before heading in myself.

Arriving at the second lock just as a lady off another boat that was coming up reached the bottom gates I was glad to see that she realised the lock was nearly full (in my favour) and she then walked up to the top gate and began to set the lock for me waving me back to my boat, she locked me through and I was on my way again.

Passing over the aqueduct across the river Tame.

Before arriving at Fazeley my boating friend Rod texted me to say the visitor moorings before the junction were empty but those after were full, and on arriving Rod was there to say hello, I moored up and we had a coffee and catch-up.

Mooring:

I stayed put on Wednesday, and chatting with Rod we decided to do a stint of cruising together and made arrangements to head off Thursday, later on Rod said another friend of his, Costas,  was going to tag along with us as well. In the evening I treated myself to fish and chips, a huge portion that was far too large for one person!

Thursday arrived and all three of us wanted water, so there was a bit of a delay before we got going with Fradley junction as our probable destination.

Fazeley Junction, Birmingham right, Coventry Left

On the waterpoint

With me taking the lead, Rod in the middle and Costas at the rear, we got off to a good start, the weather was nice and we pootled along quite happily.

As we passed through Hopwas a couple of boats moved off ahead of us and a fisherman told me there was one in front of them as well, so we had a convoy, three ahead of me and two behind, and to begin with all was fine, but then the second boat ahead of me slowed, noticeably, it was probably the worst section of the trip with overgrown edges causing narrows and no opportunity to overtake, and so it went on for the next couple of miles, meeting oncoming boats with us five quite closely grouped, a bit of a fiasco really, until eventually just after the next village of Whittington the two boats ahead of me moored up, as I passed by he told me his gearbox was ‘unwell’ so he thought he’d stop to let us pass, better late than never I guess!

By now it was midday and I was getting thirsty and peckish, so at the first available spot large enough for three boats I decided we should stop for lunch.

Lunch mooring spot

Rod's boat N.b. Tilly Mint, Costas is behind him hidden from camera.

A half an hour later we were off again with Costas leading Rod second and me as rear gunner, and soon passing through the next village, Huddlesford, where there had been a festival a week or so ago.

Festival straggler?

The Plough Huddlesford

A boat pulled out between me and Rod just before Kings Orchard marina and I followed him until we reached Streethay Wharf where they pulled in for services, only a short distance which made me wonder why they had pulled out so quickly but perhaps they thought I might stop on ‘their’ service point.

I caught up with Rod as there was some further issue ahead of him with a boat blocking passage, it looked like he was attempting to moor up in too shallow an area, but all was revealed later when Rod suggested they ask me for a tow (Rod did not want to risk giving a tow as he has only recently had some engine work done) and on pulling up alongside them the chap informed me he thought he had something wrapped around his prop as his engine had just stalled abruptly, he was trying to get to the side for a trip down the weedhatch but couldn’t because it was too shallow, so with a towrope passed between his bow and my stern I towed him to a more suitable area, later when I was moored he passed by and said it was a big lump of wood jammed in the prop, he thanked me again before gliding past.

Just before bridge 90 Rod decided he wanted to stop, we were just short of Fradley junction and the probability of finding a mooring at this time of day was low so a good decision, Costas had gone off in the distance during the delay, so we moored up to call it a day, later on Costas returned to moor in front of Rod.

Current Mooring:

Totals this post: 11 miles : 2 locks : 1 Slow Convoy : 1 Rescue Tow J