A change of plan

Sunday 4^th May; Hartshill to Marston Junction

It was jolly cold when I took Jess out first thing.  We walked down towards the railway.

The rabbits scarpered before she saw them

It was very pleasant once you were in the sun and out of the wind though.  We went to investigate what looked like an enormous chunk of raw chicken, but it was what I’d guessed – a large chunk of rock salt for the cattle that are sometimes in this field.

Nothing dodgy, unless you count the grass that has been killed by the salt!

Jess gave it a cautious sniff and lick but clearly it wasn’t to her liking.  Back at the boat, we (Dave and I, Jess wasn't included!) had a boaters’ conference to decide our plans for the next few days.  Our original plan was to get to Calcutt marina, but we’d taken the longer route which turned out to have been rather a blunder.  Bearing in mind the car was at Droitwich, we would need to be doing 6 or 7 hour days and still be very pushed to get home in time for various commitments.  We needed to call in at Springwood Haven for a pump-out so we thought we’d ask if we could leave the boat there for a few weeks, although last year they told me they didn’t have visitor moorings at all.

We took on fuel too, and as they have got a decent chandlery Dave even managed to get the correct batteries for the bow thruster.  And joy of joys, they can accommodate us for a month, so we booked in for a couple of days’ time and went on towards Hawkesbury Junction.

A lorry crossed the bridge from Judkin’s Quarry, and now the boat is covered in dust again

We stopped for lunch opposite the long stretch of allotments in Nuneaton and had a think.  Should we go on to Hawkesbury Junction today?  A meal in the Greyhound would be great.  But …it’s a bank holiday weekend and the moorings would probably be crowded.  On we went, just not as far.

This moorhen had built her nest about 5 feet above the water

We winded at Marston Junction.  There was no wind so it was a calm and orderly manoeuvre.

Hello Ashby

We moored opposite the Bedworth allotments at about 3.  Dave and Jess went for a walk up the Ashby canal, and while they were out of the way I hauled the matting out from the well deck and gave the area a good sweep out.  Bits of leaf, willow fluff and catkin slugs, dog fur and towpath dust and grit had joined the fragments of kindling wood and coal dust from the winter.

The blossom this year is wonderful

Less than 5 miles cruising, new bow thruster batteries.