The first lock of Spring

Tuesday 26^th March; Droitwich Spa marina to Perdiswell Park

Today was Jess’s first cruise.  She was unperturbed when Dave turned the engine on, but we still thought it wise to shut her in as we cast off.  But she was soon out again sitting on Meg’s locker seat.

What’s going on Mum?

The plan was that she’d stay on the boat as we worked our way up Hanbury locks, but as Dave pulled in to let me off she nipped past us and was on the bank while we were still collecting our thoughts…  so on went the lead and she stayed with me.  I only had to work the bottom lock by myself as the volunteers had arrived.

How did he get there?

The Hanbury volunteers are brilliant, they are often early to work (as they were today) and sometimes turn up even when it’s not their ‘official’ day to be working.

Round Hanbury Junction we went, turned right through the bridge and passed the Hadzor long-term moorings.  Green woodpeckers were laughing in the woods, chiffchaffs singing their little hearts out, and it was wonderful to be out boating on a beautiful spring day.  Jess seemed to be enjoying herself, looking out from her vantage point or at the stern … and quickly saw her opportunity at a bridge.  Off she jumped, so I grabbed the lead and got off too.  We walked as far as the towpath closure near Dunhampstead Tunnel, which had been closed after a landslide at the end of last year.  The bank had collapsed, bringing trees with it and closing the navigation.

As the area has poor access for vehicles it was weeks before a start could be made on clearing the navigation, and the towpath remains closed.

Our plan was to get down to Perdiswell Park at the edge of Worcester, where we would be unaffected by the sunken boat which is a bit further on at Gregory's Mill top lock.  Jess slipped off again at the bridge before the Oddingly mooring spot, so there was a short pause while we got her back on board. But it was lovely cruising weather, quite bright, birds singing, the blackthorn in blossom and the willow catkins covered in pollen.

Blackthorn

Goat Willow or similar

As we approached the top of the Offerton flight, we could see a cyclist playing on the ramped sides underneath the M5 bridge. 

He came to ask if he could help with the top lock.  He has recently started work as a fundraiser for CRT, and was keen to ‘have a go’.  Of course I told him how much we needed him – for the money, not the lock! – and gave him a quick instruction on gate operation.  Of  course we wished him every success in his fundraising endeavours!  At the second lock the young chap at the cottage, who was working on his car, came and made a big fuss of Jess before closing up for us.  Jess was off the boat with me, but is tied up at the locks until we are more sure of how she will behave.

I think I’m getting the hang of this now

I’m not so sure Jessie!  Maybe once you've fallen in and are aware that you can’t walk on water ….  we’ll see.  We pulled in to moor below the bottom lock and had some lunch.  We didn’t stop for long – the rain is forecast to start between 3 and 4 and we want to be moored before then.  This time Dave walked Meg and I steered.  It’s very noisy on the outskirts of Worcester – the roads surround the canal below Offerton locks and although they seem to be quite far away the noise is intrusive even at night, as we found out to our cost last year.  Factories and works lie behind trees on the towpath side.

Coltsfoot

The conditions were very calm; this was lucky, as at Tolladine lock one of the top paddles was out and a bottom paddle was very slightly open so the levels wouldn’t equalise, and I had to hold station for about 10 minutes.  I would have been in trouble if there had been any wind.

You’d have thought this could have been dealt with during the winter

Dave and Jess walked as far as Blackpole lock, where we swapped roles again and Jess was kept on board till we had pulled in and moored just past bridge 16.  This is a great mooring for walking a dog, and Dave took her off into the park straight away before the rain came.  They managed half an hour in the dry, then it rained until well after dark.  The news came through at lunchtime that the sunken boat had been removed, and two hire boats came past in the pouring rain some time after Dave and Jess were back.  We are now on a slight tilt – a walker said that the canal had been dewatered for a while so I suppose it’s not surprising that two boats coming up had taken some of our water depth.

7 miles 1 furlong, 11 locks