Birmingham

Here I am Rune

Distance 8.7  miles

Total 4311 Locks  275 Tunnels

Running total mileage 6,558.4 miles

 

Not having been down that way for a little while, we took the Old Main Line route into Birmingham, it wasn’t a bad choice since it was quite cool for the section that passes under the M5 motorway which was also totally clear of weed. There is a lot of plant growth along the canal up to that point though, although not much to hamper a narrow boat except if you wanted to get into the side to moor up since it is lily-beds all the way. I was amused by the only place we saw some fishermen, travelling along the canal with it’s weed growth the water is now exceptionally clear and looking down into it you can clearly see loads of fish. The only place we passed any fishermen however was in the dingy waters below the M5 with the roar of the motorway a constant background noise. It’s not somewhere I would have chosen for a quiet afternoon’s fishing.

Coming down the Smethwick Locks was the only issue of sorts. To begin with we were ‘warned’ of a drunken boater in the bottom lock, the boater who was giving us this information was already on his phone to CRT (not entirely sure what he hoped they were going to do). As it turned out it was just an elderly gent who was single handing through the locks, not very chatty, but that is his choice, whether he was drunk or not was never established. For me a far greater issue was as I went into the second pound going down and was heading towards the lock mooring. Everything came to a grinding halt with the boat slightly leaning as we had run aground about 6 - 8 out from the bank. After several attempts at getting off, which simply resulted in either the bow getting stuck even firmer as I pushed the stern out, or vice-versa I had to request the crew let some more water into the pound to lift me off the mud.

We got into Birmingham about 3pm and as we had been told on the way, the moorings are relatively deserted. We have moored at the end of Oozells Street Loop and there is only one other boat moored here. There are two moored on the Main Line outside of the Arena and Cambrian Wharf moorings are deserted.

Plan is to stay here until at least Saturday, or Sunday if the weather is bad, then head back to the Basin.