Hawne Basin

Here I am Rune

Distance 12 miles 

Total 4599 Locks  304 Tunnels

Running total mileage 6,724.2 miles

So we have now had what will certainly be the final cruise of the year, back from Birmingham City Centre to Hawne Basin. The weather wasn’t that auspicious when we set off as it almost immediately started to rain but that stopped by the time we reached Winson Green and from then on it was pretty uneventful. The only boat on the move was a small cruiser that had been moored near Pudding Green junction. It was difficult to work out what the helm was doing on it since he was all over the canal, I eventually gave up second guessing him and just ploughed on with my course deciding that if he moved to a position where a collision was likely I’d deal with it then rather than try to anticipate what he was doing.

 

It was a pleasant couple of days in Birmingham, a wander through the German Market, a swim at Aston University pool and a quick skate on the temporary ice rink so quite an athletic couple of days.

 

It seems likely that our next trip out will be sometime next year.

 

Birmingham City Centre

Here I am Rune

Distance 12 miles 

Total 4599 Locks  301 Tunnels

Running total mileage 6,712.2 miles

So today we set off for what will, almost certainly, be the final cruise of the year, from Hawne Basin back into Birmingham City Centre for a few days. We were going to travel yesterday but got up to find the Basin moorings frozen, I walked a bit further up the canal and, seeing that the ice was even thicker outside of the basin, delayed the trip for a day since the temperature was due to rise today, which it has done. I dressed for the cold for the trip but when we left the basin, it was in sunshine so I was starting to get pretty warm. It settled down a bit as we went through the tunnels and by the time we got to Birmingham I was glad I had dressed for the cold as the wind had picked up a little bit and the temperature had fallen again.

 

The current plan will be to stay here until Friday and then cruise back, but that will all depend upon the canals not being frozen on Friday.

 

Hawne Basin

Here I am Rune

Distance 12 miles 

Total 4599 Locks  298 Tunnels

Running total mileage 6,700.2 miles

I did decide to return to the basin on Monday since the weather was very calm, ideal for getting back onto the mooring in the basin. A little bit more traffic on the move today compared to when I travelled up to Birmingham, but still not a lot.

I think it is possible that we may make another trip up there before Christmas since, oddly enough, although all of the actual German markets in Germany have been closed because of Covid, the one in Birmingham is running as normal, so we may go back to visit it.