Strange sensations

[Breals]

I'm experiencing some strange side effects after bringing my new boat back from Norton Canes (to Worcester)... my surroundings seem to be washing backwards and forwards in font of my eyes... must have got acclimatised to being on the boat - is this normal?

 

It was a GREAT trip; I found myself just laughing with delight and disbelief that I was navigating my own boat and commencing my life afloat!

 

DAY 1: Norton Canes to Harden

 

I picked up the boat on Saturday from Norton Canes Boatbuilders moorings, with my friend Rhodri. The previous owners of the boat were there, hard at work trying to charge the batteries - poor old Mister B had been kept stationary on a shoreline and the batteries had been allowed to run down completely.

 

An hour or two later, we were off, initially accompanied by Fiona, the boat's owner. She got off shortly after turning from the Cannock Extension onto the Wyrley and Essington. What had been a beautifully open stretch of water became progressively more weed infested, and wound its way behind unkempt gardens and patches of wateland. Not a single boat passed us. It felt like a privelege to be exploring these neglected backwaters.

 

With two hours under our belts, we decided to moor near Goscote Works Bridge. At this point it became apparent we were one mooring pin short, so we drew alongside a BW motorcycle barrier and tied the back end to that. We had dinner at the pub just up the road, but I was fretting about the boat so we headed back soon after, and watched the first half of a DVD with a few 'Uri Gellers' before falling asleep.

 

DAY 2: Harden to Great Bridge

 

Set off at 9.00 the next day. The sun was shining again, and as we were preparing to move off, a boat passed us. On we went past more derelict wasteland (now reverting to natural looking woodland and scrub), and boarded up council semis. The surroundings weren't picturesque, but the canal was full of life with yellow waterlilies, kingfishers, and weeds which wrapped themselves around the prop.

 

 

Things came to an abrupt halt as we passed beneath Coalpool Bridge. Half an hours pushing, shoving, revving, and panicking, and we cleared the plastic crate which had wedged underneath the boat. On to Birchill's Junction, and we continued through increasingly grim urban scenery to Walsall Locks. As we were coming down a girl told us one of the locks was empty and we should turn back.

 

On investigation we found that the pound behind lock no. 7 was completely empty, with just a trickle of water containing a shoal of surprised looking roach, and a nasty looking concrete block at the entrance to the pound.

 

After some mild panicking on my part we let up the paddles to fill the pound slowly as we descended towards it. When we arrived at the pound it contained about three feet of water in the middle and about a foot at the edge. I got Rhodri to let in some more water as I waited to enter from the preceding lock, tied to the ladder to stop the boat shooting out onto that concrete block.

 

Meanwhile a crowd of 8 or 9 people had gathered to watch, as I moved into the middle of the pound and tried to avoid drifting into the crud at the edges. Eventually we made our exit from the locks and continued down the Walsall Canal - into the heart of darkness.

 

The canal became covered in weed and floating Azolla, with shopping trolleys and bread crates poking above the surface at intervals. The backdrop was a relentless derelict industrial scene. Feral children jeered as we passed, and motorbikes sped up and down the towpath.

 

 

As we went along people began shouting across to us. We couldn't make out what they were saying at first, but eventually gathered that the M6 bridge was blocked. Sure enough, security fence panels had been chucked into the cut under the narrow bridge before the M6 flyover. Concrete blocks and posts had been dumped on top of these. It took quarter of an hour to drag six of the fence panels onto the towpath, using the boat hook, and push the concrete blocks out of the way.

 

 

At Darlaston Green some kids pleaded to be allowed a ride on the boat. I wasn't keen on this idea, so when the weedhatch needed clearing (for the third time), and the kids got bored waiting in the rain and walked away, I was pleased.

 

As we reached Great Bridge at about 7pm, a group of teenagers sat on the lock gate helped us through, and we moored for the night in the pound above. We had a really good Balti on the high street.

 

DAY 3: Great Bridge to Tardebigge

 

 

We set off at 7 the next day, through more locks and grim scenery, and reaching Birmingham Main Line was a great relief. We soon carreered unelegantly into Sherborne Street Wharf to pick up a mooring pin (and some gas, and to get a pump out). Lots of inexpert maneuvring was done here, as I wound the boat for the pump out and then back again to continue into the City Centre.

 

 

Going through the centre of Brum was cool! Passing Worcester Bar, we were now on the W&B Canal. We soon passed the Cadbury factory at Bournville, and lovely King's Norton Junction (I'm looking forward to approaching the junction from the Stratford Canal some day). Very few boats about, still. Wast Hill Tunnel was a great experience. We cranked the stereo up at this point, as there was noone around to annoy. Like a cork out of a champagne bottle, we emerged on the other side and passed the beautiful bridge 69, spanning the deep wooded cutting.

 

 

Now there were many more boats, and we slowed almost to a crawl to pass moored boats on one side and trip boats on the other. Lower Bittel Reservoir was interesting, and the marina at Alvechurch very attractive. Rhodri kept appearing from the cabin with pints of Pimms, which was nice. Shortwood tunnel was a reminder of Wast Hill, and required some careful maneuvring past a barge moored on the left hand side of the exit. Another tunnel, and finally we were teetering at the top of Tardebigge Locks. It was half past seven, so we moored for the night. No pubs about, so another DVD and plenty of Uris.

 

DAY 4: Tardebigge to Offerton Locks

 

Set off at 7am, and many locks and cigarettes later, we were celebrating with a pint at the Queens Head at 12.30. Tardebigge was a bit of a drag to say the least, particularly as it was a windy day, making the boat float all over the place and scrape the corner of the lock entrance a couple of times. Mental note - get more fenders.

 

 

After Tardebigge and Stoke Locks, Astwood Locks weren't exactly a welcome diversion, although they began some nice lock-free cruising to Tibberton, where my long term moorings will be. The scenery on the way was idyllic, particularly Oddingley with a lovely stone chapel and old fashioned railway signal box.

 

 

After Tibberton, we moored in the middle of Offerton Locks, when it had become too dark to continue safely. We walked up to the Speed The Plogh at Tibberton, a great pub where the landlord provided us with a free bowl of chips (we'd arrived too late to order a meal).

 

DAY 5: Offerton Locks to Worcester

 

 

Another early start the next day, and nice scenery approaching Worcester. Bilford and Gregory's Mill Locks are quite picturesque. Finally we reached the towpath at Arboretum, near Lowesmoor Wharf, where we moored at 9am for a cup of coffee before Rhodri left for Foregate Street Station. I had a pot noodle and put my feet up for a bit before taking the boat through lock no. 2 and mooring near the Commandery. Later on I went for some fish and chips, and returned to the boat in the middle of a torrential downpour, to find that I had locked the keys inside! Luckily I live a few yards from the Commandery, so disaster was averted.

 

All in all a fabulous experience, albeit exhausting. I'm looking forward to other, more leisurely, cruises in the near future!

[Sam]

Talking about the sensations thing..

I sat infront of a fire from about 10pm to 9am (still going all the time) and the day after i was real tired but i had smoke drifted up infront of my eyes! I think i went mad!

 

Sam

[Breals]

Something weird has happened to my photo links! Oh dear.

 

Anyway, the movement sensations have passed now, unfortunately been replaced with a mild fever - hope I haven't caught avian flu from a moorhen etc.

Edited October 2, 2005 by Breals