Fradley to Calcutt (the return), Aug/Sep 2017

[cuthound]

56 minutes ago, Lily Rose said:

Oops, didn't read this until this morning. Too late, we stopped short of Marston last night, I thought we were far enough away from Nuneaton to be ok. Fortunately we had a quiet night and will be on our way to Sutton Stop before 10.

Thanks for the tip though. I'll remember that for next time, whenever that might be. It's a shame, I really liked the stretch from Springwood Haven to Atherstone, just a shame you have to go through Nuneaton to get there.

I think you have been unlucky, exacerbated by it being school holidays. 

As you know, this is our local waterway, and in the three and a half years we have been here we have travelled through Nuneaton on many occasions and have not experienced any issues from the local yoof, even in school holidays.

Indeed falling back on previous experience with hire and shareboats,  I am amazed at how much cleaner and less intimidating Nuneaton has become in the last 25 years.

In the past with our shareboats we have had to visit the weedhstch frequently goung through Nuneaton, the worst being a fertiliser bag full of rotting goodness knows what wrapping itself around the prop and stalled the engine in the middle of Nuneaton,  and have been shot at with an imitation pistol (bb gun type thing) between Charity Dock and Marston Junction.

Since the increase in liveaboard boaters in recent years, you see many boats moor overnight at or near to Marston Junction, so they have turned it from a "no go" area to reasonable place to moor with their presence.

[Lily Rose]

10 minutes ago, cuthound said:

I think you have been unlucky, exacerbated by it being school holidays. 

As you know, this is our local waterway, and in the three and a half years we have been here we have travelled through Nuneaton on many occasions and have not experienced any issues from the local yoof, even in school holidays.

Indeed falling back on previous experience with hire and shareboats,  I am amazed at how much cleaner and less intimidating Nuneaton has become in the last 25 years.

In the past with our shareboats we have had to visit the weedhstch frequently goung through Nuneaton, the worst being a fertiliser bag full of rotting goodness knows what wrapping itself around the prop and stalled the engine in the middle of Nuneaton,  and have been shot at with an imitation pistol (bb gun type thing) between Charity Dock and Marston Junction.

Since the increase in liveaboard boaters in recent years, you see many boats moor overnight at or near to Marston Junction, so they have turned it from a "no go" area to reasonable place to moor with their presence.

I'm sure you're right and we were just unlucky. Could happen anywhere. Perhaps the schools around here have already gone back - it was about school chucking out time (we moored up at about 4pm) and Sharon seemed to think they were on their way home. Perhaps there is a school nearby which could explain why there were so many of them crossing the bridge.

Prior to this trip we had only been through Nuneaton once, in each direction, before. That was when we hired in 2011. Our recollection was of quite a lot of floating rubbish back then. The experience this time was better than the memory of 6 years ago.

I think next time we will try and plan the timing better, perhaps early morning in school holidays or mid-morning or very early afternoon in term time.

[cuthound]

1 minute ago, Lily Rose said:

I'm sure you're right and we were just unlucky. Could happen anywhere. Perhaps the schools around here have already gone back - it was about school chucking out time (we moored up at about 4pm) and Sharon seemed to think they were on their way home. Perhaps there is a school nearby which could explain why there were so many of them crossing the bridge.

Prior to this trip we had only been through Nuneaton once, in each direction, before. That was when we hired in 2011. Our recollection was of quite a lot of floating rubbish back then. The experience this time was better than the memory of 6 years ago.

I think next time we will try and plan the timing better, perhaps early morning in school holidays or mid-morning or very early afternoon in term time.

Our local school went back mid-last week, so perhaps it is the same in Nuneaton.

Yes better to travel through large towns before noon in school holidays. That way the scrotes are still in bed when you pass through. 

[Lily Rose]

3 hours ago, cuthound said:

Our local school went back mid-last week, so perhaps it is the same in Nuneaton.

Yes better to travel through large towns before noon in school holidays. That way the scrotes are still in bed when you pass through. 

That was my thinking too and we would have aimed to do fhat but Mrs LR insisted on going into the Springwood Haven shop, which took longer than expected - my fault for spending ages talking about AGM batteries etc with the boss man.

By then it was also lunchtime. With hindsight we should have stopped the night then done Nuneaton this morning.

[Dave Payne]

4 hours ago, cuthound said:

Our local school went back mid-last week, so perhaps it is the same in Nuneaton.

 

today/tomorrow this way.

Marston junction can be dodgy also, was stood chatting a fellow boater the other week, he was moored right on the junction and three lads came up and started throwing stones at his boat after some abuse.. he had to call the police..

 

[matty40s]

I was watching an old guy with a rucksack and bicycle  stealing ropes off a Rothens tug late evening last week, he already had several ropes hanging from his bag. This was just by Marston Junction

I took a picture and called Rothens, leaving a message to call back detailing what I'd seen, they havnt returned my call.

[Dave Payne]

Just now, matty40s said:

I was watching an old guy with a rucksack and bicycle  stealing ropes off a Rothens tug late evening last week, he already had several ropes hanging from his bag. This was just by Marston Junction

I took a picture and called Rothens, leaving a message to call back detailing what I'd seen, they havnt returned my call.

Was he wearing a high viz coat?

[matty40s]

29 minutes ago, Dave Payne said:

Was he wearing a high viz coat?

No, straggly beard ripped jeans.

[Lily Rose]

6 hours ago, cuthound said:

Our local school went back mid-last week, so perhaps it is the same in Nuneaton.

Yes better to travel through large towns before noon in school holidays. That way the scrotes are still in bed when you pass through. 

That was my thinking too and we would have aimed to do fhat but Mrs LR insisted on going into the Springwood Haven shop, which took longer than expected - my fault for spending ages talking about AGM batteries etc with the boss man.

By then it was also lunchtime. With hindsight we should have stopped the night then done Nuneaton this morning.

[Lily Rose]

2 hours ago, Dave Payne said:

today/tomorrow this way.

Marston junction can be dodgy also, was stood chatting a fellow boater the other week, he was moored right on the junction and three lads came up and started throwing stones at his boat after some abuse.. he had to call the police..

 

That was where there was a car in the cut, almost blocking the bridge, not so long ago. It was there for a while I believe. We moored there one night last year, just a few yards from the junction in the Nuneaton direction. At the time I assumed it was a nice quiet spot.

 

Day 14, Bedworth to (almost) Ansty, 2.9 hours, 54.4 hours cumul.

Another fairly short day which keeps us on track to be back in the marina by the weekend based on 3 hour days.

There was a fair bit of rain before we set off towards Marston Junction this morning at just after 10. By then it was little more than drizzle though, and even that didn't last long so it unexpectedly became a very pleasant day's cruising compared with what Metcheck had led me to expect.

After stopping by the car park at Hawkesbury J. to use the services I reversed back a little and turned in under the bridge. The Hargreaves trip boat was moored on the left, while its passengers were in the pub, and another boat was tied up just in front of the lock, tiller in place, looking ready to go in, but with no sign of anyone about, so I went ahead and set the lock for us. One of the crew from the trip boat told me there was a lady on board who had told him it wasn't her boat, she was just there cleaning it at the request of the owner (really?). He had apparently gone shopping at Tesco... therefore likely to be gone a while I would have thought. Very inconsiderate - when we went through almost 2 weeks ago there were 4 boats queuing to go through onto the Oxford.

We stopped and had lunch on the bend after the lock, next to two grazing horses. By then the weather was lovely so we set off at 1.30 with the intention of mooring, if possible, at Ansty as we did not want to moor right beside the railway again, and All Oaks Wood was further than I wanted to go today. There are annoyingly few mooring places between Rugby and Hawkesbury so choice is limited.

As it has turned out we are moored as one of two boats on a short section of armco about 20 minutes before Ansty. There is motorway noise in the background but probably not much worse than in Ansty near the pub.

Just before we got here I again noticed what appears to be a nice bit of mooring on the offside with a canalside bench and a field of football pitches. There did not seem to be anything to say no mooring, and I did think about it, but in the end kept going. There had been a boat close behind us and when I looked back a couple of minutes later it looked as though it had stopped just around the bend on the offside as I could just see the bows, possibly being pulled back, so I assume they moored there. I might try that for lunch next time we come this way, if the timing is right and it's available.

[Rob-M]

I expect we will pass you tomorrow, we have decided to stay in Braunston today but will most likely go as far as Sutton Stop tomorrow.

[Dave Payne]

45 minutes ago, Lily Rose said:

That was where there was a car in the cut, almost blocking the bridge, not so long ago. It was there for a while I believe. We moored there one night last year, just a few yards from the junction in the Nuneaton direction. At the time I assumed it was a nice quiet spot.

 

Day 14, Bedworth to (almost) Ansty, 2.9 hours, 54.4 hours cumul.

Another fairly short day which keeps us on track to be back in the marina by the weekend based on 3 hour days.

There was a fair bit of rain before we set off towards Marston Junction this morning at just after 10. By then it was little more than drizzle though, and even that didn't last long so it unexpectedly became a very pleasant day's cruising compared with what Metcheck had led me to expect.

After stopping by the car park at Hawkesbury J. to use the services I reversed back a little and turned in under the bridge. The Hargreaves trip boat was moored on the left, while its passengers were in the pub, and another boat was tied up just in front of the lock, tiller in place, looking ready to go in, but with no sign of anyone about, so I went ahead and set the lock for us. One of the crew from the trip boat told me there was a lady on board who had told him it wasn't her boat, she was just there cleaning it at the request of the owner (really?). He had apparently gone shopping at Tesco... therefore likely to be gone a while I would have thought. Very inconsiderate - when we went through almost 2 weeks ago there were 4 boats queuing to go through onto the Oxford.

We stopped and had lunch on the bend after the lock, next to two grazing horses. By then the weather was lovely so we set off at 1.30 with the intention of mooring, if possible, at Ansty as we did not want to moor right beside the railway again, and All Oaks Wood was further than I wanted to go today. There are annoyingly few mooring places between Rugby and Hawkesbury so choice is limited.

As it has turned out we are moored as one of two boats on a short section of armco about 20 minutes before Ansty. There is motorway noise in the background but probably not much worse than in Ansty near the pub.

Just before we got here I again noticed what appears to be a nice bit of mooring on the offside with a canalside bench and a field of football pitches. There did not seem to be anything to say no mooring, and I did think about it, but in the end kept going. There had been a boat close behind us and when I looked back a couple of minutes later it looked as though it had stopped just around the bend on the offside as I could just see the bows, possibly being pulled back, so I assume they moored there. I might try that for lunch next time we come this way, if the timing is right and it's available.

The car was there for about 3-4 days i think, stolen from a nearby house and dumped.

The spot you mentioned on the north oxford, on the offside, have looked at that spot myself a few times, i always wondered how deep it was though and didnt fancy getting stuck.

33 minutes ago, Rob-M said:

I expect we will pass you tomorrow, we have decided to stay in Braunston today but will most likely go as far as Sutton Stop tomorrow.

If you pass springwood haven on the weekend then give me a wave, plan to moor up outside for a few days in a peaceful spot!

[Lily Rose]

29 minutes ago, Rob-M said:

I expect we will pass you tomorrow, we have decided to stay in Braunston today but will most likely go as far as Sutton Stop tomorrow.

I don't blame you - at least you haven't got to figure out where to moor!

Too long a day for me though, I think Canalplan would have that as being around 10 hours. It shows 8.5 hours from where we are to Braunston Turn.

Weather forecast, last time I checked, was looking more promising for tomorrow so hopefully a good day for a long cruise.

I'll be looking out for Resolution.

 

Sean

[Lily Rose]

5 minutes ago, Dave Payne said:

The car was there for about 3-4 days i think, stolen from a nearby house and dumped.

The spot you mentioned on the north oxford, on the offside, have looked at that spot myself a few times, i always wondered how deep it was though and didnt fancy getting stuck.

If you pass springwood haven on the weekend then give me a wave, plan to moor up outside for a few days in a peaceful spot!

My memory of the stoppage notices must have failed me, I thought the car was there longer than that.

I may be wrong, but to me that offside spot looked like it's meant to be a mooring so hopefully it's deep enough. If in doubt I'd go in very slowly and then have a poke about with my pole marked with the boat's draft at the stern.

Looks a nice spot outside Springwood Haven with an attractive backdrop to the marina.

 

[Lily Rose]

Day 15, Ansty(ish) to Newbold, 3.6 hours, 58.0 cumul.

After a nice sunny start to the morning it had clouded over by the time we set off at about 10am, within a few minutes light rain started and a few minutes after that it became quite heavy so I needed to whip my waterproof jacket on pretty sharpish. I could have done with the waterproof trousers as well but I have discovered that putting them on at the tiller tends to cause me to (almost) crash. So I just had to put up with water running off the jacket to soak into my trousers. Metcheck had not forewarned me sufficiently today.

I still enjoyed the morning cruise, despite both the weather and the fact that this is not the nicest stretch of canal in our area.

At Stretton Stop, just as I was slowing down to step off the boat, a very nice lady appeared on the offside and opened the swing bridge for us. Thank you again Rose Narrowboats.

We passed by the armco moorings just north of All Oaks Wood at about 12. I had thought about stopping here for lunch but it was a little early still so I decided to keep going. Mooring opportunities were plentiful with just two boats moored, one at the north end of the straight, and one further along, on or near the bend. The last two times I stopped here I only just managed to fit in.

When we got to the moorings on the bend, opposite the farm, at the other end of the woods, I regretted not stopping, as I wasn't sure where the next opportunity would be, so we stopped here. The towpath was very muddy from the rain and the pins went far too easily into the mushy soil. It surely can't have been down to the morning's rain - it wasn't that heavy or prolonged. Even with interlocking pins at either end I didn't feel very confident in them and hoped we wouldn't have too many boats go by. Within minutes 5 had gone by, 4 of them hires, and quite a few more while we had lunch. Fortunately everyone slowed down and the pins stayed put.

After lunch, just as we were about to get ready to set off, two more boats went past in opposite directions. One of them was Resolution, which I was looking out for in order to say hello to a fellow diarist. I just managed to get the back doors in time to say hello to Rob-M. 

After a short cruise this afternoon we came through the Newbold tunnel and found a space on the 48 hour (I think) visitor mooring just after the bridge near the Barley Mow. Since then three more boats have arrived behind us using up all the space we left between us and the bridge. After a quick walk down to a decent-sized local Co-op (which also has a fish and chip shop next door), only 3 or 4 minutes walk from the Barley Mow, we finished the day with a meal in said pub accompanied by a fine drop of Abbot. Mmmm, not bad... seven and a half out of ten. (Anyone spot that reference?)

 

[Lily Rose]

Days 16/17, Newbold to Braunston, 

On day 16 we went through Rugby in the morning and up the locks after lunch then moored just beyond the first bridge. So uneventful I have nothing to say!

On day 17 we went from Hillmorton to Braunston and moored outside The BOGOF pub (note: that´s not its real name). I noticed that Country Dreams is no longer on the permanent mooring there, although he was moored opposite. He told me that a friend of his has now taken that mooring. As (from a distance) that looks like a shorter boat it will hopefully be easier to get 3 boats in here in future. There's often only room for two.

After lunch in the pub, with a very nice (if you like golden ales, I do. Unless they're lager!) pint of Ringwood Forty Niner, I went for a walk and spotted Old Friends (in the water), a burnt-out Sea Otter (no longer under the water, as of about two hours ago) and Paneke (not in the water).

Two RCR blokes came to survey the Sea Otter but did a bit of prep work as well and then decided to re-float it. Not sure why as they're not sure it will get towed away today and thought passing boats or rain (and we had some very heavy rain a short while ago) might well re-sink it.

Before we leave tomorrow morning I may go and have a look to see if it´s still there/floating.

[matty40s]

Yup, we saw Dogless with a black bottom.

 

 

And then moved on to grab a sunset

 

[Lily Rose]

 

Day 18, Braunston to Calcutt, 3.2 hours, 66.7 in total for the trip.

On Saturday we cruised back to the marina. The trip is now over - boo hoo - and we are back home after spending Saturday night in the marina.

Before we set off from Braunston I walked back to where the sunken Sea Otter had been sitting on the bottom, apparently since June. I can report that it has now gone from by bridge 90 where it was somewhat in the way if you were unfortunate enough to meet a boat coming the other way.

The cruise from Braunston to Calcutt, one we have become very familiar with over the last two years, was uneventful. The only thing to note was that it was quite busy in terms of boats moving (but not in terms of moored boats) although very few were hire boats as Saturday is a major handover day for the many hire bases in the area. This is why I prefer cruising in the morning in this area on the main handover days. Mid to late afternoon on those days can be very different and is when you are most likely to have oncoming boats being steered erratically by first-time hirers, some of whom are already well underway with the boozing. Note: I am not hire-bashing - I have nothing against hirers and was one myself until 2 years ago. I'm just not so keen when the (very) occasional oncoming hirer suddenly loses control directly in front of me so if I can avoid heading towards a hire base on Friday and Saturday afternoons this becomes less likely.

Moored boats were a different matter. At times along the Napton to Braunston stretch the armco seems to be almost full with moored boats (and often ours is one of them). Not Saturday morning though. In particular between bridges 100 and 101, a popular stretch, there was not a single moored boat.

After spending 8 of the last 9 weeks cruising I now look forward to our next cruise which, as Mrsmelly puts it, will be in the proper boating season.

Until then I'll have to make do with working through my backlog of narrowboat vlogs on Youtube, mainly Cruising The Cut and Life In A Nutshell.