Fazeley Junction to B'Ham City centre

[comfortably numb]

Having spent the last 2 days travelling from Fazeley Junction to Birmingham I've been shocked that we've come across no other boats on the move and only a handful moored up (apart from in the city centre). Even allowing for the fact that we are now out of the main holiday season I would have thought there'd have been a few others.The weather has been good apart from when the rain started late this afternoon so it can't be that.

 

Is this usual on this stretch or just a freak occurrence? We've done the same route on 3 previous occasions, each time in May and there's always been other active boats. The T&M and Coventry were rammer with boats so even allowing for the fact that this route isn't as popular as those I still find this surprising..

[Captain Fizz]

It's pretty quiet on the GU at the moment too. We are moored at Heyford wharf tonight and the only action is the rain.

[JamesWoolcock]

Having spent the last 2 days travelling from Fazeley Junction to Birmingham I've been shocked that we've come across no other boats on the move and only a handful moored up (apart from in the city centre). Even allowing for the fact that we are now out of the main holiday season I would have thought there'd have been a few others.The weather has been good apart from when the rain started late this afternoon so it can't be that.

 

Is this usual on this stretch or just a freak occurrence? We've done the same route on 3 previous occasions, each time in May and there's always been other active boats. The T&M and Coventry were rammer with boats so even allowing for the fact that this route isn't as popular as those I still find this surprising..

 

I came up as far as Bodymoor Heath (Dog & Doublet) on late Tuesday afternoon and met boats and on Wednesday passed at least eight/ten all the way into Birmingham. What I always wonder about is where did the holiday boats you meet below Minworth before 10ish spend a peaceful and safe night?

 

James

Edited September 13, 2013 by JamesWoolcock

[nicknorman]

I think its just a timing thing. We left Fazeley for Gt Haywood then down to kinver, then back to Brum via the Stourbridge canal. We saw a huge number of boats going the other way on the T&M and S&W, but none going our way even when we were tied up etc. its just the way things pan out sometimes. Today we came from Stourbridge, up the 16 then then Delph to windmill end, and passed just one boat, coming down the 16. The Delph locks looked very dry - looked like we were the first users of the day at around 1:30 pm. But of course lots of boats already at windmill end for the festival so maybe we were just late!

[Dave_P]

I think it's just coincidence. I'll be going that way, next weekend. It'll be interesting to see if there's any other boats then.

[comfortably numb]

So it was busy up to Wednesday but quiet Thursday and Friday when we were travelling. It must have been just a 'one off' then. We didn't encounter any boats coming the opposite way and people we spoke to told us we were the first boat they'd seen that day so it looks as if there weren't any going in our direction either. One thing that might have had a bearing is that at Salford Junction we went the Bordesley/Digbeth way instead of Aston so this part would have been quieter.

 

I'm quite pleased really because there was nobody around to see me fall in going through Ashted locks, LOL. I went right under and swallowed some of the rat infested water, but what really surprised me was how warm the water was! This was my first ever proper dunking in 37 years boating.

[Pete of Ebor]

Hope you were OK, though to be honest, I think I'd rather have someone see me go in - just in case you get into difficulty... When I went in, they saw me and got the photo ! Congrats on joining the proper boaters club ! Maybe we should have a proper boaters tee shirt done !

 

Edited September 14, 2013 by Pete of Ebor

[comfortably numb]

Hope you were OK, though to be honest, I think I'd rather have someone see me go in - just in case you get into difficulty... When I went in, they saw me and got the photo ! Congrats on joining the proper boaters club ! Maybe we should have a proper boaters tee shirt done !

 

I'm OK Pete just my pride hurt thankfully. I've done well to go so long really as it's not as if I haven't done much boating. I've had 18 hire boat holidays, 4 years with a shared boat, and our own one since January which we've lived aboard since April. So its taken me a long time to join the 'proper boaters club' but I got there in the end, LOL.

 

BTW someone else did see me go in which was the wife. Thankfully she wasn't quick enough with the camera.

Edited September 14, 2013 by comfortably numb

[magpie patrick]

In terms of holidays and tourism, the summer isn't centred on the August holidays, there is a gradual increase from May onwards to a crescendo in August after which holidays etc fall of dramatically. In nearly all forms of tourism, especially involving families, September is much quieter than June or July. So in a way I'm not surprised that canals are quiet now