BCNS EXPLORER CRUISE DAY 4

When we got up we discovered we were well hemmed in. Nb Horned Lark with its Dutch crew has come alongside Stella by Starlighr whose mooring lines were across our bows.

We all extricated ourselves at about 9 am and lefy the basin to join the queue for Walsall Locks. We started the flight at about 10.30 and were through by midday. 

We had lunch on the cruiser stern as we moved. 

I saw a pair of kingfishers today, a few herons and a little grebe. We passed the egg laden coot's nest again so it must have been abandoned.

On arrival at our destination, The Nicklodeon in Wednesfield, we found a mooring next to the bridge. It was shallow where we were intended to moor. We were lent a plank to make getting off safer for the Best Mate after an initial stumble caused by dropping down from the boat onto the grass.

7 miles, 8 locks, 6 hours

BCNS EXPLORER CRUISE DAY 1

When we set off at 0817 the sky had greyed over and the UK was under a yellow weather warning for rain. We had a target. 7 hours cruising on the winding Wyrley and Essington canal to The Fingerpost at Pelsall. We had do this same cruise last August to the IWA Festival of Water and contrast was startling. I persevered at the tiller as the rain  started. Gentle and deceiving at first then turning into a very heavy squall. The Met Office predicted 10-16mm of rain per hour. I am sure they were not wrong. Our whatsapp interboat communications indicated that some boats were having trouble with submerged obstructions and rubbish on the prop. Sonflower's draft is fairly shallow and we avoided the obstructions and it took 5 hours before we needed go down the weed hatch.to clear a life preserver from the blades.

As we got nearer our destination the sky cleared and that change in the reed beds was evident. These have established thenselves and leave room for a boat width in places as in the photo. The reeds make great places for coots to nest and also trap the floating drink cans.

There were a large number of coots and moorhens with chicks in various stages of development.  We also saw goslings and cygnets along the way.

All in all a succesful cruise. Since mooring we have had one thundery shower and bright sunshine. Such is June.

14 miles 0 locks, 6.5 hours.

Toward Birmingham- 2 to 4 June 2024

Sunday 2 June 2024

We returned to the boat by car, bus, train and taxi. By parking the car at our intended destination we expect to save time at the end of this little cruise.

We are going to see Richard Thompson celebrate his 75th birthday in concert at Birmingham Symphony Hall. So we are taking our accimodation with us.

After a drink in the Wharf Tavern we had tea aboard and set of in bright sunlight for a gentle evening cruise. Only Kate Boat nb Louisa was in our way. They were doing about 1 mph which was a little lower than our gentle cruise soeed at 1500rpm of 2.3mph. They pulled over to let us pass. Their crew of 6 were all animatedly socialising on  the stern cruiser deck. 

We stopped for an overnight mooring just past bridge 17 and nb Louisa passed us about 10 minutes later heading ibto the sunset. Why not?

 

 

The setting sun shone through the canopy of trees on this beautiful green canal.  

 

 3 miles 0 locks 1.1/2 hours.

Monday 3 June  2024

Today we need to be in Birmingham City Centre so that we can get to the Richard Thompson concert in the Symphony Hall. 

We set off at 0730 and soon came up behind nb Louisa who awas also just setting out.  The gentle crawl behind them lasted about 1.5 hours as they came to the Shirley Drawbridge No 8 first and we passed them as they waited for the bridge to be lowered and their crew to return. After this we made steady progress to Birmingham . 

 

It was a morning of herons today. I don't know how they manage to fish as the banks are quite high in places. They must know what they are doing.

 

Only the turn at Kings Norton Junction seemed more difficult than usual as the off side abittment of the Junction Bridge is protected by projecting steelwpork and timber that was a littel difficult to negotiate.

We stopped at Selly Oak visitor mooring to provision at Sainsbury's. We bec=bated where the Lapal Canal will eventually connect with the Worcester and Birmingham Canal. It is near there but unclear. We assumed the rpoute is inder the loose surfaced footpath to the supermarket car park.

Our next stop was the water point just before the Mailbox. Here we gave Sonflower a well needed wash down, turned the boat at the Mailbox and returned to clean the other side. Then we backed to turn and settled ourselves on a mooring outside the Veuve Lounge.

11.5 miles, 1 lock(open), 2 tunnels, 5 hours.

 

It is a five minute walk form here to the Symphiny Hall.  Of course we visited the award winning Barajee overlooking Worcester Bar, for a curry meal before the concert. The meal and the concert were excellent.

Tuesday 4 June 2024 

An engine check revealed that we have been leaking oil. This was topped up to the full mark with what we had on board. I made a mental note to buy some more.

 

The weather did not look promising this morning and we set off to get to Tividale Quays before the rain forecast for 1130 am could drench us.

Thsi is a picture of the approach to Smethwick Bottiom Lock. It shows the progress of history as the bridge has been widened twice to accomodate the traffic above.  Piglet took the shore duty and reported that the gates on this flight were particularly easy to move, one he thought was weightless. Well done CRT for maintaining them well. The antivandal mechanisms were a bit of a problem but Piglet coped well. One pound was a little low but we managed to cross it on tickover.

With the locks behind us we cruised quickly toward our goal marvelling at the winding route between the columns of the elevated M5. This is still under repair with expansive areas of scaffolding beneath the suppoerting beams. To our knowledge thsi woprk has been going on for over 3 years unbeknown to the thousands of users passing overhead.

In ouor hurry, I hit the side of a narrows that was obscured by vegetation but do not think Sonflower sustained any serious damage.

 

Moorhens gave way to coots and we saw a couple on their nests and one pair with a single chick. Water Lillies still prevail as the weed of choice in the  Dudley area.

 

We arrived at Tividale Quays, (once Dudley Port Basin) as the rain started at 11.15, a little earlier than forecast. We moored in the rain.

 

 

8.1/4 miles, 3 locks, 3.1/4hours

Black Country Living Museum

We had a grandson on board for the trip from Cambrian Basin to the Black Country Living Museum. We chose to go along the Old Main Line from Brades Hall Junction which meant navigating the Gower Branch and Brades Locks which is new to us. It was our first experience of these locks which are a single lock and a staircase. We had no problems at all and gave our grandson his first experience of pushing and pulling lock gates and winding paddle gear.

The Old Main line is weedy. It is lined with water lillies and has blanket weed floating in clumps in the channel. Regular reversing of the prop kept it clear.

We moored for lunch above the Netherton tunnel branch on the Tividale Aqueduct. A boat was already moored there bit thy moved up a couple of bollards to let us in. They were very apologetic and told us they dod not expect to see anyone else as they had seen only one boat all morning.

After lunch we were soon at the BCLM and moored on 24hr mooring.

                                                                           8.1/2 miles, 3 locks, 8 hours (including lunch).

After a nice time in the museum including a visit down the mine and to the sweetshop we settled down for the night. The museum food outlets close at 5pm so we made use of the local takeway chinese "Chopsticks". I ordered the sort of meal we would have had in  Banbury but the size of the portions here was really OTT. The pancake rolls were the size of a pringle tube and the chicken balls the size of full size billiard balls. And there were loads of them. We decided to keep the barbque spare ribs, 1.1/2 spring rolls and the chow mein for lunch the next day. In fact we had more than that left over including half the chicken balls and king prawns in batter.

We went on the Dudley Canal  Tunnel Trusts tunnel trip int he morning. What a pleasure. The limestone caverns,including a light show and video presentations were wonderful. Our grandson got to leg us in the tunnel and we really enjoyed the experience. After this we went back to the BCLM for a bit more history and a pint of mild ale at the Bottle and Glass Inn.

After lunch we went back via the New Main Line. At Factory locks we had to wait for a D of E Award party to bring their butty up the locks. The last boat in the queue that built up behind them were in no mood to wait for locks which resulted in too many boats than would fit between locks 2 and 3. This boat emptied down and worked up lock 2 trapping Sonflower in the top lock with another boat waiting in the pound. Once they were up the jiggling and maneuvering about could commence to leave them in the short pound between the locks. I don't think they noticed the trouble their impatience had caused.

The rest of the cruise back to Cambrian Basin was uneventful. We were glad to get back. The best mate made a delicious chilli with the chicken that remained in the centre of the left over Chinese chicken balls.

                                                                       9 miles, 3 locks, 4 hours

Walsall to Wolverhampton to Birmingham

We left Walsall Town Basin at 10.15 on Friday. The passage up the Walsall locks was weedy and the shallow canal gave us problems with prop fouling again. We could not enter directly into lock 4 as the boat stopped on something. We pulled the boat to the side and bow hauled her round the obstruction.

The services building at the top lock is closed and there was no water available. Local boatyard staff and a boater told us the nearest on our route was at Snyde Wharf.

The Canal Museum, signposted at the bottom of the flight,is boarded up and up for development.

The Wyrley and Essington Canal is full of blanket weed. Apart from that and the impediment to progress it is very peaceful and pleasant. Of course the local population keep it topped up with plastic bottles, drinks cans and bags of rubbish.

The Sneyd Wharf services were clean and cared for and a refreshing highlight of the cruise.

We got to Wolverhampton, winded in the basin and backed to the Wolverhampton Top Lock moorings to find they are 24 hour!

Pretty Wolverhampton Mooring

                                                 11miles, 8 locks, 8 hours

Hopper on lock landing, Factory Bottom Lock, BCN

So this morning we boated to Birmingham. It was good to be back in deeper water and reasonably rubbish free.

Arriving at Factory Bottom Lock, BCN

Factory locks had a reasonable variety of items including a "road closed" sign but it was not obstructing the workings and we could not get it out. As we were descending the locks we did not need to use the lock landing at the bottom lock: this was occupied by a moored hopper.



We did a tour of Oozle's loop to find the pump out services of Sherborne Wharf are on the main line at The Distillery. So we winded at Old Turn and again at another basin to the west of centre and the returned to The Distillery to pump out. A trip boat were not amused that we were on "their" stopping place. Apparently our pump out should have been timed between their need to use the stop! There appears to be a continual conflict if interest at this point as the discharge point is one bollard from the stop sign.By the time we were finished, unconnected and ready to leave there were two trip boats vying for the same stopping point.We left them to fight it out.

All services completed we moved on to Cambrian Wharf and returned SONFLOWER to her accustomed position.
                                               13 miles, 3 locks, 5hours

Titford to Walsall

Today we leave the Langley Green area of Oldbury and the tempting Titford Pools to navigate to Walsall. New to us and exciting.

I, the skipper, have decided that we will not attempt to navigate the pools on our own. BCNS have strong advice not to do so and having read some blogs, including our intrepid exploring friends  Halfie who made the same decision, we took the BCNS advice.

I do thank the BCNS for taking their work boat Phoenix through the route on Friday last and clearing the way but what has tipped my decision is the wind that has arisen and the unknown way it will behave around the motorway viaduct. I understand that the mud in the pools is too deep to pole ourselves off and there is every chance that a gust or two could take the boat into the shallows.

We will return in company.

Moored in Walsall Town Basin

We have arrived!

The getting here was interesting! The first job was depositing three bags of rubbish at the pump house skip. Thank you BCNS. Most was collected from above the Oldbury Top Lock.

Between the Oldbury Bottom Lock and Oldbury Junction there were in excess of 50 silver fish floating dead. I contacted CRT to alert them to an environmental catastrophe. Then just round onto the Old Main Line was a 30" koy carp! Negotiating the turn to Spon Top Lock took time in the wind under the motorway!

We turned north onto the Wednesbury Old Canal and were slowed down by the shallow depth of the narrow channel between the reed beds. It was very pretty. But pretty was not how you would describe the canal as we made our way north. The gates of some of the Ryders Green locks didn't fully open because of the rubbish behind them. The reedy and water lily lined canal was littered with rubbish and flotsam. We had to clear the prop of poly and other rubbish about ten times, often stopping the engine in mid channel. Mainly polythene sheeting and bags today but a draw string gym bag and a rope added to the mix. Some was obviously industrial waste.

The canal could be so beautiful. Walkers commented "Enjoy your trip" with a knowing grin. Fishermen cast over flotillas of plastic bottles; there are cascades of rubbish at every bridge; we stopped counting shopping trolleys when we hit double figures; there are settees and armchairs, fire extinguishers, a gas bottle, empty beer kegs, doors, wood, and board among the flotsam. The fittings of a moored small cruiser seemed to be floating away from it.

How do people put up with it and live with it? This could be a six mile long navigable lily pond! there are red, yellow and white water lilies growing in various stretches. Wildlife exists: muscovy duck, ruddy duck, coot, moorhen, swans with signets, canada geese, farmyard ducks , grey heron and cormorant were all spotted today along with ubiquitous gulls and mallards.

But in Walsall Town Basin it looks ok! I cleared a sackfull of plastic bottles and litter this morning.

                                     10miles and 17 locks:  8.1/2 hrs

BCN Anthem

"I've had miles and miles of poly round the prop..." Sings the chorus of a boating folk song about the BCN (Birmingham Canal Navigation). And now we have experienced it.

We set off this morning to do the loops. That is Oozell Loop, Icknield Loop, and Soho Loop which are rarely navigated parts of the BCN Main Line. All went well and we exited Soho Loop onto the Main Line and stopped for breakfast at Smethwick New Pumping Station. Here CRT had an awareness promotion. Except the volunteers were not wearing uniform or badges, didn't realise there were two parallel canals where they were; could not answer simple questions about boating but did recommend a visit to Titford pools.

Just as we pulled away the poly struck. I could not get to the side but shut down the engine mid canal and opened the weed hatch. With craft knife and brute force we filled a carrier bag with poly including braided tape saying "security sealed" It  was not tearable.

We turned the tight right hander into the entry to Spon Lane Bottom lock. Here only one antivandal mechanism worked so I reported the defective one and we worked up on one paddle. All sorts of rubbish were successfully navigated through the looks but we came to a halt making the tight right-hander after the top lock. I poled to the side here and secured the boat on the lock mooring. The offending item was a tent. I pulled much of it off and cut it away but had to open the weed hatch again for the last fragments and some fishing nylon.

We stopped for lunch at Oldbury Bottom Lock. No problems here except more rubbish and a reed bed that we had to push into a lock with us. We got to the top and debated where we needed to turn and how far we could go. In the event the decision was made for us. We grounded entering Uncle Ben's Bridge and during a turn in the Uncle Ben winding hole, avoiding a coot's nest, we grounded again and picked up something else on the prop. I went to the weed hatch for a third time. This time it was a long length of cotton cloth.

We decided it would be fool hardy to try to get to the pools and went back a little way to mooring rings.

We walked to Titford Bridge in the evening passing two shopping trolleys and other debris in the canal. The water is too dark to tell whether the actual depth of the channel was shallow too.

We have not seen the pools yet.

7 miles, 9 locks, 7 hours

Out of Birmingham

 This is the view from Cambrian Wharf at the top of Farmers Bridge Flight yesterday morning just before sunrise. We were up early because we had 11.1/2 to 12 hours boating ahead of us and only 11.1/2 hours of daylight to do it in.  We knew that around the corner was a barrier with blue flashing lights and this sign!

No-one was there when we arrived a fraction past 7AM. There are no rings so The Best Mate held the boat on the centre rope while I looked for the police. So although not technically "out of hours" (10PM to 7AM) I called the number. The police respondent said "I'll be with you in 10-15 minutes". He did arrive at the path beside The Malt Shovel to tell us that he could not find the "water team": they had not arrived yet. We had a visit from a lovely little spaniel search dog at about 8.30 and, with two policemen and the dog aboard as escorts we were cleared to make passage to Worcester Bar at 0837h.

It was one of those wonderfully crisp and sunny mornings as we headed south past the University hall and campus where I was an undergrad so many years ago. Over a new aqueduct over a new dual carriageway road past Selly Oak and Bourneville, once a proud centre for chocolate manufacture, now a theme park. Gliding easily across an ebony marble surface. Why the water here has a blackened glassy look to it I do not really know. We used to call it a "smelly ditch" but now, with a re-furbished cycleway on the towpath it is a delightful cruising waterway.

So to the tightest of turns under the King's Norton junction footbridge to join the Stratford canal with its guillotine gated stop lock that would no longer stop anything judging by the gaps between the planks of the guillotines. After Brandwood Tunnel we had a brief stop to pump out, fill with diesel and buy a pair of cornettos. After Lyons Boatyard the canal is a winding delight. Often wooded on both sides and overhead the sunlight splashes through the leafy arch to dapple the mirror surface of the canal and the path beside it. An occasional leaf fell to make wavy circles in the way ahead. Three herons and two kingfishers were seen here too. There are many new waterside developments to accommodate an expanding population on the leafy edge of the Birmingham Solihull conurbation. One has a stairway waterfall which stops just short of the canalside on a mock wharfe. No boats would be allowed to moor there.

We continued apace with no time to stop at Wedge's Bakery and only a following timeshare nb Steelaway for company. They were not in quite sight when we had to close the Shirley Swing bridge to let the traffic flow again but we held the next lift bridge open for them. The Best Mate dawdled on to make sure they could not pass while I lowered it again as we did not want to lose any benefit of any locks that were set for us!  We needn't have worried as they winded before the second and last lift bridge before the locks.

And anyway locks 2 and 3 were set against us so had to be filled. However, locks 4 and 5 were full and from then on we were on a good road. How that happened we were not sure but next to the Lapworth cricket field we saw three CRT blue shirts get into their lorry and scoot away. maybe they had been playing with the levels:we will never know.

Shadows lengthen as sun sinks

A couple of boats came up the other way to interrupt our lonely routine and we had the company of a few walkers and dog walkers in the sunshine.

We left the 20 locks behind as the sun dipped below the hedgerows and we headed out into the Birmingham and Warwick canal, turning south toward Warwick. It got darker and darker until we entered Shrewley Tunnel. When I left it the light didn't get much brighter so I pulled over and we moored on the rings. We were short of our target and a long way short of Warwick Parkway station. We had moored here before and we knew the way up over the tunnel to Shrewley Common where there is a Post Office. I did not notice the 48hour restriction until I lit up the post with my torch. Oops! Near the PO, a kind gentleman suggested that we walk to the Durham Ox to ask after a taxi. This we did and were soon provided with the taxi company's number and a cab was in its way.

The driver suggested that he could take us home for not much more than the train fare so we accepted his offer and were home, exhausted but glad to get home before the train would have left Warwick Parkway.

Now all we need to do is find a time to move the boat the remaining distance to the top of Hatton locks.

Cambrian Wharf to Shrewley Tunnel SE portal:
                                            22.5 miles, 20 locks. 3 moveable bridges, 3 tunnels 12.1/2 hours

Birmingham in the Rain

Thanks to the Best Mate who was undertook nonagenarian caring duties Alex and I went to take the boat to Birmingham City Centre.

This was how we found her tied up. Obviously we had been untied at the stern and someone had retied her with both my stern lines and as many knots as they could tie around the bollard and the swan neck as well as the tee posts! Thank you to the kind hearted soul who pulled her in.

A retired vicar conversed with us for a few minutes, prompted by the WWC  labels in the windows. He told us there was a lot of traffic coming out if Birmingham.  "Good, I replied, that will help us"

We left in rain. I had Alex on board as crew and enjoyed his company. About a half hour into the cruise we came across steaming narrowboat tug Laplander. Murphy's Law applies and she was under the factory over the canal when we passed so I could not get a pretty picture

 Thence to Salford Junction, the spaghetti junction of the waterways. I always have to ask myself which way we need to turn.

The real "spaghetti junction" (A38(M) and M6 intersection) is about half a mile further on but that is the M6 above us. Passing Cookoo Wharf we said "hello" to the crew of nb Norfolk Belle who we expect to see at Banbury Canal Day next weekend. Aston locks were all set for us and we met a couple of boats coming out of Birmingham. The rain persisted.

We met nb Kew at the foot of Farmers Bridge locks and took our lunch on board. They were returning from Parkhead Festival and had a milk bottle of bitter real ale on board, bought at discount from the closing bar. It refreshed me. The WWC for central Birmingham was their lock wheeling crew down Farmers Bridge flight and we took him with us to re-tread his steps as he needed to get to an appointment elsewhere later in the day. After the first of the FB locks I felt guilty having so many hands and sent Alex back to nb Kew to replace him. The rain stopped once we were under the shelter of the buildings that cover the secretive flight of 13 locks that form the staircase to the highly developed central Birmingham exhibition quarter.

This is the iconic view to remember Farmers Bridge by with the  Telecoms tower in the background.

My crew had to leave me to do the last three locks on my own but as they were set ready by Kew's descent he opened the bottom gates of the last two for me as he passed. I arrived at the top and backed into a mooring in Cambrian Wharf at about 5pm.

This is the first time I have had every lock on Aston and Farmers Bridge Flights (24 locks) in our favour. Indeed a good road today.

Now I had to consult Traveline and check out buses. I followed their map and route to Bus Stop CS1 on Corporation Street and got a 63 bus to Erdington where the car was parked. Under and hour later I was ready to rendezvous again with nb Kew and Alex.

Here Kew positions herself across the canal to moor near the Tyburn pub where we enjoyed a dinner together with her crew before we left to return to Banbury.

                                                                          5.1/4miles, 24 locks   6 hours