Hanbury Juncton and back to base

Thursday 10^th and Friday 11^th October; Hanbury junction, then home for the winter

There was more rain overnight, but it had stopped by the time I took Jess out first thing, though the towpath was rather puddly and muddy.

The puddles had drained a bit by the time I took this.

The sky was blue as Dave left to walk down to Droitwich to catch the train for the car shuffle, foot pump in his backpack in case the car tyres were flat.  

Near our mooring

It was only 8.30, so I got on with some jobs, like clearing and laying the fire.  Jess needed a good walk too, so we went down the Droitwich Junction canal as far as the horse chestnut trees near lock 7, between the M5 tunnel and the town.  We hadn't managed to collect any conkers this year so far.  I had to look carefully but there were still a few to be found, and though there weren't many I hope there will be enough to deter the spiders!  I have rehomed several this trip and there are still two evading capture.  On our way back we played with her ball on the wide bits as far as the marina, where we called in to find our berth number.

Bracket fungus spotted on our walk

Dave returned in time for lunch, having had an easy journey by walking, train and taxi to Aston marina and then driving back down the M6 and M5.  The car tyres were all in order, and having done the reset of the electronics advised by an engineer he spoke to, the warning light had vanished and everything was ok.

Intermittent sun only, so although the batteries were ok when we got up, with the fridge switched back on the engine needed running for a while as we are not moving today.  And we needed hot water!

An annoying feature of the design of our cratch cover is that when, inevitably, sometimes the bow scrapes against the lock as you go in, there is a risk that the studs below the gunwale get scraped off too.  Dave had bought a set of studs and the tool to attach the top part to the fabric of the cratch cover.  In the event he only needed to drill out the holes for two studs on the hull side.

Screwing the new studs in place

Meanwhile I had started the Big Clean inside.  Jess didn't get in the way.  After she got bored chewing a bit of stick while Dave drilled and paid her no attention, she stationed herself on the stern deck staring fixedly at the overgrown hedge on the offside, nose whiffling.

What’s there Jess?  Squirrel?

She stood like that for half an hour or more.

It was starting to get colder – a change in the weather was forecast.

On Friday morning the weather had changed, with a sharp frost.

No one else was about as Jess went out first thing.

We got on with packing as we waited for the frost to go before we moved off – Hanbury locks are deep and I didn’t want to risk slipping.  By about 10 I was filling the top lock when the first volunteer arrived, shortly joined by the second.  They took over the emptying of the lock and the bottom gates while I went on to set the two remaining locks.  Then once Dave had brought the boat into the bottom lock, I stepped back on board and they completed the job.

Emptying half the water into the side pond, bottom lock.  Check out that glorious blue sky!

Thanks guys, sorry I’ve forgotten your names!

Straight onto the marina wharf to fill with diesel, get a pump-out and empty the Porta-Potti which we had been using instead of the macerator loo to save the batteries.  There was barely a breath of wind, highly unusual in this marina, as we slid easily into our berth – bow first so Dave could wash and wax the starboard side.  The solar was now going great guns keeping the batteries topped up.  A perfect day for an autumn cruise, or at least sitting out drinking coffee in your well deck as our neighbours were doing!  Sadly we have appointments coming up and need to be back home.  At least it was dry to pack up the car.  We'd left at about three, but delays round Bristol meant it was nearly dark by the time we got home.

Half a mile’s cruise, 3 locks.

Trip stats;

74 miles 6 furlongs narrow canals, 91 narrow locks.

1 working swing bridge (Fradley Junction), 1 aqueduct at Brindley Bank, Rugeley.

8 tunnels – Curdworth, Factory, Curzon St, Ashted, Edgbaston, Wast Hill, Shortwood, Tardebigge.  2 miles 4½ furlongs underground.