Heavy work!

Saturday 29^th March; Landsdown Park to Lowesmoor Basin, then to Perdiswell Park, bridge 17.

There was frost on the grass when I took the dog out first thing, but it soon went.  The sun was shining brightly as we left for Lowesmoor Basin, arriving before 9 am.

Early morning at Landsdown Park

Stuart soon arrived and set to work.  He is tall, broad and at least 10 years younger than us, but even so he said that our batteries, at 31 kg each, were at the limit of his capabilities.  So it’s hardly surprising that Dave decided a boatyard would be better equipped than us to change the leisure battery bank.

Stuart removing battery no 3

There was a lot of puffing and grunting – it was clearly a very difficult job.  Glass-of-squash work rather than cup-of-tea!  Stuart knew Martin, the boater Dave had been talking to at Droitwich, whose batteries were 36 kg each – that was a 2-men-and-a-winch job.

Just one to go - the one on the left is the starter battery

Stuart confirmed that the frame securing the batteries was welded in place, so the only way to get a battery out was to lift it.  The first was the hardest, as the others could be shuffled sideways, with a bit more space to heave them out.

In goes the first new one

Two to go

Stuart keeps a tidy ship

He had a magnetic lamp which gave a good light, so that this photo of the finished job is very clear.

It looks as though there is plenty of room to get the batteries out, but that really wasn’t the case at all

Because the solar had been keeping the batteries topped up, and we had turned the fridge off overnight to reduce drain, it was hard to tell which of the old batteries had failed.  Or maybe more than one?  Anyway, with the old bow thruster lead-acids on their last legs Dave swapped them with two of the old leisure batteries, and will monitor them closely to see how they behave.  We have kept the other two to try as needed.

And now the bow thruster is happy too, and so are we!

We paid our bill in the office and were on our way again by 11.30.  There was apparently a partial solar eclipse this morning, but the hazy cloud had been building up so we didn’t notice – and had forgotten about it anyway.  But it would have been good to try projecting the image onto the ground using a colander, as was suggested on the radio!

Reversing out of Lowesmoor Basin

We stopped again at Landsdown Park so Jess could have a play, had lunch and then moved off north again.  The swans were pottering about between the two Gregory’s Mill locks and were no trouble this time, thank goodness.  We could see a boat ahead of us at Bilford bottom lock, progressing very slowly.  They turned out to be first-timers up from Diglis, with two adults on the boat and one little lad working the locks.  He was doing very well, and got most upset when I turned up to help!  Personally, I wouldn’t have allowed a child of 10 (at a rough guess) to be operating a lock with no adult on the bank.  They were winding at the Bilford winding hole, which is between the two Bilford locks.  They found it very difficult, mainly because the pound was very low (this one often is).  Dave managed to get Bonjour out of the bottom lock but stuck on the way into the top one, so I had to run some water down.  A good learning experience for the newbies, anyway – Dave was close enough to the lock mooring to give them a running commentary, and they paid close attention as this will be their local patch.

The afternoon was cloudy and increasingly cold so we were glad to moor before bridge 17 at Perdiswell Park, a favourite spot.  Jess was bouncing up and down with excitement at the prospect of a walk in the park, which she duly got.  I had remembered to re-proof the little area on the cratch cover that had been leaking, though an hour later had to hastily bring the cover down so it stayed dry when the rain started.  The fire was lit early. 

Less than 3 miles, 4 locks

Pesky swans at Gregory’s Mill

Friday 28^th March; Oddingley to Lansdown Park, Worcester

Though it had rained overnight it had stopped by getting-up time.  But the rain meant I could finally find  the source of the leak in the cratch cover after I had re-proofed it last year - it is on the stitching of the window panel, the cover of which is kept closed when we leave the boat so it had been dry all winter. 

Quite a puddle

We were up reasonably early and on our way by 9, needing to get down towards Worcester near to Lowesmoor Basin, where we hope to get our leisure batteries replaced – we need someone younger and stronger, maybe in possession of a winch, to get the originals out.  In chilly, cloudy but dry weather we reached the top of Offerton locks by the thundering M5.  We shared the work in our normal way and with locking ahead we made good progress even though four of the flight were completely empty, two with a bottom gate swung open for good measure.  At the bottom lock a boat was approaching – only the second on the move we’ve seen so far this trip – and the crew came up to help.  They had spent the winter in Diglis and were now on the move to Mercia.  With the top lock of Tardebigge out of action for some time, their favoured route isn’t available, and with Bevere Lock on the Severn also closed at the moment, they can’t go up-river to Stourport from Worcester.  Their only option is to go all the way up to Hanbury junction then down the Droitwich canals to the Severn, adding many miles and locks to their journey. 

The rumour at Droitwich is that the Grade II listed Tardebigge top lock** could be out for most of the season – it is going to impact many people’s plans for the summer as the only way to the rest of the network is via the river Severn.  I feel sorry for the poor hire companies – Cafwyn Cruises, based at Droitwich marina, has lost a three-week booking because of the stoppage and is now offering a top-spec electric boat hire at a big discount.  ABC and the share boats from Canal Boat Club at Lowesmoor Basin, and Black Prince at Stoke Prior, will all be affected by the closure.  Our ‘escape’ in a few weeks’ time will depend on the Severn not being in flood.   

There was time to make a pot of coffee as we cruised down to Tolladine lock, where a top paddle is still out of action.

At least the lockside damson trees are in bloom, though you can only see the smaller tree to the right of the ratchet.  I wasn't thinking of the blossom when I took the photo.

Tolladine and the following locks were all nearly full, so we continued making good progress.  At Bilford Top Lock a local group, the Worcester Craftivists, fed up with dog mess, have created a small artwork.

A bit small though, how many offenders will stop to read it?

Then we reached Gregory’s Mill locks.  As we worked through the top lock I could see that the bottom lock, a hundred yards or so further on, was open and the local swans were hanging around.  A passer-by confirmed they were in the lock itself, and he had opened the top gate fully so that they could get out, but they weren’t budging.  Before we left the top lock we made sure Jess was securely shut in on the stern deck, and I armed myself with some bread before walking along the towpath.  They were very reluctant to move, and they stopped taking the bread when a dog went by, but eventually I tempted them out so Dave could safely get into the lock.

Don’t you dare follow the boat!  Bad swans!

Then it was a rush to get the gate closed – they were following the boat and one nearly made it back into the lock through the narrowing gap.  I shouted at it, making it stop just long enough to let me finish closing the gate.  Phew!  We dropped down with no further problems.  It was now nearly lunchtime, so we stopped at Lansdown Park just past bridge 11.  After lunch Dave called Lowesmoor Basin and booked us in for 9 am tomorrow.  Now the important question was, do we continue to Diglis basin, turn and moor at the Commandery, which we often do?  Less than a mile and one lock to do in the morning.  But the wind is strong, we have no bow thruster (Dave is now pretty sure the batteries are buggered) and winding at Diglis is tricky at the best of times.  So we stayed put, less than half a mile from Lowesmoor.  Dave cleaned the engine hole while I took Jess along the towpath to Wickes for some WD-40 and 3-in-1.  Luckily for her there is a pet store next to Wickes, so some tasty treats were bought, then a lovely gentleman in Wickes happened to have treats in his pocket.  Lucky girl.

The wind finally started to drop after dark and it was very cold outside.

Just over 5 miles, 12 locks.  Some of that paddle gear was extremely heavy.

**Tardebigge news; the Boaters’ Update has further information and an informative video.   As the lock is a listed structure, CRT has to apply for Listed Building consent for every step of the investigation and repair.  The most hopeful date for re-opening is the end of August.

 

Trespassing

Thursday 27^th March; Droitwich Spa marina to Oddingley

After an easy run up from Devon we arrived at the marina around lunchtime in lovely sunshine.  Before we could leave there was the small matter of the blacking bill to be paid.  We opted to have three coats of bitumen rather than the standard two, and the bow thruster tubes were done as well.   We filled the water tank before leaving, at about 2.30.

The marina swan in her usual place this time of year

The bow thruster is not working at the moment so we were pleased that the wind was slightly in our favour as we manoeuvred out of the marina.  The bow thruster batteries were very low – neither they nor the starter battery get any benefit from the solar panels and need the engine to be run to keep them charged up.  We just hope we won't be needing new ones.

The first lock of the year

There were no volunteers on duty at Hanbury locks today, but the bottom one was in our favour and a hire boat was coming down the second. 

Side ponds before ground paddles on this flight

At the top of the flight an electro-fishing boat was waiting to come down.  They had been after zander before the breeding season kicks in.  They had caught very few, which I hope is a sign that they are beginning to reduce the numbers somewhat.  (Zander are non-native predators which eat all the fry of the native fish, so there is a bigremoval programme.  They are also very good eating).

Zapping gear raised

At Hanbury Junction Dave made the tight turn towards Worcester without benefit of bow thrusters and with no trouble either, and we cruised along in bright sunshine.

The bank collapse at Dunhampstead tunnel meant a new towpath had to be built to cross it

The temperature was dropping just a little as we moored at Oddingley, soon after 4.  It’s a favourite mooring – close to the railway, but the trains tail off during the evening and don’t bother us.  And the level crossing only has lights, I don’t remember it having had a siren, which would be very annoying for the people in the cottage beside it.  After a cup of tea and some cake, Dave took Jess out for a play.  The poor dog only gets comfort stops when we’re travelling to the boat, so she was keen for a walk.  But the frisbee – number one toy – got caught by the wind and went sailing over the hedge – a very wide thorn hedge, behind which was a stock fence with a barbed wire strand above – so we couldn’t climb over and the dog couldn’t wriggle through.  There was no access into that field from the towpath in either direction, but Nicholson’s showed a farm track going under the railway – we could see it from the boat.  It meets the road less than half a mile away.  There is no public footpath, and we have been told many local farmers don’t like walkers, but so what – a cow could potentially eat the frisbee and be harmed, so trespassing would be entirely justified.   Off I strode – having to wait at the level crossing for two trains to pass – till I found the access gate, and climbed over the fence beside it.  I didn't take the dog in case she couldn't get under the fence.  I walked through the plantation till I reached the tunnel under the railway – easy enough …

Not difficult to walk through at this time of year, if a trifle damp in places

Then I walked across the field to find the frisbee. 

Bonjour is behind that thorny hedge

I had noticed another path by the tunnel which I thought might be a short cut – it was, coming out at another gate nearer to the level crossing.

Mistletoe – it means the trees are probably poplar, not apple, hawthorn or lime, the other hosts.

An interesting way to get my steps in!

When I got back, the most pressing issue was to find the wine.  When we left the boat, everything had to be secured before it was towed up the slipway to be blacked.  So anything that could possibly fall over, or out of its rack, was stashed away in cupboards, which were then tied shut.  But where on earth had I put the bottles of wine?  I remembered in the end.

Not all wine

Nothing had fallen over so all I'd had to do was untie the handles, remove the bundled towels stopping things sliding about, put things back in their proper places and finally put the photographs back on the shelf.

3 locks, 3 miles, and a longer than expected walk.