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
oops no water!
