A long cruise...all of 3 boat lengths!

 10th January

Blast, blast, blast! This blooming freeze is getting beyond a joke. Woke to FS gripped again by ice, minus 3 was all it took to hold FS fast, so looks like our planned journey to Alrewas won't be happening this weekend. The day was glorious, blooming freezing though, but a walk to the facilities to get rid of rubbish and empty the cassettes gave us a bit of exercise and got us out of FS. Underfoot conditions were hazardless to say the least, last thing I wanted to do was crash down on my new knee. I found walking on the grassy bank gave a better footing so leaving Ian to stride ahead with the trolley holding the cassettes, I followed gingerly with the rubbish bags. 

Three boats were moored in front of FS and one of the guys came out to ask about the icy conditions on the canal. He and his mate in the boat behind wanted to get to the Plough, so were pleased to hear us tell him that so long as they kept to the thinner ice along the channel we made yesterday, they should be good to go. I did ask if it was him that built the snowman. Turns out it was his young daughter.

In a way I did hope the pound below Junction lock would be free of ice but proved not to be. We could see where CRT had come from and winded clearing the ice, but beyond that toward Keeper's lock it looked to be very thick still. Kat on Bargus (coal and diesel boat) went through breaking the ice days ago and since then, every night we have had freezing temperatures and without any boat movement to break it up, more ice will have built up.

Just before lunch, we noticed boat movement. Yep, that boater heading for the Plough was leaving, or trying too. Just breaking free from the mooring was a challenge and when he did eventually get underway, got level with us and came to a stop. Ian went out to see if there was anything he could do to help, it wasn't needed though, as a reverse and then full throttle got him going. I took this photo because I noticed that snowman was now on board the boat!

 Back inside FS we noticed yet another boater leaving and this one was toing. 

 

Oh goody, the moorings near to the water taps were now free. Great opportunity for us to move the three boat lengths to be near to the taps. Ian went to check if one was free of ice, but where was the tap? Turns out only one side now has a connection to connect your hose too, and it has to be turned on at the bottom.

We are running out of coal! Two and a bit bags left, which should last for another week. Here's hoping Kat goes past within that time frame. 

And photos of an icy Fradley