Here I am Rune
Distance 3 miles
Total 887 Locks 48 Tunnels
Running total mileage 1297.6miles
Although we’ve clocked up mileage today, it would be fair to
say that we haven’t actually travelled anywhere since we are back moored where
we were last night! Having said that we have carried out the ‘boaty’ tasks that
were necessary in that we’ve re-filled the water tank, emptied the toilet
cassettes, got rid of the rubbish and stocked up on coal, so it has been a
productive day. The slight fly in the ointment was the fact that the wind still
continues to blow quite strongly which can make manoeuvring ‘interesting’. The
first place for turning around, Cambrian Wharf, went reasonably well since the
wind assisted us (mostly) except as we moored up at the water tap at which
point the wind caught the bow and blew it across the canal. Not much could be
done about it other than get a rope and haul it back again. From there we went
into Gas Street Basin to collect the coal. Turning around wasn’t too much of a
problem although the wind was swirling and with a bit of an audience that is
usually when things go wrong. The only part that went wrong was as we were
reversing something wrapped itself around the propeller (again!!) which you
really don’t need when you’re trying to manoeuvre in a wind. The final task was
to return to Brindley Place moorings and for this I let prudence be the better
part of valour and, rather than try to turn the boat around in the centre of
Birmingham with the guaranteed audience and wind to help things to go wrong, I
just chugged of up the New Main Line to Icknield Loop and went around that to
turn around, worked perfectly without any embarrassment. The ‘two’ tunnels
passed through today was, once again, one tunnel twice and, although it is
called Broad Street Tunnel is actually more like a long bridge.
Tomorrow another standstill day although having looked at
the closed piece of canal in the City Centre, they have started to refill it
with water so hopefully all will be finished by Friday.
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