Black Country Museum, Dudley.

 

Here I am Rune

Distance 5.9 miles 

Total 5343 Locks  435 Tunnels

Running total mileage 8035.9 miles

 

Well this was a ‘welcome back to the BCN' sort of day. Having travelled over 100 miles around the 4 Counties ring with just a single visit to the weed hatch, I’ve done under 6 miles of the BCN and been down there twice, once to ‘recover’ a shirt and a pair of trousers that had brought the boat to a complete stop. The other problem is that there is now so much weed growth that you cannot simply pull to the side to clear the prop, so find yourself having to do it in the middle of the canal. Fortunately, once again, there haven’t been that many boats on the move so by doing so I didn’t inconvenience anyone.

It is the delay caused by weed and crap around the prop that amended our journey details and we have now stopped for the night at the Black Country Museum, we’ll press on into Birmingham tomorrow, although the weather forecast isn’t so good.

Wolverhampton

 

Here I am Rune

Distance 2.4 miles 

Total 5343 Locks  433 Tunnels

Running total mileage 8030 miles

 

Bit of a grind coming up the Wolverhampton 21 flight today. The pound between locks 17 and 18 was empty so we had to wait for CRT to run some water down. The above lock 5 to the top all of the pounds were down so we were contantly getting stuck on the cill, either going into the lock or getting out of one. All in all it took us getting on for 5 hours to get through the flight. Curiously we only met one boat coming down which given that the weather was excellent and it is a week-end was a bit unexpected. Even since we’ve been moored here in Wolverhampton only two boats have come past, one a private boat, one a hire boat, where is everyone?

Took the opportunity of a shaded mooring to put the 2^nd coat on the stern area of the boat, so that is one job completed, all I need to do is put the fenders back on in the morning before we set off. The aim tomorrow will be to get into Birmingham, although we are a day ahead of schedule if we do.

Autherley Junction

 

Here I am Rune

Distance 4.1 miles 

Total 5322 Locks  433 Tunnels

Running total mileage 8027.6 miles

 

So, now back onto the Staffs & Worcs we have completed the 4 Counties Ring, taking us something like 3 weeks. Interestingly we passed a hire boat who were doing the same route in just one week; they had achieved it since they started from Middlewich and were within spitting distance of Middlewich when we saw them. Not sure I’d want to rush it to that extent as there are some very pleasant areas to explore on the route.

We are however ahead of our planned schedule by about a day since if we go up the Wolverhampton 21 flight tomorrow we’ll be in Birmingham by Sunday whereas I’d aimed to be there by Monday. I did take the opportunity whilst at tonights mooring to have put a coat of paint across the back deck, which has been in dire need of one. I hope to get another coat on it when we get to Birmingham, although if we stay here and extra day I could perhaps get another one on tomorrow.