Migraines and Variable Weather

(Boat Chalice - posted by Alan)

The biggest unknown at the start of the day related to a problem reported by the Canal and River Trust at one of their Birmingham locks.  If signed up for alerts, you receive mails like this one we received yesterday afternoon.



Navigation closure notice: Tame Valley Canal

Notice Alert

Tame Valley Canal

Starts At: Lock 1, Perry Barr Top Lock

Ends At: Lock 13, Perry Barr Bottom Lock

Up Stream Winding Hole: Rushall Junction

Down Stream Winding Hole: Salford Junction

Wednesday 21 May 2014 14:00 until further notice

Type: Navigation Closure

Reason: Structure failure

There is an obstruction blocking the bottom gate of Lock 10.

As this has left the gate inoperable we have unfortunately had to close the lock flight with immediate effect whilst work is carried out.

Further updates will be posted in due course.

Typical of the attractive (& named) bridges on the Birmingham & Fazeley

Now this one mattered because the closed lock is one we potentially needed to pass through to do the BCN Challenge, either possibly as part of the challenge, or maybe as part of a positioning move in advance of it.

The bad news is that although there are alternate routes to join the Birmingham Canal Navigations the way the rules and point scoring for the Challenge work, they are actually a very poor choice, with a lot of locks, many of which would get you no score at all.

"Cobbett" will be one of the other boats taking part - nobody there today!

We could hope the problem would be fixed today, but we certainly couldn't know that, so whilst we had until now planned to be quite leisurely we had to accept this might mean a major change of route.  So we thought we had better get moving today, whilst keeping an eye on developments.

In practice I managed to chat to the marina manager at Alvecote far longer than I intended, and our start was not particularly early!

The weather had not yet broken - quite!

Cath had agreed to do the first stint on the tiller, but called me out soon after we had set off.  She occasionally gets bad migraines, fortunately not at all often, these days, but when she does get one, they take over very quickly, and she is unable to carry on doing what she was doing.  So whilst Cath went inside in search of medicines, an ice pack  and a darkened room, I took over the boat.

Now it's raining!

Until you leave the Coventry Canal for the Birmingham and Fazely there were just two more locks which were quickly dispatched, but where we had planned for Cath to do a brief shop at Fazeley, David had to go instead, whilst I finally filled the water tank, which we had failed to do completely at Atherstone, due to a tap with a really slow flow rate.  There are no toilet emptying facilities on the Birmingham & Fazeley, so we made a further short diversion up to Peel's Wharf to do that, before turning around, back to the junction, and finally following the sign to Birmingham.

Now it is REALLY raining!

Cath was little better by the time we hit the top of the Curdworth flight of 11 locks, but David was more than happy to work up this flight, going ahead each time on the folding bike to speed our progress.

This should be view of the short Curdworth Tunnel

Fatefully though, he announced he was in danger of getting sun burnt, and demanded the sun block.  About 10 minutes later the heavens opened, and within no time at all both he and I were soaked to the skin.  Deciding we were unlikely to get any wetter even if we fell in, we decided to press on through all the locks, plus the diminutive Curdworth Tunnel that comes at the end of them.  As seems to happen quite often, the rain seemed to lessen substantially soon after we moored up, and has now been stopped for a while.


Oh, and during the day  this also arrived by email.....

Navigation closure notice: Tame Valley Canal

Notice Alert

Tame Valley Canal

Starts At: Lock 1, Perry Barr Top Lock

Ends At: Lock 13, Perry Barr Bottom Lock

Up Stream Winding Hole: Rushall Junction

Down Stream Winding Hole: Salford Junction

Wednesday 21 May 2014 14:00 until Thursday 22 May 2014 11:30

Type: Navigation Closure

Reason: Structure failure

Update on 22/05/2014:

The obstruction has been removed and the navigation is therefore now open.

So, all being well, we do not have to use an alternative route to access the action on the BCN Challenge!



Alvecote to Curdworth Tunnel
Miles: 10.6, Locks:13

Total Miles: 119.8, Locks: 64

Doing the oil change - Hartshill to Alvecote

(Boat Chalice - posted by Cath)

Starting decent of Atherstone locks

We moored at Anchor Bridge, near to Hartshill on the Coventry Canal. This was a very big mistake, as we were woken at some godforsaken hour by aggregate lorries backing up and loading on the other side of the canal. There was no break, and despite our best efforts we just did not manage to get any more sleep. So we grumped around, ate breakfast late and didn't get started for ages.

"Aber" is an "under cloth" conversion, with living space in the cargo hold.

I shopped at Atherstone, while the others serviced the boat - filling the tank, emptying the loo. Then we worked down the 11 locks - no problems except that one paddle was not working at lock 10, taking a very long time for the lock to fill. Afterwards we carried on until Polesworth where Alan did a much needed engine oil change, and discovered that we have water in the cabin bilge - not a good thing. He eventually tracked the problem to a leaky water pump, which will need replacing - in the mean time we have a tray under the pump, and we need to mop regularly.

"Odin" in the Atherstone flight

Bottom of Atherstone

We continued on to Alvecote Marina, where we ate in the Samuel Barlow pub, before a fairly early bed. We may have to make changes for our route this weekend for the 24 hour BCN Challenge, and so we are getting some rest in advance.

We are guessing this will be the only Bolinder on the BCN Challenge

Hartshill to Alvecote Marina
Miles: 1.0, Locks: 2

Total Miles: 3.0, Locks: 4

A Slice Of Boat Life - Doing The Laundry.

(Boat Chalice - posted by Cath)

Doing the laundry (written with the non-boater in mind)

"Fisher Price" Washing machine tucks behind shower.

Today the weather is likely to change, but we are starting to get a bit low on undergarments, so the laundry needs to be done. We generally travel with 7 - 10 days of underclothes, and try to get the washing done on long lock-less pounds. The reason for this is that doing the laundry on our boat is fairly labour intensive, so we can't easily be doing it while working through a flight of locks. When the washing gets done is a delicate balance between the weather, the number of locks, and how desperate we are for clothing. We do use launderettes, especially if we are out for a long time, and have used up all the spare bedding that we carry, but I much prefer to do a regular small wash for clothing. This meant that Alan had to steer for a lot of today, while I sorted out the washing.

It is an effective. but small, twin tub.

We have a very small twin tub - know affectionately as the 'Fisher Price Washing Machine' - which is kept under a shelf next to our shower in our small bathroom. It is actually very efficient at cleaning, and the washing tub can take up to the size of a pair of jeans. The washing machine is 240 V, which means that we need an inverter to convert from our 12 V batteries. The batteries are charged by the engine while we are moving, the same as in a car. We have a starter battery, and some 'domestic' batteries, for our lights, computer equipment, phone charging, etc. If we stay very long without running the engine our batteries run down. It is not unusual for boaters have a generator, or solar panels to allow them to charge the batteries, but we only have the engine.

Some boaters have proper automatic washing machines, and tumble driers, but we like to keep it simple - we also don't have much space for large pieces of equipment.

Normally it is hidden away like this.

The water is heated by the engine - a bit like a car engine being cooled by a radiator - this hot water is stored in a 'calorifier', a large hot water tank under our bed. We also have a gas water heater, but as the engine is running anyway, and needs to be cooled we use the heat of the engine to get hot water.  A tank of water will give a hot shower, so we tend to shower while on the move, so that the water is replenished for someone else to use. The water itself is kept in a large tank in the bows, which we fill up from water taps every few miles on the canal. In our kitchen we have taps for hot and cold water, but also a filter for drinking water - for water taken straight from the water tank in the bows.

The washing is hung up on an airer, and on one of those spider like devices - depending upon the temperature, and the humidity it can be dry in anything from a few hours, to several days.



Today's journey - not about laundry

The former stop lock at Stretton

The weather has held off - one or two very short showers, very little more than a few spots.

Alan did most of the steering early in the day, then I took over as we went onto the Coventry canal.

Tethered horses graze the tow-path at Ansty.

When we got to Nuneaton we pulled over and went shopping - and were pleasantly surprised. So many towns these days are nothing more than charity shops, pound shops, cash converters, betting shops and boarded up properties. Yes, there were quite a few charity shops, but the centre of town was vibrant, with real shops - a very good greengrocers, an ironmongers, a proper wool and yarn shop - and other shops that people really need.

Hawkesbury - also known as "Sutton Stop"

After shopping we headed on until we got near to Hartshill, pulling over in a stop we have used before, and where there is a really nice field for a recovering dog to have a good walk in.


Brinklow to Hartshill
Miles: 16.3, Locks:1

Total Miles: 99.2, Locks: 40













 

The stop lock here only has a fall of about six inches.

 

Preparing to make 180 degree turn from Oxford to Coventry canals

And now the inevitable pictures of Odin, who continues his steady recovery......