Steev's Canal Pages . . The Yule Cruise 2006

Sunday 24th Dec 2006

We wake up to a lovely warm boat and a day that still hasn't been coloured in properly - slightly warmer than yesterday but just as dull. We proceed towards Fradley and stop at the BWB yard there to fill up with water and use the excellent facilities before turning left on to the Coventry. In our view the Coventry is a much under used stretch, it is, at this end at least quiet, meandering and offers many good moorings.

When Emma - the previous owner of our boat handed her over she told us about a switch in one of the back cupboards that turned on a water pump for the heating, then explained that she'd never used it. A while ago we had occasion to speak to Black Prince and they told us that it was a trial they did that was meant to pump water around the heating system whilst the engine was running and use some of the engine heat to warm the radiators. A look back to the plumbing layout (Page 8) will show you that the Eberspacher heating coils and engine coils both run inside the hot water tank, but are otherwise not connected. This means that there is only a very limited amount of exchange area and subsequently Black Prince declared it a bit of a failure. However - the engine does make more hot water than we can use so we turned the switch on, the little pump whirred away to itself and the radiators got pleasantly warm. Not hot we accept, but nicely warm so we left it running all day whilst we were cruising and were surprised by the difference it made.

Sometime yesterday a friend of ours, Phil, phoned to ask where we were as he was of visiting relatives and thought he'd pop by. We then undertake that typical boater to car driver conversation where we are navigating by bridge and lock numbers and he's trying to navigate by road numbers. Eventually we settle on him parking at Hopwas and walking down towards us until we meet. Just as he is experiencing the 'where have they got to' crisis he calls us and as we are speaking on the mobiles, each of us describing what we can see we see each other. Welcome aboard Phil, Jill, Samantha (we think) and Zak the dog.

As an ex Navy bod Phil is quite at home on the boat, but Jill and the dog take a little more convincing, though once aboard they are soon lulled by the warmth and gentle motion of our slow progress back along towards Hopwas and their car. We think Jill liked boating - never know she might even try a week away some time. We drop our guests off at Hopwas (excellent moorings each side, just none in the middle few hundred yards) and continue on our way for another half hour before mooring up well outside Tamworth. As the previously mentioned water pump had been on all day and the engine had made the hot tank hot when we switched the Eberspacher on all it had to do was get the radiators hot, which it did in a few minutes. Have a very nice spag-bol, finish off yesterday's bottle of wine and settle down for the night.

Monday 25th Dec 2006

May I start this day with my traditional greeting - 'Bah Humbug' - I feel better already. Quite a busy day ahead of us with Atherstone locks - all 11 of them to deal with as well as the Glascote 2 in Tamworth. We set off just as the day is dawning and make our way serenely to Fazeley junction and see not a single boat on the move. Keeping to the left at Fazeley we approach Tamworth and again, move through it without seeing a moving boat. To that point there aren't many people out generally. We go past Alvecote Marina, home to a large selection of Canal Time boats and from then on to Polesworth were we had, according to one of the many plans, intended to stay the night. We get the impression that Polesworth was shut. In fact we get the impression that as far as the canal is concerned Polesworth is permanently closed. Making good progress we start on the Atherstone flight and decide to head for the open countryside for the evening. As we leave Atherstone behind we consult our guide book which tells us that the landscape here is 'curiously exciting'. The only thing that makes us curious about it is what the hell did the guide book writer find exciting ? We moor up somewhere near bridge 33, nicely away from anywhere and anyone. We haven't seen a boat move all day.

Tuesday 26th Dec 2006

Late start today - after 8:30 before we get on the move and much of the morning is taken up with Nuneaton. We now realise what the guide book writer meant. After going through Nuneaton by canal just about anything can be seen as curiously exciting. Such people as we see walk along the towpath with their heads down and no interest at all in anything discernable. We find ourselves wanting to see if Wych Way can do the 4mph limit and find that not only is she able but also more than willing. For the 2 -3 miles that is Nuneaton we 'speed' on. With one or two last minute glimpses of 'civilisation' we move on towards Marston Junction, the start of the Ashby where we take a swift left and notice at once an immediate change.

Dadlington Wharf

The Ashby is described as 'rural' by many people and we certainly aren't going to argue. Rural it is - including the towpath which has certainly seen better days - we also note that the towpath bank is often very shallow and reedy, somewhat limiting the places to moor, but it is rural and very charming. On the approach to Trinity Marina we call some friends of ours who we know have a boat there and organise a 'wave at us and quick natter' as we drift past - we plan to stop and chat on our way back down. We are treated to seeing kingfishers twice and water voles twice, clearly showing that this section of the waterways network is in good health. Long on our 'to do list' has been finding Dadlington Wharf. We find it. It looks quite literally like someone has just rammed a boat into the bank at very nearly 90 degrees then put a landing stage down one side. It is, very clearly, a one boat wharf. However, we do it an injustice in this description. Small it may be, but clean and tidy, complete with a very nice sign and the one boat that is there is obviously well cared for too.

We take on water and let off rubbish at the BWB facilities at Sutton Wharf Bridge before moving on in the gathering gloom of evening to a spot adjacent to Ambion Wood.

Wednesday 27th Dec 2006

Setting off in the early morning gloom we hear owls in Ambion wood and see a few bats flitting around then a series of large crow flights, which I believe are known as 'murders'.

The aim of today is to reach the far end of this decidedly pretty canal, albeit it with variable towpath quality, turn around and get back to somewhere near where we started, with a view to catching up with some old friends at Trinity Marina on the way past on Thursday. We go past Battlefield Moorings, complete with large sign inviting us to moor and continue through Market Bosworth where we note with interest a sign proclaiming 'Award winning fish and chips' complete with pointy arrow for the directionally challenged - more of which later.

End of the Ashby

It seems to us the closer you get to the end of this canal the more bridges there are, almost as if they had to get 62 of the buggers in somewhere but hadn't quite got the ratio right when they started. The same seems to apply to bends - at the beginning they are gentle meanders but the upper parts of the Ashby seems not to be populated with bends and curves but more with handbrake turns.

We cruise on past Shackerstone, home of a very large gathering each year that includes steam trains, traction engines, vintage cars, boats and more besides, then on to the end - which seems to be getting further and further away. Three times now I have worked out how long it is going to take us to reach the present end, and three times it has been 2 hours. Anyway, we arrive at around mid-day and get into conversation with a very nice chap whose boat is moored at the end and who is actively involved in the Ashby Canal Society. We start talking about the plans for the Ashby and he speaks fondly and with great knowledge about the plans for its' restoration. Before we know it nearly an hour has gone by and we leave, complete with a nice plaque commemorating the Ashby, heading for somewhere vaguely near Ambion wood. It is a few hours later when we recall that Market Bosworth (bridge 42) has the enticing 'Award winning fish and chips' sign as well as some very nice looking visitor moorings. Only a few moments later we decide that fish and chips sounds very nice, so new target set we arrive, moor up and set off in the direction of the signs' arrow.

As you may have guessed that sign is the only one we ever see pointing to the fabled chippy but we continue uphill for what must be knocking on for a mile - noses on full alert for the whiff of frying chips and startle one or two of the locals by asking if we are going in the right direction. We are bought back to earth swiftly as we note how less interactive land dwellers are than boat folk. Every boater you pass will at the very least acknowledge you with a wave, a word of wisdom or a comment on the weather - not so town folk. Funny how only 2 days ago everyone we saw was saying 'Merry Christmas', now that 'reason' to communicate has gone by I guess the next will be 'Happy New Year'. I decide to try something new in 2007. At the appropriate time I intend to greet everyone I see with a cheerful and smiling 'Happy Pancake Day' and see what happens.

We finally find the fabled chippy - and it is SHUT ! - Closed due to bloody Christmas ! - that was days ago for goodness sake. Well sod 'em we say, we'll show 'em and go to the Chinese takeaway next door - which is also shut due to Christmas - and they aren't even Christians. A short wander around Market Bosworth reveals a good selection of pubs, at least one restaurant and a promising looking Indian that offers a delivery service. We wonder if we order dinner from there will they will deliver to our boat, taking us with the food but even this is thwarted by the dreaded Christmas hours - now we know they aren't Christians so what are they doing having the night off ? We make our way back to Wych Way, have fish finger sandwiches and red wine that has been warmed to a pleasant temperature. It has attitude for sure.

Thursday 28th Dec 2006

A slightly easy day today as we have decided that Nuneaton and all its' delights can wait until Friday morning. We set off in slight drizzle but within an hour or so the sun breaks through and the rest of the day is sunny with clear blue skies and the gentlest of breezes. From our chat with the man at the end of the Ashby we are aware that there is a New Year gathering there, so we are not much surprised to see quite a few boats coming our way today.

We stop to re-fuel at the Ashby Boat Company by Stoke Golding where we admire their unusual pump out machine before continuing in the sunshine in a generally southerly, though sometimes easterly, sometimes westerly (as is the wont of this contour hugging canal) direction before passing Trinity Marina on the outskirts of Hinckley.

A Robin 'Ant' pump out machine

Hinckley in my view happens between bridges 15 where the pub (The Limekilns) has a chalkboard notice declaring it to be an internet hotspot and bridge 17a, which seems to be the last bridge the local spray can brigade can be bothered to walk to.

Eventually we settle down for the night at the attractively named 'Bulking Road Bridge' which leaves us about 1 mile to reach the end of the Ashby before we turn right onto the Coventry once more.

All in all we have enjoyed the Ashby Canal. It is a mix of very narrow, reedy, shallow stretches with towpaths that are sometimes barely existent and quite wide and relatively deep (by Ashby standards at least) stretches that are inexplicably well maintained, being as they often are in the middle of nowhere. When the sun comes out it is an utterly charming and a truly beautiful place to be with many good moorings along the way. We will be back.

Somewhat interestingly we note that the weather forecast for the next few days includes 70 - yes 70 mph winds in part of the country and severe weather warnings that look likely to affect us too.

Friday 29th Dec 2006

As we are slightly concerned about the severe weather warning we decide on an early start so are on the move by 7, cruising before the day has had a chance to catch up with us. We move on through a silent landscape accompanied by a gentle breeze and drizzling rain then at the end of the Ashby turn right onto the Coventry. We pass through Nuneaton seeing only a few people along the towpath and the rain gets harder, then harder still. Later in the day the wind starts to pick up and although not 70mph gusts those that are there make our progress interesting. We move on through Atherstone flight where most of the chambers seem to leak quite badly so even though we know there is no one in front of us and two have come past us going uphill just about every lock needs some filling. The wind makes waiting in mid channel tricky and on the slower filling locks we are pushed to the towpath whilst we wait. This it must be said is better than being blown away from the towpath, at least this way handling the boat is still a one person job.

At Alvecote we find ourselves in the somewhat reversed role of being the boat that hits a Canal Time. A sudden gust plants us fairly sideways into a moored boat and it takes a fair bit of pole at the pointy end to get us on the move again.

We decide to moor for the night at the Gate Inn at Ammington, near Tamworth and treat ourselves to a meal. At least we would treat ourselves to a meal but it is only 5 o'clock and they apologetically explain that they don't start food until 6. So a swift pint of Pedigree and an Appletize later we return to the boat and wait for 6 before venturing back in for dinner. Come 6 we are back in the Gate Inn and what a delight it turns out to be. With the exception of the non-smoking area, which the patrons adhere to but the smoke doesn't it is a warm and welcoming place resplendent with all manner of canal posters and humour as well as a decent outside seating area and kiddies playground. The food turns out to be of decent quantity, served by polite and friendly staff and on top of all of that it is very reasonably priced too. Whilst its' own mooring space is very limited - like we filled it, there is plenty of good mooring on the towpath opposite and it is right adjacent to a bridge so access is a doddle. So - if you are in Ammington visit the Gate Inn.

We turn in after our meal, listening to the increasing wind outside and are woken at around 4 by some serious rain and strong gusts of wind. In many ways it is fantastically comforting lying in the warm and dry whilst still being so close to the outside but on the other hand we still have to get down through Alrewas and the river section before we get home so we could do without quite so much rain.

Saturday 30th Dec 2006

Setting off on a slightly gusty and drizzle laden morning we continue along the Coventry heading for Fradley. A short while later we are stunned by the sudden emergence of a large golden yellow sphere in the sky that casts shadows - we ask a passer by at Glascote locks what this strange apparition is and he tells us it is something called 'the Sun'. Very nice it is too, so nice in fact that off comes one of the multiple clothing layers and we make very enjoyable progress. It is not to last however and is replaced by a persistent rain and some mildly impressive winds that often have us crabbing along the canal diagonally in order to achieve a straight line.

Most canal based wildlife doesn't see boats as a high level threat and will often sit it out rather than run and hide, the exception to this being moorhens who will scurry from tens of yards away only to fly in front of the boat and vanish into the off side vegetation a few feet from us. We are amazed at how many squirrels we see, often more in groups of 2 -3 or more, at one point one just sits and stares at our passing whilst nibbling his nuts, which is a good trick if you can do it - later he has something to eat too.

As the day progresses we meet some friends of ours from our home mooring who are as stunned to see us as we are to see them. A typical 'Hello - Happy New Year' type exchange takes place as the wake from our boats fills the expanding gap between us. Shortly afterwards we reach Fradley Junction and turn right onto the Trent and Mersey. Somewhere along here are another set of friends and we get news from a passing boat that they are ahead of us by a few miles, headed for Branston Water Park. A few telephone exchanges later we find that they are staying at Branston tonight so we make this our aim for this evening.

Heading down the Trent and Mersey we get to the river section at Alrewas, noting that the 'Proceed with caution' warnings are displayed we continue down through the river section at a fair lick, pushed along by a pretty decent, though manageable current before the river leaves us and we descend Wychnor lock.

One of the 'perks' of being an owner as opposed to a hirer is that we can cruise after dark and we often do. In fact we love cruising in the hour or two each side of daylight, there is something magical about the peace and undisturbed water that appeals to us. It comes as no surprise to anyone that knows us then that are still cruising at 6pm, well into darkness and guided by a most beautiful moon and star studded sky. We negotiate a fallen tree by bridge 39 and finally moor up at Branston Water Park in the company of several boating friends.

The weather forecast - always worth a giggle tells us we can expect gusts of up to 80mph and anything in between over the next 48 hours, so we are glad of our decision to stick the rain out and make it as far as we have today.

Sunday 31st Dec 2006

After a decidedly breezy, but not too alarming night we fall out of bed somewhere around 8.30 and following a quick chat with some friends who are staying out for another few days we set off.

The day gets windier, then windier. We get as far as Horninglow and decide that now is as good a time a any to empty our famously capacious holding tank as this is a site that can handle self pump outs. Getting into the basin is a doddle but getting back out requires us to reverse to the towpath bank then haul one of our stern ropes to get us pointing in the right direction again, though once moving all is well.

A few interesting gusts keep us on our toes steering wise but we get back to home moorings where once more the wind is enough to make us use the ropes and pole to move us sideways to our berth. We catch up on the gossip and make a trip out to the shops to top up on a few essentials before hiding ourselves away for the rest of the night to enjoy some peace and quiet.

All we need to do now is decide where we are going to go next.