A submerged mystery

 September 12th

What a difference a day makes, went to bed with the rain beating down on the cabin top and woke this morning to sun streaming through the porthole window. It was to be a late getaway, most important when stopping in Alrewas was a visit to Coates the butchers. and because of the foulness of the weather yesterday, it was something to look forward to today. 

We always go in knowing exactly what was wanted and always come away purchasing more than we need. Sausages, bacon, and two sausage rolls were on our list but couldn't resist the pork medallions. If the lambs liver hadn't been so expensive, that may have been purchased too.

 After stopping off at the water point, heading off through the moorings, we found it increasingly difficult to get through in places. Overhanging branches by bends, and what was the CRT thinking when he gave this householder permission to have an offside mooring? Right by a bend, a bridge and opposite visitor moorings, it beggars belief! 

 

Just around this bend was the offside boat

The bridge and the same moored boat as above on the right

Room for one boat only!

At Bagnall lock, the usual problems arose with the bottom gates not staying shut.  As long as we can remember the bottom gates swing open, a year or two ago Ian could crack a top paddle and race back to close those gates before too much water was lost, but now, suffering as he does with both knees, it's more of an amble. A good job someone came along and helped, otherwise he would have been going backwards and forwards like a yo-yo. I tried to keep FS back onto the gates, but for some reason today, it didn't work. At one time, metal rods had been positioned on the gates as anchors, but they disappeared ages ago. Ian got chatting to a CRT guy also at the lock, and was told they were fed up with replacing the rods because people would pinch them for the scrap value!

Fradley had the volunteers working, I noticed at Hunts lock the same setup was being used as last year. Great idea, saving the volunteer lots of walking. A rope is tied from the far gate to the near, just pulling the rope brings the far gate closed. It works a treat.

So we sailed up Fradley locks, I would like to say in record time, but ever mindful of water wastage, the volunteer would not drop the water out of Hunt's lock. I sat on the landing for ages with no sign of a descending boat at all. It wasn't until we finally got to use the lock that the volunteer apologised and said a radio message told of a boat making their way down the flight. Little did he know the message was from the volunteer at Junction lock, two locks further up! 

Keepers lock above and Middle lock below

The Fradley services are on the offside between Keepers lock and Junction lock. The pound was down by about 4 inches, and on the approach to the bollards, I was unprepared when FS suddenly rose up, tipped and slid off something submerged. Gave me quite a shock, I can tell you! We moored and Ian went to empty the cassette. Then as I pushed the bow out right by the last bollard, good grief, if the self same thing didn't happen again as I left. What on earth was under the water? To raise me up on arriving at the services and to do it again as I left, I wondered if there was a submerged boat. I told the volunteer, it was the first he heard of the problem. I know the pound was low, and our draught of 2' 4"  means we are deeper in the water than most, but something is there, and it needs exploring.

We made it as far as Handsacre, found a mooring on a bit of a bend. Not ideal, but this is such a popular place it was one of only two spaces left. Tonight we treat ourselves to Michael's fish and chips, well we hope to if the rain stops. One clap of thunder earlier, black skies again and down came that rain!

And this was seen near the water point in Alrewas,