JamesWoolcock

I think you will find that all the way through these locks and the tunnel is really quite deep and that you can afford to run a considerable amount of water off to get through. A few years ago in advance of taking a Small Woolwich through with deck board up, luby in etc I asked one of the several former boatmen in Gas St Basin what the air draught was. " No idea. We just run a foot or so off" was the answer. So we did!

Now open but with stipulations of boats travelling 10 minutes apart and slow speed too. How would you know how far the boat in front of you is? Unfortunately they have in retrospect extended the area concerned from York St in Stourport through to Kidderminster Lock, when the original stoppage was only from Kidderminster Lock to Caldwall Lock, the one below. Whilst the water here in Stourport is now well oxygenated and without any visible signs of pollution, I caught a bus to Kidderminster earlier and the film on the water surface there is as bad as anything the BCN has to offer on its worst day!

There's been a fish rescue above York St Lock in Stourport today after oxygen levels plunged. Many fish were coaxed into the lock and lowered into the Upper Basin with others transfered into the adjacent bye wash. A number of boats moored above the lock ran their engines in gear to help to raise oxygen levels until the Environment Agency's pumps arrived to take over the job. All stuck here waiting for the stoppage to be lifted. Although CRT reported that the pollution from the fire in Kidderminster hadn't appeared to impact on fish and wildlife, something horrid has made its way down the canal to Stourport!

Yes, hello again. Tied with friends who arrived this morning and came through it just before the stoppage was put on and they said it was severe and that it might be a few days before we can move off again. Reports from Limekiln Chandlery here had heard 4 or 5 days(!) so all we can do is keep an eye on CRTs emails and re-write our plans!

FMCs Petrel and Marquis with their full three foot draught each shared a fisherman's bivvy on the way to Ogley in 2018. The most evil bit of detritus I've ever had to remove with its spring steel ribs that a bolt cropper won't touch! Otherwise never had much of a problem up there and likely as much will make it part of our L&H Brownhills weekend too, should I get there. Currently stuck at Stourport awaiting the end of a mega pollution stoppage at Kidderminster.

Well no loose gravel now and no issues. A good find I thought.

Just drop down the lock and you'll find a lovely quiet mooring with hard fairly narrow towpath but few bikes and piling to moor to. Stayed there a few weeks ago for one night before going down to Bankcroft Basin and the River Avon. Would definitely do it again.

Dissolving?

There's always guys from the pub having a fag on the towpath that can be called upon to give some shove.

Isn't Braidbar another boat fitter?

Did that many years ago now to a BWB tug that had taken up a visitor mooring on the Coventry Canal at Fradley Junction for a week or so despite 'phone calls. Tied it to a tree in the wood on the offside.

Yep. Sad. Most who falsely claim they are 'boatbuilders' just aren't. They are boatfitters. And that's bad as well as sad.

As I understand it, CRESSY was burnt at Crown Wharf in Stone by Tom Rolt's friend and the founder of the Canal Cruising Co., Rendell Wyatt. Joules Brewery have just built a new pub on the site.

Morco? Got one of those too!

Wet exhaust through a separator. It was made in less than an hour, if I remember right out of offcut bits of steel by 'Diesel' Dave Dickerson when he was at Streethay Wharf. Cheap as chips and makes all the difference.

Yes, very likely, so they're delaying paying for good batteries at the expense of everyone's peace and quiet.

Thanks for that. The onboard diesel Fischer Panda is even quieter and you wouldnt hear that at all because I care about disturbing people.

I know this has been covered here before, but I find it so very irritating to be moored up next to a boat that's had all day to fire up their engine but they leave it till I want an early evening beer outside. The people next to me here in Gloucester Docks have been around all day, but they've left it till 6.45 to start the engine, as last night. To me it's just bloody thoughtless. Is it because he can? I do my battery recharging in the morning with my Honda genny when no one cares about disturbance and the world is full of bustle.

A lot of people today are clueless.

Not a proper pub with proper local people to talk to that I search out travelling the waterways. Sorry. Might suit you but not me. Thus I've not paid that sort of money, and for big brewery/ pubco beer for a week or so since stuffed at the Boot. I'm for local pubs, with local people, local beer at local prices. Just been in a lovey old pubs or micropubs every night that haven't been 'gentrified '. And will continue to search them out.

Yeah, joke, we're talking pubs not fancy top price London bars ffs. So still 3quid in the Talbot in Pershore tonight 👍

I have a similar arrangement and at one time similar doubts.There is a small overflow hole at the top and back of the pan. Frangar, of this parish, once told me that there was a small 'p' trap or similar behind there and that it dries out. I now keep an old washing up liquid bottle to top it up now and again. Seems to sort all ills!

Deeper draughted boats will need to go over the Irk aqueduct; very little depth outside the RoL.

Yes, you're right things have improved a lot, nevertheless Newton Heath is still no place to spend any unnecessary time.

OMG Newton Heath aka Newton Scumbag! My first passage down into Manchester was single handed with another single hander and two waterways guys 'riding shotgun' just a few years ago. BWB/CRT insisted that you only went between Failsworth and New Islington with an escort! They insisted that we got through Newton Heath by 12midday as that was when the trouble making smackhead scallies got out of bed. Moor there for the night? No way!