After moving three times, enough was enough.

 What a noisy start to the day. Mooring right by Aston Marina this place was a magnet for Canada Geese. There must have been well over 50 all overnighting in the grass areas by the entrance. When one started it was like a signal for the rest to all join in and boy were they loud! And then more flew in to join them. So many have now been seen all along the T&M and I'm beginning to wonder if these birds are becoming a pest. Still, getting up early meant the reflections as the sun rose over the horizon was a sight to see.

 

Cold dogs for breakfast this morning. For those that has never heard of this, it is the leftover sausages from last night's meal. Yummie with fresh homemade bread, butter and lashings of tomato ketchup. After the feast we set off for Aston Lock, literally 5 minutes further along the canal. I could see a chap at the top and thought the lock to be in his favour, but a hand wave from him indicated that we could proceed and take the lock.

I have admired many boats in the years of travelling the waterway, especially some of the elaborate designs on the cabin sides but I think this one beats them all hands down.

 

Through Stone and up another 4 locks. The main line railway is now very much our neighbour although it does occasionally head away from the canal. 9 miles of it until we reach Harecastle tunnel. Until then moorings will have to be chosen wisely.

Looking back from Lime Kiln Lock

Meaford locks were the last to be done today. Another 4 and all within walking distance. Between the first two locks the water levels were low. 

Meaford bottom lock

Overflow weir in the lock dry

Down by a good foot.

Even this fisherman wore a mask, a sign of the times!

Meaford road lock in the distance.

Got ourselves moored just after Barlaston on the long stretch of visitor moorings. Of course,  I went fishing leaving Ian to sort out the satellite. Well, three times my fishing session was interrupted. A blooming great tree in the direction of the satellite was the first reason to move and literally only by a couple of feet. FS secured and fishing resumed. Then, Ian said "It's still not right." With the signal achieved, flashes of light kept interfering with the picture. Convinced it was still that tree, we untied FS again and moved further along. Got the stern secured once more, but Ian still wasn't happy. Those flashes continued so untied yet again and moved another few feet. By now I was getting a bit peeved and not sure what moving any further would achieve and told him in no uncertain terms that this was to be the last time. The TV still wasn't right and by now Ian thought the satellite receiver must be at fault, but then...a moment of inspiration. Could it be a dodgy connection from the TV to the Freeview box and guess what...it was!

Back to fishing and moving may have been beneficial because Roach was reeled in time and time again and then finally, a fish I had been waiting for, a small Perch.

 

And today's wildlife and how lucky was I?

. Crikey, thats one very big bird by the feeder!

 Disheartened, that was our mood today.  What has happening to the old ways on the cut? Back in the days (40 years ago) it was drummed into us every time we hired a boat that slow passing moored boats meant knocking the revs right back and travelling at snails pace. Nowadays, it seems this is no longer the case and it's not all hire boats that are the culprits. No, in fact there are an awful lot of private boat owners that seem to think slowing down does not apply to them.

So, why have I mentioned this?  Well....

  Ian was in the galley preparing to make bread (he does make a good loaf) so it was left to me to get us underway. Engine fired into life, tiller on and back rope loosened, bow rope was next but here lay a problem. Ian always puts on a spring at the bow and boy did we need it last night. Boat after boat went past with no idea what tickover was. So even with a spring, FS clattered and bounced and all we could hear was the continues squeak of the cladding pins moving about. Now, we always try to find a bolt to put the pins up against. It stops them sliding through the cladding and getting jammed. Last night though, one of the 'spring' pins would not go through the bolt hole so consequently he had to use the next available gap. This morning then, when I went to remove the pin it was jammed....and I mean jammed.... solid! Ian had to stop his bread making to come and help and the only way the pin was removed was by using a hammer and the crow bar to open the gap slightly. Not the done thing as this could damage the piling but very necessary because of those speeding idiots. But just think what else happens to a moored boat when someone doesn't slow down enough,

1.  If no piled edge is available to tie up too then iron stakes have to be hammered into the bank and the ropes secured to them. Speeding boaters pull these straight out of the ground, which not only sets the boat adrift, but causes no end of damage to the bank. (erosion)
   
2. The piling has so much strain on it from the pins that this can cause the cladding to come apart and also buckle. 
3. Tearing past any moored boat causes the boat to surge forward and back, especially if not tied correctly but even if secured with springs, the boat tips and then crashes back against the bank. I feared for my plates at one point last night!
   
4. And lastly, these boaters would all enjoy the waterway more if they came away from the boy racer mode and just slowed down.
   

Oh, and by the way, tickover is a slow walking pace, not a brisk one! 

 Back to the rest of today then. 

This part of the T&M towards Stone is very rural a most pleasant to cruise. Even Western and Sandon locks were in our favour, no queueing at all. There were however, boats waiting at Western lock to descend. Two very nice and jolly chaps helped us up, one even commenting on how many small nuts we had! Gosh that's a bit personal I said laughingly to Ian. They did mean the amount of coal we had in the well deck, though.

 

 

Having left the lock I was very baffled when the third boat in line pushed away and took the lock. Mentioning this to Ian he enlightened me by saying all three boats were travelling together and this leapfrogging action was done at every lock. 

 

A sight greeted me as I steered FS away from the lock. In fact what caught my eye was a swan in a back garden. Drawing closer I realised why it was there. The house owner had put up bird feeders but instead of it being high up, was low enough for the swan to reach. 

 

We stopped before Aston Marina, we didn't need to ascend Aston lock today. We are so ahead of schedule now that a three-hour daily run is all that is needed, we just have to make Bunbury by the 22rd

Putting on a spring.

 

And wildlife

And the engine problem was????

 Not something we expected to find in the bathroom. How did it get in? Must have crawled up the cabin side and in through the window.

And every morning either Ian or myself (depending on who decides who is getting up to make the tea) spider webs stretch across the cabin. Horrible to have the silk all over one's face and war was declared if the spider hadn't been found. Killing spiders is a no no in my book, but drastic action would have to be taken in the form of fly spay killer. I was very pleased therefore when Ian saw the culprit on the galley window and promptly threw it outside.

8.30am and we were on our way. Up Hayward Lock and pulled onto the facilities landing by 9am. Thankfully there was plenty of room for at least three boats, a good job too as Que sara sara (the Oatcake boat) was already there. We pulled as far back as we could, almost onto their front button so as to leave enough room if another boat was to arrive. Working at the facilities was CRT volunteers. Hedge cutting and weeding and what a good job they were making of it too. Having passed the time of day, it was off to  find Gavin, manager of the Anglo Welsh hire fleet here at Great Hayward.

 

Two day boats occupied the length of the moorings so we did wonder how FS would fit. Gavin was found and with one of the dayboats leaving imminently, he told us to bring FS into the basin once it had gone. So back we went to bring FS through the bridge and onto the Staffs and Worc canal.

 

In no time at all Gavin was looking at the engine. Throttle in forward, then in reverse, revs up and down and the verdict? "Cant find anything wrong" said he. "It's certainly firing on all cylinders, in fact she sounds pretty good for an old engine." Oh dear, I always thought there was something wrong with his hearing. He was hearing things that wasn't there! We did have a small diesel leak from the spill line washer though, and with the tightening of the nut that was rectified. All in all within half an hour it was done and we could get underway. Just before we left we filled with diesel. At 84p ltr it was worth doing. 

 

Hoo Mill lock was busy! In fact we were forth in line. Several more boats were waiting to descend which all adds up to a longer wait.

 

 Because of the queue the decision was made to stop before the next lock. Let the queues die down before continuing. The only trouble with that was I decided to go fishing whilst waiting. Catching decent fish for a change, it wasn't hard for me to decide to stay. Ian was more than happy to oblige. 

And wildlife,

Could be Muscovy Ducks

Me? Butterfingers???

 Dropsy...the true meaning is An old term for the swelling of soft tissues due to the accumulation of excess water. Well I now have a new meaning of the word, one who is continually dropping things, namely me! Couldn't believe how clumsy I've been today. Firstly my boiled egg! In its egg cup, on a plate and me carrying it to the table. How it slipped from my grasp I have no idea but the splat as it hit the ground was shocking. I suppose I should be grateful it wasn't a raw egg but having retrieved it from the ground, and decided I was still going to eat it as only the shell was cracked, took some doing. Ever tried peeling an egg with hundreds of shell bits to remove? Took forever and I still managed to find bits after spreading the egg on my toast.  

Secondly the coffee. Not just once but twice and both times as I took Ian the cups on deck. Coffee running all down the cabin top and sides, and we had only just washed the boat this morning!

Then there was the incident at Tesco. We had stopped at Rugeley, walked to Tesco and discovered our masks were still hanging up inside FS. Ian walked back, I waited and in the meantime found a trolley for the shopping. The cleaning station was right by the door and first thing I usually do is gel my hands and then tear off a piece from the blue tissue roll. That immediately hit the floor. Red-faced I pick it back up, I tear off a single sheet, then I take hold of the spray bottle and that promptly hits the floor too! By now I wished the floor to open up and swallow me whole, but then this nice lady from behind said "We all have days like that." "Too true" I said, "But my day isn't finished yet and what with dropping my egg and the coffee this morning, I beginning to dread the rest of the day." And then it was Ian turn, not to drop anything, no it was the hint he gave me as he picked up a bottle of Rum. "I suppose I will just have to treat myself!" Oh, eck...I had only forgotten it was his birthday today! We laughed it off but I feel mortified that I hadn't remembered. Anyway, needless to say I didn't drop into the canal, twas always possible on days like today. Quite glad of that really!

Only took 4 hours to reach Great Hayward and that was with the Tesco shop as well. We did have a few hold-ups, one at Armitage narrows and one at Colwick Lock.

Armitage narrows, (used to be a tunnel) is a very narrow channel fit for only one boat. No passing places here! From the direction of Rugeley all that can be seen from the boat is a black hole therefore the yellow sign at the start is something to heed.

 

Ian was sent and suddenly a hand signal given to hold back. Yep, a moment later the headlight of an oncoming boat appeared.

At Colwick lock CRT with their workboat had beaten us to it. In fact a passing boater told us the lock would be ready, and not a sign of a boat on the lock landing. But then a blue CRT workboat appeared as if from nowhere and sailed straight in.

Blue work boat disappearing in the distance (at the bridge 'ole)

Empty lock landing.

 

Tomorrow we move to the Anglo Welsh yard. Not sure how long it will take to sort our FS's engine, not worried though as we are now well ahead of schedule.

And a job not for the faint-hearted. 

Lovely colours this time of year,

And wildlife,

Starlings