Saturday 12 August 2017

Saturday 12th August

On sunday 6th August we travelled to our marina @ Shardlow, we arrived there about 11am, we unpacked the car and Kev took Jaz for a walk while I put things away. We then went into Long Eaton for some shopping and then when we returned to the boat we had a bite to eat packed the shopping away and then left the marina about 2.30pm.


Our new Cratch Cover

And Pram Canopy!
We had these fitted by AJ Canopies at the end of July, Kev had been to the marina to meet them while they fitted the new ones.
Leaving the Marina
When we got to our first lock which was Shardlow there were 2 boats in the lock coming out and a hire boat on the lock landing ahead of us waiting to go in, so we shared the lock with them.
Waiting to go into Shardlow Lock.
We shared the next 2 locks with the hire boat, Aston Lock where there were 2 lockies on and then Weston Lock and we moored for the night above Weston lock.
On Monday morning we left Weston and headed towards Swarkestone lock and as we were approaching the lock the hire boaters that had shared the locks with previously came up so we shared the lock with them once again and finally shared the last of the double locks with them which was Stenson Lock. When we left the lock the hire boaters moored for a late breakfast and we carried on to Willington and stopped at the services to top with water etc.
Kev waiting for the water tank to fill.

 Passing over the River Dove, work to clear channel was going on.

We didn't pass many boats and it was quite a peaceful day cruising and we finally moored after Branston Lock.
On Tuesday it was pouring with rain and we stayed put and I did some cleaning, but then about 1pm the rain eased so we decided to move and set off about 1.30pm.
We didn't go too far, we wanted to moor above Barton Lock as we were expecting Kev's brother Ade & his wife Jane on Wednesday. They arrived on Wednesday afternoon and were spending the night with us, and so once we had got them a bite to eat we set off towards Alrewas.
Ade on the tiller
Jane on the tiller, but we are already moored lol!
We had a pleasant cruise in lovely sunshine and managed to moor in Alrewas, later we went for something to eat in the William 1V pub which was very good. 
On Thursday morning after we had a cooked breakfast we headed off to Fradley , it was another lovely sunny day and plenty of boats about in fact Fradley was very busy. Kev & Ade had been working the locks but in Fradley there were Lockies on so it was a bit easier for them. As we got up through the lock at the junction of the Coventry Canal, there was a boat waiting to come down so I turned the boat around and waited at the lock to go back down. We had a lovely day with Ade & Jane and we finally got them back to Barton about 3pm. Kev managed to turn the boat round at Barton Turns Marina and reversed back towards barton lock and moored close to where we had been moored previously there. Ade had left his car near the Barton Inn so I said my goodbyes to Ade & Jane & Kev walked back to their car with Jaz and I stayed on the boat. 
Once Kev returned we set off back to Alrewas where we managed to get moored close to the footbridge.
Moored in Alrewas below the footbridge.
Yesterday morning I put a wash on and then popped for a few things at the Co-op shop and then we headed back to Fradley where we stopped at the water point to fill up with water, empty the cassettes & get rid of the rubbish! The water was very slow and we were on the water point for about half an hour! I then went to the lock and Kev moved over to the lock landing to wait as there was a boat ahead of us going into the lock.

Passed this lovely wooden boat on the Coventry Canal.
Once we were up and out of the lock we turned onto the Coventry Canal, and we finally moored after Tamhorn Farm Bridge.






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