We nick his lock!

After the Campaign Protest Cruise yesterday all boats began to depart heading either onwards to Selly Oak, back toward the Birmingham Main line or down Farmer's Bridge locks towards Salford Junction.  All went like clockwork, everyone taking it in turns it was almost as if it had all been planned! For us, we headed toward Selly Oak only because a Sainsbury was just before bridge 80. Here we winded, spoke to most enthusiastic young girl about the delights of boating. I think she mentioned we should do a video blog but that we will leave for others. She was so bubbly and wanted to know so much, we stayed longer than planned. Anyway when we did eventually get going a great mooring spot was found near to Vale Bridge and right opposite Birmingham, University mooring. One downside, no TV and the internet was a bit rubbish too. This meant if that protest cruise had been shown on one of the regional programs, we missed it completely! 

I awoke to rain drumming down on the cabin top. That in itself I can handle, in fact I quite like the sound, brings me right back to camping days and the rain beating down on canvas. What I cannot stand is the  irregular drips from the leaves off the trees. To me, it's like water torture and consequently I had a very disturbed night.

Our doggy alarm clock woke Ian at 6 am, I was already awake and could have got up to take Toffee out but the rain put me off. No, Ian is the morning guy so best leave him to be the one who gets soaked! Even though we were awake early, we didn't actually get going until 9.15 am. I wish sometimes we had a bit of hindsight because would you believe, by the facilities at Granville Street Wharf, a hotel boat and breasted butty let go ropes and pushed off in front of us. No excuse, I could see him looking back before ropes were thrown back on board and us but 100 yds from both boats. 

 

 Quite how a breasted pair would get through the single width bridge hole at Gas Street Basin was something I was eager to see but first the helmsman had to negotiate the very windy corner at the Mailbox. Needless to say we nearly ran into the back of them so slow were they trying to do the turn, and when you have to pump the tiller to get round, well there is much to be said for the helmsmen steering! Anyway, along the Gas Street Basin moorings we got past. They of course had to detach from each other to get through the narrow section and he quite rightly waved us past. It did make me wonder why they pulled out in front of us knowing they had to go the rest of the way through Brum as single boats!

We turned left toward 15 locks of Farmers Bridge flight. Two volunteers were on and had the top lock open and ready. I passed a boat on the facility point, his side hatch flew open and said "That's the second time I have lost the lock!" But you are on the facilities moorings" I replied. "Yes" said he "But I'm, ready to go now". Well...I could have offered for him to go first but sod it...he should have pulled up onto the landing, after all how are boaters expected to know that if he was still on the facilities! The volunteer also said the lock had been got ready for him... well tough! And looking back the bloke had vanished inside and made no attempt to bring the boat forward to the landing. His own fault then if he was to lose yet another lock!

The blue boat on the facilities

We sailed down Farmer's Bridge in record time. That volunteer came down with us setting every lock. It was before the section that went underneath the buildings that a boat was met coming up. 

It couldn't have been at a worse point because the lay by between the locks was tiny. It's a good job that boat was small, heavens knows how we would have passed if it had been a 70 footer!

The rain had held off for most of the way down the flight and good for us, we happened to be under the building when it came down. The approach from light to dark was bad, in fact I just nudged the bottom gate as for an instant I had no idea how far into the lock I was. Lighting is present but when looking ahead from the stern to the bow, almost impossible to gauge the distance. Anyway no harm done other than my pride!

 Last couple of locks and we had planned to stop. Unfortunately there was nowhere to stop and half a mile further on we came upon Aston Locks.  Only 8 in this flight but conditions were made difficult as the wind had also picked up. The first and second lock had me trying to get in sideways, Poor FS was rattled something awful. The next 6 locks Ian went down to get them set. This meant a longer wait down in a deep dark hole but a good clear speedy run from one to the other was my reward.

 

 It was by now time to stop. On Paul's Waterway Routes map Aston Business Village is shown as secure offside moorings. Great place to stop and a small but very reasonably priced café is through an arch and to your left. We got sausage egg and chips to take away for £4 each and tomorrow breakfast also looks tempting. Cost 10 pence short of £7. We may wait until mid morning to set off, eating breakfast at the café is much more appealing than an early getaway.