Ashby Canal
27th May 2002 to 31st May 2002
My first solo trip aboard a narrowboat.
No worries though, I had read all about solo boating, now I just had to put it into practice!
This trip report, with photographs, can also be seen at www.canaltravels.co.uk
Monday 27th May
My first solo trip - A boat across the canal - Mastering the locks
Woke to a glorious morning at Fradley Visitor moorings ready to begin my first solo trip. I had read all I could about 'going solo' and picked up a few tips from fellow boaters I had met at various locks so I was quite confident but, nevertheless, was still not sure what to expect. My planning had allowed plenty of time for the locks so I was sure the timings would be okay. During this past weekend I had got to know Slipstream quite well and there was an extra long centre rope attached so I was all set.
The first thing to strike me was how beautiful the Coventry Canal was, somewhat surprisingly as the word 'Coventry' did not conjure up visions of gentle countryside and pretty villages! During the morning all I had to worry about was mastering the camera whilst steering, it is amazing how quickly you can go off line when looking backwards(!), but that was soon in hand and the morning's cruise was extremely pleasant. My first drama came as I passed through Hopwas Woods to find a boat completely adrift at the stern blocking the entire canal. Luckily a passing dog-walker had alerted the (sleeping?) occupants and I held station in the centre of the canal for five minutes or so while they pulled it back to the bank.
On through Hopwas and past Fazeley Junction, with its smart new BW offices at Peel 's Wharf just before the Birmingham & Fazeley canal joins, and up to my first solo lock at Glascote. Having moored up I got talking to a couple going through the lock in front of me and they kindly refilled the two locks for me as they departed, saving me a little time. I worked through carefully and without hurry and was surprised to find that it was almost as easy, and hardly slower, getting through these locks solo as it would have been with a crew. The Atherstone flight was going to be a piece of cake! The only slight problem I had was that there are no mooring bollards or rings between the two locks (a silly omission by BW) so it was a pain to hold the boat while I opened the bottom gates of the top lock, but it didn't cause too much hassle. My lock timings were going to prove generous as I was 20 minutes ahead of schedule as I exited the top lock, despite another boat having gone through before me, so I took the opportunity to fill up the water tank. Another silly decision by BW is to put the tap right above the lock so that whilst filling up you block the moorings for any boat wanting to come down but I was only there about 15 minutes so didn't cause too much bother to other boats. A few hundred yards on and it was time for lunch at The Anchor by bridge 73 where the boat can be moored on rings and watched from the garden of the pub. The area seemed pleasant enough so there was no real worry.
Lunch over, it was time to cruise on through numerous and diverse bridges until I came to Alvecote Marina, spawning ground of the dreaded Canaltime boats! I had wondered why I had seen so many of these at Fradley and judging by the dozens at Alvecote I had only seen a small fraction! I would meet up with many more in the next couple of days.
Atherstone Locks were pleasant with decent countryside surrounding them and I was able to hone my solo lock skills and soon developed a routine that got me through quickly. Shouting proved to be useful to get boats coming down to leave the gates open which saved much time. The worst situation was when I had actually moored waiting for a boat to come down and just as I was setting off the crew went back and closed the gates! Loud shouting that time did the trick!
I had planned to split the Atherstone flight in two and so moored in the very long pound just before Watling Street Bridge (43) intending to eat at The Kings Head but it wasn't open when I got there and I didn't fancy the walk into Atherstone so it was dinner on board after a very satisfying and interesting day.
I think I am going to like this solo boating!
Miles 20.2 - Locks 8 - Hours 8:24
Tuesday 28th May
Dirty old town - Hitting the wall - Boring Ashby?
Up early again to tackle the rest of the Atherstone flight. The first lock of the day proved tiresome as the bottom gates leaked so badly that it took an age to fill but, by then, another boat was coming down through the lock above so the rest of the flight was set for me. Easy going! I reached Atherstone Top Lock over an hour before I expected and soon reached Hartshill Maintenance Yard where it began to rain - so much for yesterday's glorious weather!
There were lots of boats moored around here and workmen resurfacing the towpath so I pulled over to put on the wet weather gear. It only took a minute or so as I had made sure that everything I might need was handy, with the jacket hanging just inside the back door. I has discovered the previous day that a quick dash inside the boat would often result in a near collision with the bank so I learned to get everything I might need for the day ready before I set off.
Nearing Nuneaton the pleasantness of the canal changed into what I had originally expected from my preconceived ideas of the Coventry Canal. Loads of rubbish in the canal preceded the first of the housing estates and this became a stretch to get through as quickly as possible. I won't dwell on Nuneaton for it was not a place to remember and it was some time past the outskirts on the other side that the canal was once again clear of garbage. Now I was coming up to the junction with the Ashby Canal and my first big challenge of the day!
I had turned into the Ashby from the other direction on a hire boat and it had become a nightmare as another boat appeared coming through the stop lock and bridge but this time I was confident that I could turn straight in. Wrong! The entrance beneath the bridge is only the width of a lock and timing has to be perfect and I didn't quite make it, hitting the wall. Not hard, but a dent to my pride. It wasn't difficult to get the boat lined up once I had come to a stop and soon I was on my way up the Ashby.
We had hired a boat the previous year from The Ashby Boat Company at Stoke Golding so I knew this stretch and passed familiar sights before mooring up for lunch alongside the new marina at Hinckley. A few provisions from the shop set me up for lunch on board and a pleasant hour's rest before taking the helm again and pressing on.
Others have described the Ashby as field, bridge, field, bridge ... bridge, field and I have to say that they are pretty much spot on, at least for this first part. Maybe it was that I had already been up and down this stretch but I really couldn't get fired up about the Ashby and I was glad to reach Stoke Golding where, beyond bridge 25, it would at least all be new. It wasn't much different however, although Sutton Cheney Wharf was a pleasant distraction, and I journeyed on towards my intended night stop at Congerstone. The day had so far been overcast and drizzly but around 5pm the sun appeared and heralded a glorious evening. Suddenly the scenery changed and with the evening sun, the Ashby came alive.
I moored just through bridge 47 at a delightful spot with mooring rings and took a few photos in the evening sun before taking a walk into Congerstone to eat at the Horse and Jockey. The mooring seemed miles from anywhere and this impression was enhanced by me being the only patron in the dining area of the pub, but it was a pleasant meal and, after a couple of pints, the boat looked idyllic at its mooring by the bridge.
Maybe the Ashby isn't so bad after all!
Miles 21.3 - Locks 5 - Hours 9:00
Wednesday 29th May
Canaltime shenanigans - Soaked to the skin - A weedhatch nightmare
The plan today was to set off early so as to get to the terminus before anybody else and fill the water tank before heading back. I woke at half past six and started to get some breakfast when I heard the steady thud of an old engine and was surprised to see a boat glide by the window at 6.45 am! My plans were scuppered, so I had a leisurely breakfast and gave them time to get well ahead before I set off.
From Congerstone onwards the character of the Ashby changes completely and there is finally variety with the village of Shackerstone, some interesting twists and turns, and a delightful stretch of woodland reminiscent of the Shropshire Union. All this before tackling Snarestone Tunnel, a fairly easy undertaking as it is short and you can see the other end as you enter. A few hundred yards further on and the canal turns to the right beneath a bridge to reveal the current terminus and winding hole. The boat that had passed earlier was moored up at the water point so I decided to wind and proceed back to find a water point further down.
Nothing to report going back through the tunnel and then Shackerstone and Congerstone but there I caught up with a Canaltime boat that was going so slowly I wondered if he was going at all. Even dropping down to tickover I had to frequently engage a burst of reverse to save bumping into him and he wasn't about to let go of the centre of the canal. The edges hereabouts were quite reedy but there was plenty of room to pass if he moved over. It was not going to happen, however, so I followed for about a mile until he finally pulled over to the bank. The crew leapt off holding ropes fore and aft and pulled the boat into the bank as I sailed past. As I looked back they all hopped on board again and set off! It seems that they hadn't quite got the idea that one boat could pass another without either stopping! A little later, near Hinckley Marina I spied another Canaltime boat in the far distance coming towards me and watched as the crew pulled the boat to the bank fore and aft opposite the marina. I couldn't figure out why they didn't moor on the marina side since it was a long walk back to the bridge to cross over but once I had passed they all hopped back on board and set off! They had obviously seen me coming and followed the same procedure as the previous boat. I was glad that I wouldn't be around when the two of them met each other!
The day so far had been overcast and windy but not unpleasant and I decided to stop at Sutton Cheney Wharf for water and lunch. Just as I was heading into the bank the heavens opened and the most horrendous rain shower lashed down. Of course I was at that point where the boat was coming into the bank and needed control so I couldn't get the wet gear on straight away. By the time I leapt off with rope in hand I was soaked through. A change of clothes was called for as I got the lunch ready and I was glad of the warmth inside the boat.
The afternoon passed by with more showers until, at a quarter to five, I was back on the Coventry Canal. My planned stop for the night was the Wharf Tavern by bridge 19 but when I got there I couldn't see the pub and the area looked decidedly grotty with lots of graffiti so I decided to carry on. I had seen a fish and chip shop on the outskirts of Nuneaton on the way up and decided that would be the dinner for tonight. Fish and chips duly purchased I set off to find a mooring outside the unpleasantness of Nuneaton and motored on to bridge 24 where I spotted a decent mooring just beyond the bridge. I headed in towards the bank when... clunk! ... the prop stopped dead and wouldn't start up again. Luckily the boat drifted into the bank and I leapt off with centre rope in hand only for the heavens to open up again with such ferocity that I was soaked through in minutes. The wind was blowing the boat away from the bank so I just stood there holding it in until the rain stopped. What a great end to the day!
As I was soaked through and didn't fancy coming back out to the weedhatch after changing, I decided to sort the problem out straight away. It was at this point I discovered a major design flaw in Slipstream for, without 4 foot six inch arms, it was almost impossible to reach right down into the weedhatch. I had to get right into the engine compartment, which was far from comfortable, in order to reach right down to the propeller around which I found ... an armchair! I hacked at the foam cushion with a knife and removed first the fabric then tons of foam pieces until the prop felt clear. Started up only for the prop to cut out again. What had happened was that the rest of the armchair (the wooden bits) were still under the boat and fouled the prop when it was started. I poked and prodded with the boat hook but couldn't get the thing clear so resorted to pulling the boat forward by hand about thirty yards in the hope that the debris would float clear. Hand down the hatch once more and it seemed to be clear.
I was covered in bruises and covered in grease, as well as being soaked through. My fish and chips were cold and I was not happy. Lessons learned were to bring some old clothes for the weedhatch moments and find something soft to lean on to avoid the bruises on the ribs.
Not a very good end to the day!
Miles 29.1 - Locks 0 - Hours 9:50
Thursday 30th May
Five hours delay - A record descent - Almost on time
A later start today but on setting off I was concerned that the blasted armchair might still be under the boat so pushed the stern out into deep water and reversed off the mooring. Once straight I dropped into forward gear and gave a burst of power before dropping back into neutral to glide as far as I could in the hope that I would clear any debris. It worked and I was on my way. Surely I wouldn't have any more trouble this trip?
Spoke too soon for as I arrived at Atherstone Top Lock there was a notice pinned to the balance beam saying the flight was closed until 11.15am. It was now 9.30am. I moored up and went to the lock-keeper's cottage to enquire about the problem. Rang the bell and a lad opened an upstairs window. 'What's the problem?' I asked. 'Don't know, me dad's down the bottom'. Looked like I would have to wait until he got back. Made some tea, tidied the boat, had a chat with the boat that drew up behind me and waited ... and waited. A couple of hours later the lock-keeper's wife turned up and explained that someone had reported a problem with the gate on the bottom lock to British Waterways. The problem had apparently been known about for some time and was not really considered a problem but because someone had phoned Head Office it had to be investigated. Two boats were in the pound beneath the top lock and there were now eight boats above but the gates were padlocked and nobody was going anywhere. Mrs Lock-keeper tried to phone her husband at the bottom gates but his mobile was switched off so all we could do was wait. Finally we got the go ahead ... it was twenty past two!
The top lock was full and I was first in the queue and, because the boats in the pound below had come up, all the locks were set for me so it was fast going down the first five and I reasoned that I would soon be meeting the convoy coming up so it should be even faster if the gates were left open as we passed. By lock 6 I met up with the first of the upcoming boats and from here on down it was 'one in - one out' with no need to open any gates at all.
I had allowed just over five hours to do this stretch with its 11 locks and was astonished to find that I popped out of the bottom lock just two hours and five minutes after starting off! By the end of the day the five hour delay at the top of the flight had been reduced to a mere fifteen or so minutes.
I had resigned myself to the possibility of a long tiring day, cruising until dark or stopping up far short of my intended spot but with loads of folk helping at the locks, it turned out to be a really easy day and a reasonably early night. The sun even shone on the way down.
I had planned to eat at The Anchor but eating alone in a pub didn't appeal so it was fish and chips again - hot this time! - before settling down for a restful evening.
Miles 14.7 - Locks 11 - Hours 5:22
Friday 31st May
Fuelling up - Polishing the brass - Off to The Swan for a pint!
Today was to be a short day with the intention of arriving back at Fradley about midday to pick up the crew for the second week of our trip.
The day dawned bright and clear and the trip through Glascote Locks, past Fazeley Junction and back down the Coventry proved uneventful although it turned cold and drizzly as the morning wore on. By 10.30 am I was at Streethay Wharf where I had decided to refuel and, maybe, get a pump out. I debated over the latter wondering whether it was necessary as I had been on my own for almost a week but decided to play it safe rather than have to stop during our second week. This was our first pump out experience but the guy at Streethay seemed to do a good job, rinsing the tank three times and, after a refuel, all was set for the following week. The refuelling took almost as long as the pump out however and I began to wonder if the tank had been full when we picked the boat up. 117 litres later (about £31.50) and it was full but that seemed an awful lot, especially as Ownerships reckon on about twenty quid a week for fuel. We had done about 150 miles in total with long days but it still came as a bit of a shock. I vowed to refuel at the same place at the end of the following week so we could make a direct comparison on fuel consumption.
A very pleasant trip back to Fradley found me arriving just before midday to a crowded junction with Ownerships boats changing over, together with hire boats and the ever present flow of through traffic. There was nowhere to moor so I turned left and went up through Middle Lock and Shade House Lock to moor just above and wait for the crew and guest for the next week's adventure.
The sun came out and I tidied the boat and polished the brass before strolling down to The Swan for a pint. My first solo trip had turned out quite well despite the unforeseen delays and I would have no hesitation in going solo again if the need arises. If you haven't tried it, don't be scared, it's a lot easier than you might think!