Stuck on the Birmingham Canal Navigation

 Tuesday 15 July 2025

The Birmingham Canal Navigation Society Cruise being over we set off at just before 6.00 and to decend the Oldbury Locks (The Crow). We had to move because we wer in the way. Where we had come to a halt by stuff on the prop the night before was not the best place to moor. I initially intended to move the boat to the lock landing and let others take the lead but The Shrew and Churwell Force were insistant that we could go first..

The locks were full and all was well until the pound between locks 5 and 6 which was empty!  

 oops no water!

Phil was consulted and water was let down the flight until I was satisfied that Sonflower would be able to float through the pound. As we exited Oldbury Bottom Lock we came to a sudden stop again. I got Sonflower to the side and opened the  weed hatch to find a pair of North Face jogging bottoms. The rest of the cruise was uneventful and beautiful.The water lilies flank the Old Main line.  As we turned into Tividale Quays acroos the margin of water lillies a dog walker gave us a cheery welcome. It was like coming home. We turned and moored in our accustomed spot, cleared brambles and rubbish to the appropriate bins and I returned to Titford Engine House by 87 bus and walking up The Crow to retrieve the car. 

The Oxford Canal is closed  because of lack of water so we cannot get home by boat!

 

                                                                                                        2 miles, 4½ furlongs and 6 locks        2.1/2hours

 

2025 BCNS EXPLORER CRUISE

Monday 7th June 2025 

 Day 1.    Broken down! 

We were mooring outside the Roundhouse yesterday when the gearbox stuck in forward drive. We ended up acRoss the canal at Sheepcote Street. Bridge. We roped Sonflower back to a 14 day mooring. I could not budge the gearbox selector arm so we called River Canal Rescue. 

An engineer arrived within 1.1/2 hours and diagnosed the failure of the gearbox, removed it and took it away to the workshop.

The crew of Churwell Force invited us to join them on the cruise today to Galton New Smethwick Pumphouse where we were guided through the history of the Old and New Main lines and some interesting canal crafts.

We then went on to Tipton where we moored and the. Walked to the Mad O’Rourkes Pie Factory for drinks in the garden and dinner with the other cruisers.

We called a cab to return to our boat in Birmingham Centre.

Tomorrow, Tuesday, we have a visit to the Dudley tunnel planned. We expect to get there by bus.

No movement for Sonflower today

DAY 2 : Dudley Tunnel and Caverns trip. If you have never seen inside a limestone mine this is the place for you. The electric boat smoothly took us throughthe shafts and caverns of the Dudleyt tunnel system and showed us how limestone was extracted to make the Earl of Dudley rich and enhance the iron and steel indistry that drove the industrial revolution.Ther was also an opportunity for some "legging" and our crew, Sue had a go on the legging board.

Dinner was at Mad O'Rourkes  pie factory. We had pre-ordered and all was well. However, we arrived there rather early and sat int eh shade on thirir garden in fornt of a water feature taking a long time on=verer a pre-prandial.

Taxi back to Birmingham. No movement for Sonflower today 

Day 4

While the flotilla struggle to Pelsall on a shallow and weedy Wyrley and Essington Canal we waited for the engineer. He came with a PRM120 and we had a repeat of 4 years ago. It did not fit.

We await a  PRM125. I have seen two, in Stafford, on Ebay. I have let RCR know.

 

We are enjoying Birmingham centre and the characters by the cut. 

Late in the afternoon we  called a taxi and went for dinner at The Fingerpost on Pesall Common. This lovely canaside pub catered well for us. It paid due dilligence to declarerd food allergies and intolerances and refused to let me have its lamb shank because they could not guarantee the absence of raw nuts.  I selected the sirloin steak and it was lovely and served with grilled tomato and portobello mushroom on the side. The chips were worth going back for!  

After a couple of hours of banter with our fellow cruisers and discussion of the best trophy from the weedhatch we called a taxi to take us back to our temporary abode.

 No movement for Sonflower today

DAY 5  The flotilla moored at Bradley Workshop last night and there was a walk arranged for the norning. SUe decided t to go and took an early tram. We spent some time in the garden of the ditilery watching tennis before we too took the tram this time to WOlverhapton and then a bust to the Bentley Bridge Shopping Centre and walking to The Nickelodeon pub for a talk on the origins of teh BCN and  dinner. Again this was pre-ordered but htere was no dietary impedement to enjpoying a really good steak and ale pie.

Taxi back

No movement for Sonflower today 

 DAY 6

Suepercrew went out early again to join with the flottilla  to Walsall Basin. The Rushall Locks have been closed to conserve water so the flotilla used Walsalll Flight and turned into Walsall Basin for the overnight stopping place. 

We joined them late in the afternoon, foraged for a "Bring and Share"  contribution of Cheesecakes for pudding at the nearby Aldi and bussed to Longwood Boat Club. Here we were entertained by a solo saxophonist who played his tunes to a backing track. They were lovely too! Before dinner was laid out al fresco Phil, a published BCN historian, spoke to us about the development of the two main lines and some of the newer parts of the BCN system. One member of the flotilla had his birthday today so cake was well and truly in order with a card signed by the cruise participants. 

Taxi back to Brun.

No movement for Sonflower today 

DAY 7  

We decided to have a rest today and used The Distillery garden for rest and recuperation and their kitchen for a delicious lunch. Suepercrew used the deck chairs at the suntrap on Brindley Wharf in the late morning sun and I went in search of a hardware store to get some bits and pieces. The hardware shop was not open and I got curtain wire from a drapery market stall but no brass fittings to secure the numerous picture that so longer stay on the walls with blutac. 

Day 8 Sunday 14th July 2025. 

We were startled bythe appearance of Dan and Abbie from RCR who had a PRM 125 with them and a new coupling. They set about installing the gearbox, coupling and aligning the two.

 By 10.30 we wer on our way to catch up our cruising colleagues. Suepercrew had gone to Walsall to join them as they ventured out onto the length of canal that has been closed for eight months following a toxic chemical spill. 

 They cruised down to Ocker Hill Junction. We soon arrived at Ryders Green Locks and surprised by the appearance of help from the other cruisers. We were very grateful for the help from so many. One pound was too low ot navigate and water levels had to be adjusted to get us to the Junction. We moored temporarily just under the junction bridge. At 6,30pm we were summned to reverse into the Arm for security. Once in we set about cooking up a chicken curry and rice for dinner washed down with the a primitivo red wine from the on board rack.

                                                                                                        7.6 miles, 8 locks 6 hours

 

DAY 9

At 0800 we got our departure orders.  We wer to follow Churwell Force to the locks. We were fifth in line. In spite of the early hour the sun was very fierce so we queued stopping under the bridges in the shade for as long as possible. When the lock gates opened on an empty lock we progressed one step at a time up the locks. The water levels on the flight were all over the place even though a team started early and did their best to get the locks on the bywash to regulate the levels so that we all got through as quickly as possible. We wer all through the eight locks in two hours which was faily good going. We then cruised to the Netherton Arm and stopped at "The Stables" for lunch. After another briefing to emphasise CRT's requirements for the cruise through the Netherton Tunnel: life preserver for those on the back deck, lights on throughout the vessel etc. We set off at five minute intervals and all successfully made the passage to moor at Bumble hole.visitor ventre.

later in the afternoon there was an organised walk arounfd the pools, the old engine house and to the top of Black Hill, an old slag heep now grassed over. The view of Clent Hills was wirth the effort of the climb. 

We had a fish and chip supper al fresco washed down with a bottle of Grüner Weltliner. The cruise leader had chilled it in their cooler!

                                                              6 miles, 1 furlong and 8 locks                                                     5 hours

 

DAY 10   

The last Day of the cruise! Back through the Netherton Tunnel. This time we were the eighth boat in line. Half way through the the tunnel the Cruise leader came running up to the boat from his, (tail end charlie, 5 minutes behind me) because he thought I was flashing a light at him in distress! My tail (aft) light was obscured every now and then as I stepped across the back deck!  Now know that I need to find a better position for it.  

We turned right at the New Main line and then right again at Gower Arm to navigate up the Brades lock and Staircase onto the Old Main Line. 

A left turn f=brought us to under the M5 and the sharp turn to starboard at Oldbury Junction  onto the Titfield Caanl and up "The Crow". Here we had plenty of help from the BCNS volunteers and at the top we were told to back up the arm to moor. At the top of the locks however we came to a halt and Peter Fisher and Phil, who lives on Charlie   at the Pumphouse, roped us up to moor with our stern into the pool. 

 Peter dived down the weed hatch and retrieved all sorts of stuff but mainly the stuffing from a duvet or similar. 

Peter joined us for lunch salad aboard.

Suepercrew joined the crew of nb Matariki for a cruise round Titford Pools. (We did not want to take Sonflower on there). 

We feasted on a pre ordered take away chinese meal al fresco and after dinner we wer treated to Black Country entertainment of stories and songs accompanied by washboard and banjo. Bostin' . 

                                                                                    5 miles, 7¼ furlongs and 9 locks                         4. 1/2 hours

2025 Cruising begins Banbury to Birmingham

Sunday 22 June 2025 

We hadn't been put in the boat this year yet. We need to be in Birmingham in early July as we have booked ourselves into another BCNS Explorer Cruise. 

WIth Alex aboard we set off for  Cropredy. The weather was hot and we left in the late afternoon when it had cooled down a bit. We crossed over with Caroline (the saw lady) who was paddle boarding toward Banbury where she had her boat. The pound above Boughton Lock was very low and we had to navigate with great care past the curlew meadow. Te curhlew was not presenting him self today.  This pound has been a problem and later in the month it was closed for a couple of days becasue of low water. 

We arrived at Cropredy Mill 14 day moorings just about dinner time and settled in for the night. We had a salad meal and went to bed.                                                                                                           3.3/4 miles, 3 locks           3 hours

Monday 23 June 2025.

We were up early and The Best Mate opened her birthday cards.   We set off on or way coming up behind a workboat and hopper just after Cropredy Bridge. The workman were kind enought to let us through ahead of them. The trip to Claydon Locks was uneventful and the levels in the pounds were on the weir. However the levels in teh flight were not. Two pounds wer very low. At the middle lock we met a vlockie who set off to the top to let some water doen form the summit level. We achieved Fenny Compton Wharfe at about noon and settled on the first mooring by the pub. After taking on water we reversed back ont this mooring and waited for Supercrew to join us. It was an entertaining afternoon as we washed the boat and watched the boats interchanging at the water point and some attempting to turn. A couple made it! 

We went to the Wharfe Inn for dinner and were pleasantly surprised that this has improved considerably since we last ate there about two years ago.  It was so good that our son wrote a glowing review.

Suepercrew arrived at about 8.00 pm, settled into the boat quickly and  suggested that we use the remining hours of daylight to make up for the waiting time.

We cruised on until sunset and moored for the night just short of The Wedding Bridge. 

                                                                                                                                   8.3/4miles, 9 locks, 5.1/2 hours 

 

Tuesday 24 June 2025

We wer uo early and set off straight away to  navigate the summit level. We arrived at Marston Doles at about 8 am and found that we were not the first boat to go down. The day was heating up fast and hats and suncream were in order. There were no problems with the flight and we had a good road down. The pound between the two Marsotn Doles locks was low but otherwise everythig seemed in good order. We were through the flight by 1030 am and so dropped the small amount of rubbish we had and  continued on to turn at Wigrams onto the Warwick and Birmingham Canal (GUC). Passing through CAlcutt Locks we went on to Stockton Marfina, the hime of Kate Boats. Here we found they were closed! The manageress was very understanding of our need for a pump out and diverted one of her staff to attend to us. Well worth the £25.00. 

We crossed the canal to the Stockton visotor moorings and at lunch inder the shade of the trees. 

Then we navigated the Stockton flight and stopped for Ice Cream at The Two Boats. After a crew conference we decided to go on to work the locks to the bottom level at Radford Semele. 

The next locks were the Bascote Staircase. On arriving here we found that a hire boat had managed to ground between the two locks. "The top lock was full when we started" the shore crew pleaded.  Oh yeah! Lettting down a bit more water floated the boat and they rose up without a problem.  We then navigated the locks without a problem. At the botttom was another hire boat whose skipper was displeased that we had not let it come in to the bottom so that we changed over in the middle. I pointed out the instruction signs where CRT now forbid this practice.

The crew took the remaining locks in their stride and we moored at Radford Bottom Lock No 23 for an on board chicken curry and rice.    

A quick review of teh birdlife seen included the ubiquitous red kite, grey heron, reed and sedge warblers, reed bunting and grey wagtail. Ther is a notable dearth of swallows martins and swifts.        

                                                                                                                   18 miles, 31 locks,    13 bours 

 Wednesday 25th June 2025

We let go at about 6.00am and were soon at Cape Locks to take on WATER.  Having filled we then went on to Hatton Bottom lock. Bottom Lock Dave was not around. No one was around so we set off on our own. At the third lock two volunteer lock keepers appeared and we were assisted until we stopped at Middle Lock for lunch. It was a relaxed ascent and ALex had time to photograph a bush cricket on a lock gate. 

My friend who used to be a taxonomical entymologist  with the British Museum of Natural History comments, "Roesel's Bush-cricket - nice find"

 After lunch we were absolutely surrounded with volunteers. There must have been eight of them and we had more help than we needed. There was an intake of new volunteers training that day!  We deposited what little rubbish had accumulated sonce Napton and contiued on our way to moor at Tom o' the Woods for the nioght. We decided to stop here because we did not have time to finish the Lapworth flight that day. We were glad we did as the pub porovided very good food and we really enjoyed dinner with a bottle of Prosecco that they had on offer. 

                                                                                                                    12 miles, 24 locks       9 hours

Thursady 26th June 2025

An early start again to take the flight by storm. Almost imediately after leaving our overnight mooring I saw a kingfisher. It flew by, did a quick circle, and disappeared over the hedgferow. We like  Lapworth  flight but some of the twists and turns to get into locks are interesting. We did not have to make any complicated change overs with other boats. The top level was shallow and some boaters had difficulty staying afloat when passing moored craft, basically taking too wide a course was hazardous.  Not far past Hockley Heath Drawbridge one boat that grounded refused all offers of assistance. Why? We left him struggling. 

Apparently the environment and habitat is improved by the installation of reed beds. These allegedly provide shelter for birds and voles. Boating visibility certainly isn't high on CRT's agenda.  

We achieved our aim and moored opposite Gas Street Basin. We went to Miller and Carter for a lovely dinner. The staff served us well.

                                                                                                                    18.1/2 miles. 19 locks      9 hours

Friday 27th June 2025.

This morning we took on water at Cambrian Wharf and then moved to a 14 day mooring at Sheepcote Street Visitor Moorings turning at Icknield Loop junction.   The 14 day mooring outside the Roundhouse is prebooked for "historic boats" from March to September on Thursday, Friday and Saturday. This was Firiday and it was empty. A complete waste of space.

                                                                                                                      1.1/2 miles,    0 locks,    1  hour 

Mid Warks YC to Hockley Heath Wharf

We had to leave the wonderful hospitality of MWYC at 0900 in the morning. This was the arranged time even though it was raining we had to leave. We said a grateful goodbye and The Best Mate took the tiller with Suepercrew and navigated to Kingswood Junction

where I waited under an oak tree and met them with a bike. 

We moored up in the space vacated by 118 year old M .58 ft out and 57 foot in! We had a cup of tea. 

The sky brightened up and we decided to ascend Lapworth Locks.

The rain started again after the first lock, lock 21. A Bottom paddle is broken and has been since April. Apparently they have no stop planks and cannot drain the pound because of moorings. 

By lock 17 the sun broke through and we had the company of two CRT Vlockies, Roger and Judy.

They stayed with us until lock 6 where we stopped for lunch.

The rain had started again and we did not get going for quite a while after the meal on board.

In sunshine, The Best Mate and Suepercrew continued through the two lift bridges to a mooring at Hocley Heath. I cycled back to the car and drove to the Wharf to meet them.

8 miles,  19 locks, 2 lift bridges, 5.1/2 hours

BCN EXPLORING

26 June 2024 Refueling 

We had returned to the Quay to refuel Sonflower. I had 240 litres of Hydrotreated Vegetable Oil (HVO) delivered to the Quays and Alex helped me to put 160litres into the tanks. 80 litres are stored in the boat for adding later.

This fuel is hailed as the agreed future of diesel propulsion as the fuel comes form regeneratable sources such as olive and rapeseed oils.  There are no "nasty" additives and this is definitely not the first generation biofuel with its diesel bug problems.

2 July 2024 Heading South.

We have never been through the Netherton Tunnel before. After the excitement of the BCNS Explorer Cruise in company we were back on our own with Alex as the muscle in the crew.

We left Tividale Quays  heading east then turned north through the Brade Hall Staircase No 3 and 2 and Brade Hall Lock No 3. At the end of the Gower branch we turned west to Dudley Port Junction and turned south on the Netherton Branch. The tunnel was nothing to be feared and we came out into full sunlight to find an overnight mooring on the Bumble Hole visitor moorings. We did try to get neat to Griffin Bridge but the verge is not deep enough to get a pin more than six inches into the soil. We backed up to the moorings.

From here we had easy acces to walk the kilometer to the Old Swan Inn, known locally as "Ma Pardoes". Here we had good food and drink. The dinners were very good. I dined on a plate of faggots and mash, a real treat.

We got a taxi back.

 4 miles 1 tunnel 3 hours/

3 July 2024

Dudley No  2 and Dudley No 1 Canals and Stourbridge Canal to Stourbridge.

We waited for the fine rain to stop before setting off down the Dudley No 2 Canal to Parkhead Junction. Here a very friendly Volunteer Lock Keeper told us the way to go and assisted us through the first of the Delph locks.  

We had to fill every lock on oour way down and were happy to arrive in Merry Hill Waterside for a well earned bacon and egg brunch. There are certainly plenty of moorings here. The guides tell us that it is also noisy until about midnight. 

We decided to go on and targeted Stourbridge, another six hours and 16 locks further on. We really enjoyed the trip. The Best Mate flagged a little after eight locks and went down for a rest but Alex and I carried on. We had the company of some school children who took "How do locks work leaflets" and were likably interested. We must find ways to interest the next generation. These kids were really interested in the boat (40 years old: that's almost as old as my gran!), the locks and the history pointing out the date of construction on the lock keystones: 1865.

We moored up on 7 day moorings and went to the Old Wharfe Inn for our evening meal.

11 miles, 25 locks,  9 hours

 

After a pleasant night I retrieved the car from Tividale Quays (2 buses, approx 1.1/2 hours) and we went home to vote.

BCNS Explorer cruise Day 7

Saturday 22 June 2024

Yesterday we visited the Black Country Living Museum an finished the long day with dinber at Mad o'Rourkes pie  factory. It was a very noisy venue.

As we had no  boating yesterday we ran the engine for 1/2 hr for hot water.

This morning we  boated to the Dudley tunnel branch for a pump out and water.

Then we went the 1 mile to Tividale Quays. We are the only boat here again! This time we were welcomed with an offer of water!

After lunch on  board we are packing up to go to Titford Pumphouse for a chinese takeaway with the other cruise participants.

1.1/4 miles  O locks, 3/4 hr.

BCNS EXPLORER CRUISE DAY 6

We started the day with a tour of Canal and River Trust's Bradley Workshop. Here they have the capacity to produce 150 leaves of lock gates a yesr. CRT do have another lock gate building workshop. We saw the machines amd yechniques that go into making these heritage items. Oak is still the material of preference although some other woods have been tried over the years. African hardwoods, although strong amd long lasting cannot be verifies as sustainable.

We had lunch on the move again as we cruised to Tipton Owen Street Bridge moorings.

Birds of note today was a family of little grebes..

4 miles 0 locks 2 hours