Whatever you do, don't follow us...

[gatekrash]

This year we decided to do an early spring cruise, having had so many issues with lack of water last summer meaning we couldn't do any great distances.

Left Droitwich last Thursday with a plan to go up onto the Macclesfield and Peak Forest by way of the Shroppie then down to the Caldon before heading back.

Nice run up to the Weighbridge Inn on the first night, into Brum for Friday then decided to push down to the BCLM on Saturday. Just left Brum and we got a notification about the Wolverhampton flight being shut due to a car in the canal. 

So we spent a day in the BCLM as an update was promised by CRT on Sunday, and we could make a decision whether to wait or cut back down Delph and Stourbridge then up the S&W instead...Nope, no update. So Monday whilst Mrs G was trying to get an answer from CRT, I jumped on the Brompton and cycled down to the flight. No car, just a damp spot where it had been pulled out of the canal. Back on the bike, well over 20km round trip, arse hurting and legs aching to tell the Mrs that the flight was clear. Oh no she says, CRT have just told me it isn't and their contractor isn't due to clear it until Wednesday. Back on the phone eventually getting through to someone and sending them photos of the damp spot and totally clear canal. They said they'd send someone to have a look. In the meantime we take a decision to go and sit at the top of the flight. Get there just as CRT email Mrs G back to say the flight was indeed clear and someone was on the way to unlock the top lock for us. Fantastic ! Except I now get a notification that Autherley stop lock balance beam has broken. Ok, let's at least get off the Birmingham level, they're usually pretty good at mending beams. Cue another day spent mooching about to Coven (no point cutting across the S&W to great Haywood and doing it the other way around as Penkridge is shut) and then back to Autherley where we find the guys bracing the beam up. Half 5 on Tuesday (brilliant effort from the West Mids CRT team on the ground) and we're through ! Yay !

As it's so late the original plan to push on to Brewood is shelved and we moor up near bridge 8 as a horrendous black cloud and suddenly gale force gusts are hitting us. Not the best place to stop as it's quite open there and there were some really solid gusts coming through. 

This morning we decide to push on despite a really windy day and showers forecast. I needed to get to the elsan point at Wheaton Aston, fill up with diesel at Turners and then try and make up some of the time we'd lost, having originally planned to just push it up the Shroppie as we'd done it so often. We made really good time, despite the wind, solid hail, snow which actually did turn into a blizzard at one point and some sunny spells in between. 

Get to 4 o'clock and start thinking where to stop for the night, probably Goldstone Wharf, it's a nice sheltered mooring. Just as we get to the end of Shebdon embankment, right by the Knighton boat spray booth someone starts waving us down. Tree down by the bridge he shouts. Yep sure enough we're stopped again. Probably another couple of days stuck in the middle of nowhere before CRT can do anything about it, I got the feeling from the guy who reported it they almost didn't believe him that the tree wasn't passable. Alternatively I can reverse the mile back down the embankment to the winding hole and go back to Norbury.

 

Tomorrow's plan is to see if I can pull up close to the tree and have a go off the bow with the battery chainsaw. Not planning on waiting here any longer than I have to !

 

Anyway, moral of this story is whatever you do, don't follow us as we appear to be jinxed. At least I have beer and whisky on board 🍺 and some 4g.

[Ken X]

You have our sympathies.

 

We've had the odd hire trip stopped by trees, (T & M, Shroppie, Coventry), closed canals (Macclesfield) Body by boat, (Coventry) and various other challenges such as starter motor failure.  Can get a bit sweaty at times and may possibly have involved some night cruising many years ago. 🙂 

 

It's never good when the hire yard ring you up to say "you might well not be able to get back to base due to a sill failure".

 

Here's hoping your luck changes. The bods which attended the tree on the T & M last year were very efficient subbies and sorted it within the day with some help from the boaters in the queue.

[Stroudwater1]

We’ve not passed a single boat moving for two days  on the S&W. Nothing up Stourbridge either. Sorry we missed you Gatekrash (or maybe not ) , but pleased someone else is boating. 
 

Wierd weather though, sun, rain, hail, snow today plus windy squals from zero to 40mph. 
 

[matty40s]

Lots of boats moving on the GU, including hire boats from a wide range of companies.

[noddyboater]

2 hours ago, gatekrash said:

This year we decided to do an early spring cruise, having had so many issues with lack of water last summer meaning we couldn't do any great distances.

Left Droitwich last Thursday with a plan to go up onto the Macclesfield and Peak Forest by way of the Shroppie then down to the Caldon before heading back.

Nice run up to the Weighbridge Inn on the first night, into Brum for Friday then decided to push down to the BCLM on Saturday. Just left Brum and we got a notification about the Wolverhampton flight being shut due to a car in the canal. 

So we spent a day in the BCLM as an update was promised by CRT on Sunday, and we could make a decision whether to wait or cut back down Delph and Stourbridge then up the S&W instead...Nope, no update. So Monday whilst Mrs G was trying to get an answer from CRT, I jumped on the Brompton and cycled down to the flight. No car, just a damp spot where it had been pulled out of the canal. Back on the bike, well over 20km round trip, arse hurting and legs aching to tell the Mrs that the flight was clear. Oh no she says, CRT have just told me it isn't and their contractor isn't due to clear it until Wednesday. Back on the phone eventually getting through to someone and sending them photos of the damp spot and totally clear canal. They said they'd send someone to have a look. In the meantime we take a decision to go and sit at the top of the flight. Get there just as CRT email Mrs G back to say the flight was indeed clear and someone was on the way to unlock the top lock for us. Fantastic ! Except I now get a notification that Autherley stop lock balance beam has broken. Ok, let's at least get off the Birmingham level, they're usually pretty good at mending beams. Cue another day spent mooching about to Coven (no point cutting across the S&W to great Haywood and doing it the other way around as Penkridge is shut) and then back to Autherley where we find the guys bracing the beam up. Half 5 on Tuesday (brilliant effort from the West Mids CRT team on the ground) and we're through ! Yay !

As it's so late the original plan to push on to Brewood is shelved and we moor up near bridge 8 as a horrendous black cloud and suddenly gale force gusts are hitting us. Not the best place to stop as it's quite open there and there were some really solid gusts coming through. 

This morning we decide to push on despite a really windy day and showers forecast. I needed to get to the elsan point at Wheaton Aston, fill up with diesel at Turners and then try and make up some of the time we'd lost, having originally planned to just push it up the Shroppie as we'd done it so often. We made really good time, despite the wind, solid hail, snow which actually did turn into a blizzard at one point and some sunny spells in between. 

Get to 4 o'clock and start thinking where to stop for the night, probably Goldstone Wharf, it's a nice sheltered mooring. Just as we get to the end of Shebdon embankment, right by the Knighton boat spray booth someone starts waving us down. Tree down by the bridge he shouts. Yep sure enough we're stopped again. Probably another couple of days stuck in the middle of nowhere before CRT can do anything about it, I got the feeling from the guy who reported it they almost didn't believe him that the tree wasn't passable. Alternatively I can reverse the mile back down the embankment to the winding hole and go back to Norbury.

 

Tomorrow's plan is to see if I can pull up close to the tree and have a go off the bow with the battery chainsaw. Not planning on waiting here any longer than I have to !

 

Anyway, moral of this story is whatever you do, don't follow us as we appear to be jinxed. At least I have beer and whisky on board 🍺 and some 4g.

There's worse places to be stuck than Knighton.

Have you not found the Haberdashers Arms?

[gatekrash]

Well for the second time in as many days massive shout out to the guys on the ground from the reactive teams at CRT. Firstly for the rapid repairs to Autherley balance beam and now for their tree removal efforts. 

 

We were up early with a plan to deal with the tree. Engine on just after 8, no wind so should be easy to nudge up to it and start cutting, but there's a guy in a blue sweatshirt on the towpath looking at it and taking photos already. Chatting with him he tells me they'll have someone up by mid morning as they're working down at Tyrley, and "i can't stop you from cutting it back yourself but I'd rather you didn't". Kettle on for a cup of tea whilst we wait, and by half 9 there's a knock on the window and someone telling us they reckon they've cleared just enough with a pole saw to get through. Just, with a bit of rubbing along the Shroppie shelf, but it was all we needed. 

 

Now sat in the Shroppie Fly. The food was good, the beer is good and because it's still the quiet time of year we managed to moor in the pound opposite the pub so things are looking up! A few boats moving today, but generally quiet.

[agg221]

It's good, because you got moving again, but worrying because you are now ahead of us (you passed our boat once you were out of Market Drayton) and we need to move up to Tattenhall this weekend so with your luck we are likely to get stuck with you at the next disaster you encouter.

 

Hopefully you will get off up the Middlewich branch tomorrow before you encounter the next issue, which means our route ahead should be clear!

Alec

[gatekrash]

2 hours ago, agg221 said:

It's good, because you got moving again, but worrying because you are now ahead of us (you passed our boat once you were out of Market Drayton) and we need to move up to Tattenhall this weekend so with your luck we are likely to get stuck with you at the next disaster you encouter.

 

Hopefully you will get off up the Middlewich branch tomorrow before you encounter the next issue, which means our route ahead should be clear!

Alec

Plan for tomorrow is provisions at Nantwich, followed by a services stop at Calveley (via a stop at the cheese shop), winding just before Bunbury and then back up the Middlewich for somewhere tomorrow night. 

You'll be fine as long as we hit tomorrow's problem in the afternoon !

[agg221]

Just don't hit the submerged willow just before Bunbury lock on the offside and capsize (like we tried to last year...!)

Alec

[Wanderer Vagabond]

Have to say when it comes to 'unlucky holidays' you are something of an amateur. I have a cousin with whom we always check where she is going for her hols and make d*mn sure we are nowhere near her. Her first claim to fame was a Christmas trip to Sri Lanka in 2004, that didn't end well .She took another winter (February) 'holiday' in New Zealand around the Christchurch area in 2011, she has had a variety of slightly lesser disasters but at least she can say her holidays aren't boring! This year she spent the winter in Tenerife (75mph winds and snow).  

[gatekrash]

2 whole days with no issues... Tempting fate ?

 

Now down at Middlewich, we didn't get quite as far on as we were planning because I reckon the wind today must have been knocking quite a bit off the boat speed, but anyone heading up to Ellesmere should be safe now 😀.

 

Not moving tomorrow cos the forecast is appalling so I think we'll sit here for the day.

[gatekrash]

And so it continues....

 

We've had a reasonable run from Middlewich, stopping last night at Church Lawton, other than the gusty wind it was quite a good day. 

 

Later start this morning with a plan to get to somewhere near Bosley locks.

As we came up the last lock on the T&M to turn right, the boat coming out of the junction told us that we'd probably not get through Hall Green lock as the to gate wasn't opening fully. They were almost right, we got wedged. However with a lot of poking around with the pole and the help of a few people who were walking past bouncing on the gate we managed to squeeze past it. Definitely very silted up.

They'd also said they had problems at Bosley locks, there were big queues as lock 11 wasn't making a level.

Sure enough they've closed the flight in front of us as one of the paddles on lock 11 has failed. Of course we could always use the other side...except that's already 'undergoing repair'.

 

Stopped at Congleton to wait it out ! Hopefully if it's just a paddle it should be quite quick to fix, and at least we're the right side of it.

[gatekrash]

Finally arrived at Bugsworth. Had a look into Whaley Bridge first and you're right about the git gaps, 2 boats on the VMs with a gap in the middle.

 

Lots of boats out and about yesterday on the top end of the Macc, and every single VM was rammed which wasn't filling us with confidence about Bugsworth. But once we got onto the Peak Forest it's been really quiet, only one boat passed us and plenty of really picturesque moorings. 

 

Battening down for Saturday night and we'll probably move somewhere back down the canal on Sunday afternoon and find somewhere with a view.

[gatekrash]

Today was a non-moving day, so we went for a walk up in the peaks and then back to the boat for a bit of maintenance and cleaning before hunkering down for storm Dave.

 

Noticed the inverter wasn't working. Tried all the usual tricks to reset it... Nothing. 

 

Looked at the main fuse, which is a huge bussman 200amp circular thing only to see one end still connected to the battery bank, with the other end that's still attached to the inverter incoming cable waving around loose in the engine bay. It hasn't blown, it's just the soldering where the lug attaches to the fuse has snapped off, so we are without an inverter for the foreseeable, until I can cobble together a replacement, probably just a 200a mega fuse to get us going again.

 

Fortunately we don't use much on the 240v side and we have a small Ecoflow battery on board which we use occasionally to run the freezer, so it's come into service to run the telly for the next few days instead.

[jonathanA]

Can you bridge the fuse with a few strands of copper wire from some flex or the earth conductor from a bit of T&E ? 

 

Anything like that will get you going and be OK. (Temporarily)

Edited April 4 by jonathanA
Clarify temporary

[gatekrash]

And it continues ! Planned on leaving Bugsworth today, but the wind was still howling so we stayed put, and thought we'll move early tomorrow. 

 

Nope. Tree down just down at New Mills, and apparently it's a big one, so we're going to be waiting it out here. I can think of worse places, other than the geese it's really peaceful here.

 

So that's 5 stoppages so far, and we've only been out 18 days !

[matty40s]

Had to clear many branches and twigs off the roof today, along with several large goose deposits from N Kilworth Marinas resident noisy population.

[pynots]

We have been down in the basin as well for the last couple of days, geese were indeed noisy as was the road !! With a hope to heading back up to the Macclesfield today, but nope the pesky tree stopped play. Had a walk up to the tree and yep it's fell between two boats just past the winding hole. So we filled up with water did all the jobs and are now moored past the first swing bridge. At least the sun is shining today and it's not so windy. 

Edited April 6 by pynots

[gatekrash]

I think we're now 2 in front of you !

 

Went down towards the winding hole as we were going to stop on the bank overlooking the railway viaduct but having maxed off the water tank when we left Bugsworth earlier we're now too deep to get in down there so have turned and come back up to the Armco.

 

Annoyingly if they just moved the two boats that are on the permanent moorings we'd all get through without a problem.

[pynots]

You are indeed 😊 we considered up there to as the view is stunning. But it's pretty shallow at the bank.

I thought the same thing if they just shunted out the way and we trimmed some smaller branches we could get past !! 

 

Ah well sun forecast tomorrow might head to Buxton on the train for the day, can't see crt been very fast ! 

[gatekrash]

Well we've been a week without stoppages. Tempting fate to say it ?

 

Left the Peak Forest on Tuesday and headed back down the Macc, spending Thursday night behind 'Pacemaker' of Whitchurch notoriety down at Hall Green stop lock. 

 

No issues with Harecastle, turned up at the North end at half 9 and went straight in. Then up onto the Caldon, where it's currently really quiet. 

 

Spent last night at Leek, then moved down to Froghall today, stopping at Consall for the obligatory picture with the boat and steam train in the same shot, then carried on down to the basin. Just squeezed through the tunnel, but we made it without any scrapes to the paintwork. Have to say, compared to the other side of the tunnel it's a lot nicer here !

 

 

[SeanMcP]

Did you get your inverter connection sorted? If not, you may be able to keep the EcoFlow topped up by just using the leisure batteries as an input to the EcoFlow depending on the model (I've regularly done this for folks who had an inverter issue but had an eco flow of various sizes, by using either the generic car charger that comes with most of them at 8A, or the XT60 port that'll accept 11-60V at 15A up to 800W - may not 'carry' the load of the device plugged into the eco flow but may continue topping up the eco flow for the bits of time it's being used for mains loads; if there're several leisure batteries, a quick rig of a series loop VS parallel can get to 24/36/48V and greatly increase the safe flow into the EcoFlow while still staying well below what the leisures are happy to provide or can be replaced by the alternator as usual).

 

edited to add some clarification if someone runs into this thread down the road - this description isn’t to replace an inverter or skip fixing the proper one, just a “one temporary option while otherwise stuck without AC power for things that need it”. This *could* be done in a more permanent fashion, but in this case, I’m just commenting on it as a stopgap method using bits that likely came with the EcoFlow like an XT60i to 12v socket car charger adapter or are sometimes easier to work around with basic wiring supplies like wire strippers and wago’s or electrical tape which tend to be around (ie, to keep a wifi router or whatnot running that’s wired to normally run off the inverter and to provide an easy way for someone to keep a subset of AC equipment running for a few days/weeks while waiting on parts, materials, or an opportunity to fix the real problem).

Edited April 16 by SeanMcP
Adding clarifications