Wolverhampton 21

[MrsM]

Hi all. We are on an indirect trip from Newark to Birmingham. Yesterday we sat out the worst of storm Alex moored up at the Gailey visitor moorings on the Staffordshire and Worcestershire canal. Today we are heading for the Wolverhampton 21 flight. All locks now have handcuff keys. Canal route planner reckons we will get from Gailey to the top of the flight in just under 7 hours. This sounds optimistic to say the least! Has anyone done this recently and any advice on nice moorings once we are through the flight? We are hoping to visit the Black Country Living Museum in Dudley when it reopens on Wednesday.

Edited October 4, 2020 by MrsM

[Keeping Up]

I'd say CanalPlan there is being pessimistic, you can make good progress because the locks are conveniently spaced. Using my own speed settings, which are pretty accurate when I'm travelling, it shows 5 1/2 hours. My favourite moorings are at Tipton, about half a mile before the museum. Good mooring on the towpath plus also opposite (outside the Health Centre there)

[MrsM]

1 minute ago, Keeping Up said:

I'd say CanalPlan there is being pessimistic, you can make good progress because the locks are conveniently spaced. Using my own speed settings, which are pretty accurate when I'm travelling, it shows 5 1/2 hours. My favourite moorings are at Tipton, about half a mile before the museum. Good mooring on the towpath plus also opposite (outside the Health Centre there)

Thank you for the advice. We shall get to it now the rain is easing off here.

[nicknorman]

You can do the “21” in 2.5 hours if you are efficient. Depending on whether locks are set for or against and/or how many crew you have.

[Tracy D'arth]

2 minutes ago, nicknorman said:

You can do the “21” in 2.5 hours if you are efficient. Depending on whether locks are set for or against and/or how many crew you have.

But you have to be 6ft 6inch over educated Latin speaking giant expert lock winder with a Hudson and 2 butlers.

Allow yourself three and a half hours, its a pleasant flight, enjoy.

[MrsM]

15 minutes ago, Tracy D'arth said:

But you have to be 6ft 6inch over educated Latin speaking giant expert lock winder with a Hudson and 2 butlers.

Allow yourself three and a half hours, its a pleasant flight, enjoy.

Haha I got a grade A in my Latin O'Level so we should whizz through. Looking forward to it. X

[nicknorman]

The joy of BCN locks is they are well designed, quick and easy. Quick to fill and empty without creating any significant disturbance to the boat. Relatively shallow rise/fall for each one helps too.
 

If you are of a nervous disposition and wind the top paddles “1 click at a time” it will take a while, but if you just fully open both top paddles the sky won’t fall in and the transit will be swift.

[Clanky]

Hopefully none of the pounds will be empty as they were for us at the end of August. We did the flight from the top down and a previous boat had left the anti vandal locks open so somebody (it could’ve been the boat crew) had opened/not closed the paddles on the lower gates and the first seven pounds were dry, (the top gates were very leaky). I called crt out as an environmental emergency due to all the fish flapping in the mud. 
 

We moored at the top the night before, no issues apart from the traffic noise as it’s right under the ring road.

Edited October 4, 2020 by Jinna

[system 4-50]

48 minutes ago, nicknorman said:

You can do the “21” in 2.5 hours if you are efficient. Depending on whether locks are set for or against and/or how many crew you have.

and how many pounds are low. (based on my last passage).

[Graham Davis]

My log of our last trip shows Gailey to the Museum as an easy day, and that included buying bacon butties from a van in one of the industrial estates on the way up the flight. We started late (probably 1030ish) and managed to get a pint at the Museum just before the bar shut. Couldn't get any chips though!

[Rob-M]

Mr and the wife normally do the 21 and continue in to Birmingham, the last time was from the Fox and Anchor moorings which is about 6 miles closure than Gailey so a couple of hours shorter but if you moor at Tipton than that is about 4 hours from Birmingham so therefore a days boating should be no problem.

 

Our method for the 21 is my wife goes ahead and sets the locks and I work the boat through the locks, they are well equipped for getting off to close the gates and as Nick says you can open the top paddles without crashing about.  Levels can be a problem but if you are setting ahead water can be run down.  The last two me we went up we were the first boat and CRT were on site letting water down and left over half the flight set for us do we flew up.

[MrsM]

Making fairly slow progress to Autherley Junction; mainly due to the miles of fishing matches. Oh the beaming joy on the faces of the jolly fishermen as they graciously let us tick by on their canal. Only a few scowls and no rude words so we've got off quite lightly methinks. 

[Laurie Booth]

2 hours ago, nicknorman said:

You can do the “21” in 2.5 hours if you are efficient. Depending on whether locks are set for or against and/or how many crew you have.

It takes Alison and myself 4 hours, must admit we are a bit slow.

[Laurie Booth]

2 hours ago, MrsM said:

Haha I got a grade A in my Latin O'Level so we should whizz through. Looking forward to it. X

That's where I went wrong, zero for Latin a new record for Cotham High School.

Th

[MrsM]

54 minutes ago, Laurie Booth said:

That's where I went wrong, zero for Latin a new record for Cotham High School.

Th

Fantastic english and scripture scores! ?

Edited October 4, 2020 by MrsM
Misread school report - not good for an ex teacher!

[MrsM]

3 hours 25 minutes. All but 6 locks against us.  All well maintained and crystal clear. A few pounds getting low towards the top but think Storm Alex helped. Need a stiff drink now! X

Edited October 4, 2020 by MrsM

[Keeping Up]

1 hour ago, MrsM said:

3 hours 25 minutes. All but 6 locks against us.  All well maintained and crystal clear. A few pounds getting low towards the top but think Storm Alex helped. Need a stiff drink now! X

Well done. Enjoy your well-deserved drink.

 

What was your actual time from Gailey to Wolverhampton top?

[cuthound]

Usually takes me and the missus 3 to 3 and a 1/2 hours, but one early start took us 6 hours coz the local scrotes had drained most of the pounds.

[MrsM]

30 minutes ago, Keeping Up said:

Well done. Enjoy your well-deserved drink.

 

What was your actual time from Gailey to Wolverhampton top?

About 6.5 hours in total. It was slow going past the multiple fishing matches but the flight itself was smooth. We were the only boat going up and so didn't have to queue at all, so fairly quick considering most of the locks were against us. Moored up at Bentley Bridge on the Wyrley & Essington. Really nice trip. Can't believe how clear the BCN waters are. Teaming with fish - reminds you that canals are living things. X

33 minutes ago, cuthound said:

Usually takes me and the missus 3 to 3 and a 1/2 hours, but one early start took us 6 hours coz the local scrotes had drained most of the pounds.

Hence all of the handcuff locks now - makes sense.

[IanD]

1 hour ago, MrsM said:

3 hours 25 minutes. All but 6 locks against us.  All well maintained and crystal clear. A few pounds getting low towards the top but think Storm Alex helped. Need a stiff drink now! X

Get one in the Fountain then...

[Tracy D'arth]

3 minutes ago, MrsM said:

About 6.5 hours in total. It was slow going past the multiple fishing matches but the flight itself was smooth. We were the only boat going up and so didn't have to queue at all, so fairly quick considering most of the locks were against us. Moored up at Bentley Bridge on the Wyrley & Essington. Really nice trip. Can't believe how clear the BCN waters are. Teaming with fish - reminds you that canals are living things. X

Hence all of the handcuff locks now - makes sense.

I love the BCN especially the Old Line. Even the weed on the bottom is pretty and well mannered enough to stay off the blade. Beautiful fish free swimming alongside the boat.

Quiet waters, no rushing around.

Glad you had a pleasant trip up the flight, 3 hours 25 is about right, no need to rush to the overnight mooring because there is plenty of space.

[roland elsdon]

5 hours ago, MrsM said:

Making fairly slow progress to Autherley Junction; mainly due to the miles of fishing matches. Oh the beaming joy on the faces of the jolly fishermen as they graciously let us tick by on their canal. Only a few scowls and no rude words so we've got off quite lightly methinks. 

When we came down on Wednesday 2 weeks ago there they were. Some moaned we were going too fast some we were going too slow. In the end I gave up, put on the Bluetooth headphones and gave the boat the beans....

[dmr]

10 hours ago, Laurie Booth said:

That's where I went wrong, zero for Latin a new record for Cotham High School.

Th

85% for scripture, never realised you were a religious man, feel guilty now for leading you astray in so many pubs ?

 

...............Dave

[nicknorman]

12 hours ago, system 4-50 said:

and how many pounds are low. (based on my last passage).

I can’t remember ever having a significant problem with low pounds in the 21, except once, with 1 pound that was easily remedied. Maybe we have been lucky.

[The Bearwood Boster]

We actually really enjoy the 21 which we've done loads of times.There can be a lack of water problem if you set off early up or down.But...CRT are usually about to sort things out.