Back onto familiar waters

Friday morning had us wondering whether to do a short journey that day, finishing at the bottom of Atherstone Locks, or the longer one to the top. Hmmm. We're really not in a hurry (despite the fact that our washing machine's not working, and we have a large pile of washing waiting in the shower room to be done), so we go for the short option for a change.

Down we went to Fazeley Junction, to join the Coventry Canal. Familiar territory once more. It was like Piccadilly Circus! As we approached this T-junction, a boat passed across in front of us. Then stopped. Reversed. Went forward again, and disappeared from view. We moved forward cautiously. Then his bow appeared in the bridge-hole, and he started up the Birmingham and Fazeley towards us. Grace backed Kantara off as he pulled over to our right, to moor.

Two more boats passed across in front of us, one in each direction. We edged forwards. Another stopped across our exit from the B & F, waited while another two passed him, then moved off, making to turn left up towards us. But then he saw us, closer than him to the bridge over our exit, and he stopped, effectively blocking off the top of the T. He beckoned to us to proceed. I indicated our intention to turn right (just as well, since he was blocking the left), he looked behind him and gave us the all-clear to complete our turn. Grace brought Kantara out slowly. The waiting boat had now moved across to the bank opposite our exit, reducing Grace's turning-space, but she did it with only a minor bounce off the far bank. With a "phew!", we moved on a little to moor up for lunch.

Unusual, castellated footbridge!

Glascote Locks, just two of them, were silly busy, with craft in both directions waiting to pass through. I locked with a woman from a 25' boat with an outboard motor, and weighing just 5 tons. It suffered badly from any significant wind, and even from the wash of bigger boats. We'd watched them being bounced around as we followed them to the locks. She and her husband had had her for six years, for use on weekends and holidays, to help them decide if they wanted a bigger one when they retired. Despite her disadvantages, they loved her, and it seemed very likely that they would, indeed, buy a larger one one day, and do more adventurous cruising.

They left us at Glascote Basin at the top of the locks. The boat was going to have her hull blacked while they took themselves off to Spain for a holiday.

We carried on through Tamworth, Alvecote and Polesworth, until finally we left the built-up areas behind and slipped into wide, green countryside. We found a lovely place to moor at Bridge 50. It felt as though we were miles from anywhere, but Atherstone was just two miles away.

Coventry Canal loveliness

One of the little things I enjoy about cruising is the leapfrogging we do with the same several boats travelling the same route as us. Some may pass us in the morning before we move on, but we'll overtake them when they stop for shopping, and then they'll pass us again while we're having lunch. There may be another pass after they moor for the night, but often we'll share a mooring. We're currently doing that with four craft. We'll probably lose some and gain others when we get to Fradley Junction tomorrow.

It was a peaceful, beautiful stretch of canal onwards from Bridge 50. We met very few other boats. The countryside is very green and lush, oak trees becoming common now, and in larger and larger patches of woodland. The clouds paint the sky, and poppies smear the fields.

Polesworth, then Tamworth, 

where there's a pair of locks. Glascote Locks.

And it was a very busy pair of locks today, with boats in both directions having to wait their turn to pass through, though this did have the advantage that, if everyone took it in turns, we were all able to "take the water" of the boat in the lock in front of us as it left its lock and approached the one we were leaving.

Note to self: Avoid commenting on people's dogs. At the top lock, I asked a dog-owning boater what breed her rather handsome dog was, and she immediately regaled me with tales of the poor creature's medical history. Most recently, "His testicles all swelled up", as did "all his eyes". ALL of them! A remarkable dog indeed. A Schnauzer, I finally discovered.

There was a hire-boat going down the locks ahead of us. A family group on holiday, their first time on the canals, and loving it. They'd only been out since yesterday morning, and this was their first lock. The mum who'd been sent out from the boat to "do" the locks admitted to not having a clue. I was glad to help her, of course, but why, oh why did the boat hire company, Valley Cruises, not make sure someone on the boat knew?

On from Glascote Locks, and a slow meander through attractive housing, the canal overhung by huge willows. Out came my secateurs. Well, someone has to keep the overhang short! It's very attractive to look at, but it can be a serious impediment to the view of the skipper!

This is a canal of white geese and ducks. Just like those in books for children in days of yore. The ones whose ducklings are yellow, like the plastic ones made for the bath. (What do you mean, you don't have one?!)

The mallards, more common elsewhere, are still here, but they seem to be getting bigger. And darker of feather. What are they? we wonder.

Next stop was for lunch, not a pretty, quiet spot, but timely.

Then on to Fazeley Junction, the meeting of the Coventry and the Birmingham and Fazeley Canals. Here we stopped for services, me filling the water tank and disposing of rubbish while Grace visited the not-too-distant Tesco Express for basic provisions.

On we went, back into the countryside, and, at the end of our day's cruise, as we moored amongst very attractive country homes in the village of Hopwas, we were leapfrogged by NB Constance May, who tied up ahead of us.