A drizzly day and a dark tunnel

Monday 12^th October; Blackpole bridge to Hanbury junction

We knew we would have a damp cruising day unless we started before dawn, but although it was cloudy I still managed to walk Jess in the dry.  But by the time I was walking to M&S for some milk it had started to drizzle, which it would continue to do, with a few brief pauses, till late in the afternoon.  As I came back to the towpath I could see the two weed boats had come down from their mooring below the lock and were having a break before starting work.

Time for a crafty fag.  I hope the chap on the collector does a better job than he did last week.

We left at 10 and by 11 had gone up Blackpole and Tolladine locks, more or less damply.  Under bridge 22A, where a busy A road crosses both the canal and a wide track, there are two extra walls for the local graffiti artists to decorate.  But unless you get off the boat and walk across the towpath and down to the track, you can’t get more than a brief glimpse.

Wacky Races

The other end has both Dick Dastardly and Muttley but there is only the briefest of moments to capture them – I failed.  But I did smile at the title of the cartoon faces I snapped a couple of days ago – Wacky Faces.  I wish they’d done it the other way round; Dick D is a lot more fun.  I made a pot of coffee before we had reached the 6 locks of the Offerton flight, and used an insulated cup for mine to ensure it stayed hot enough to drink.  The drizzle stopped for a little while and I got so hot I put my waterproof back on the boat, which was foolish as the rain started again as I waited for Dave at the lock with the cottage beside it.

Someone needs to clear the gutter

We were up the flight at about midday – the locks are close enough to lock ahead, and there was so little wind that Dave could close up and I didn’t need to walk back again to do it.  We stopped at Tibberton for some lunch.  It was still drizzling – lightly but very wetly – and was set to continue for 2 or 3 hours so we togged up in our waterproofs and continued. 

The bridges at Oddingley have heavy duty netting to catch the bits falling off

We realised the weed-cutter had been through the previous week, as this time we spotted the piles of cut reeds on the offside.  The floating debris seemed to have cleared a bit, although where we had moored the other day another large pile of reeds had been hauled out to join ours.  Dave could clear the prop with the occasional blast of reverse, but then I noticed a bit of a wake from the bow, and then a large bit of branch could be seen sticking out above the water.  A stop to release the accumulation was essential and fortunately Dunhampstead visitor mooring wasn’t far – but the contractor’s clear-up had been woefully incomplete.

The biggest pile yet.  My arms were aching like billy-o

Dave had to remove some from the weed hatch too.  Next, it was headlamp on and Jess on the lead for Dunhampstead tunnel, and in we went.  The headlamp flickered and went out – came on again – then stayed off.  The tunnel is only 230 yards long so we could see where we were going, but Dave beeped the horn a few times in case a boat was approaching round the bend at the exit.  The rain finally stopped as we approached Hanbury Junction.  Dave turned the boat, as there is a forecast of wind tomorrow, and we pulled right back onto the end of the mooring furthest from the road and away from the trees.  And the sun even came out for a bit but it was already down behind the trees by then.  Dave had a brief look at the headlamp wiring but the weather was too gloomy to really see what he was doing so that will wait till tomorrow.

6¼ miles, 8 locks, Dunhampstead tunnel