Tuesday 19 June 2012

A long day on a narrow boat

Starting just after 9 o’clock this morning we’ve covered 16 miles in almost 9 hours today.  Primarily because James has to get to a hospital for his weekly blood test and if we get to Atherstone tomorrow it’s a 20 minute train ride to Rugby. Job Done!
Anyway, the weather has been great today so the trip was very pleasant.  
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‘Chance’ approaching Junction Lock at Fradley this morning at the start of our journey.
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Leaving Junction Lock, and the Trent and Mersey Canal, and negotiating the sharp left turn into the Coventry Canal. 
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Between Fradley and Fazeley we meet the famous steam powered narrow boat ‘President’ pulling the equally famous butty ‘Kildare’.  An exciting moment and quite unexpected.
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After seeing one of the largest boats on the system we came across one of the smallest!
On reaching Fazeley Junction we filled up with water at the BW station at Peel’s Wharf and then briefly turned right at the junction to pop into Fazeley Marina for a ‘black’ water pump out and a top up with fuel.  After that we went back to the junction to take the canal towards Atherstone for tomorrow’s train journey.
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The lovely old Junction House at Fazeley – ‘Chance’ about to turn right through the bridge.
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Approaching Polesworth we were helpfully told by some bystanders that we were “pushing a railway sleeper”.  Bringing ‘Chance ‘ to a halt we found the “railway sleeper” – it was about 4 feet long and 1 foot in diameter!  Heaven only knows how long it been there and how amazing to get the thing perfectly balanced on the bow!
Well, a long day but an interesting one – we’re now moored outside Polesworth near, the wonderfully named, Hoo Hill.  The sun is shining, the BBQ is lit and …….
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……. all is well with the world.  Here are two members of the crew relaxing…..
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…….in domestic bliss.  The washing is drying nicely but the BBQ is taking a little longer than expected.

2 comments:

  1. John says - he looks a venerable old man, sat on his chair, not saying which one! ha ha.

    We have had a sunshine day as well, makes it so much better, we are in Skipton now.

    love Ali x

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  2. Jubilee picks up branches at the bow like that. I have to remember occasionally to look forward and down to see what's there. As you found, they can stay in position for ages.

    I think equilibrium is maintained because if, say, the bit sticking out to the right starts to be swept back, the bit on the left tries to go forward harder against the current: the force on it increases and brings it back into line. The branch/plank ends up at roughly right-angles to the boat.

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