Birmingham

Here I am  Rune

Distance  5.3 miles 

Total 3159 Locks  166 Tunnels

Running total mileage 4689.8 miles

We stayed put yesterday and took the opportunity to carry out the engine service. So we now have fresh oil, new oil filter, new air filter and new fuel filter which should hopefully see us OK until about August.

Fairly straightforward trip today, down the Tat Bank branch locks onto the Old Main Line and then through Smethwick locks onto the New Main Line and here we are, once again moored in Birmingham City Centre. Unusually we have managed to secure a place on the 14 day moorings although we are unlikely to take advantage of that sort of period of mooring, probably only until Thursday or Friday.

Titford Pumping House

Here I am

Distance  7.2 miles 

Total 3150 Locks  165 Tunnels

Running total mileage 4684.5 miles

A shorter day’s travelling than yesterday, which is just as well since the weather forecast was considerably wrong! There should have been a 30% chance of rain first thing and then a drier spell with more rain coming in later. What we actually got was monsoon rainfall until about 10am. Fortunately I have reasonable wet weather gear but even that was soaking wet by the time the rain eventually stopped.

It has been an interesting couple of days and looking at our log we seem to have competed 32.7 miles of the system. Since there is now only about 100 miles of navigable waterways that means we have done 32.7% of the whole navigable BCN system in a couple of days, I think we can be reasonably pleased with that.

I don’t know for sure how long we will stay here yet, we want to go into the City centre but since tomorrow is the bank holiday Monday, mooring might be at a premium. It will also depend upon what the weather decides to do since at the moment there is a significant thunderstorm overhead. Since we don’t have to move, we wont until the weather improves.

Tipton

Here I am  Rune

Distance  25.5 miles 

Total 3138 Locks  165 Tunnels

Running total mileage 4677.3 miles

Well that was a fair day’s work, I don’t think we have travelled as far in one day just on canals. After an 8am start we travelled the full length of the Wyrley and Essington canal from Anglesey basin to Horsley Fields junction including the Cannock extension and then carried on down to Tipton where we have now moored for the night. The total distance being 25.6 miles and taking us 10 hours and 3 minutes (including 20 minutes down the weed hatch trying to untangle a load of fishing line due to a fisherman being asleep as we passed him and snagging his line.

The current plan for tomorrow will involve 12 locks and about 4 miles of canal. The final flight up to Titford pumping station could be a bit challenging since about 50 boats are supposed to be trying to go the same way!

Brownhills (2nd mooring)

Here I am  Rune

Distance  2.4 miles 

Total 3138 Locks  164 Tunnels

Running total mileage 4651.8 miles

Today we have moved just a couple of miles to what will be our start line for the BCN Society 24 hour marathon challenge, beginning tomorrow. As a newcomer to this and not having been able to read the instructions (we are only able to open the instructions tomorrow morning) I have decided to go for distance rather than lock numbers since points are awarded for both. Provided that the canal isn’t blocked then there isn’t much to prevent picking up points whereas, although it is more sociable to be doing locks, it is possible if there is a queue, you could be sitting for quite a while not accruing any points.

My current plan is to travel the length of the Wyreley and Essington canal from Anglesey Basin to Wolverhampton and then head down towards either the Black Country Museum moorings or Tividale quays. How far we go on Sunday depends upon how then that plan goes.