Today is the day we leave Langley Mill and try our luck going back down the canal as we head for our 10 day stay at Mercia Marina. It’s been absolutely brilliant here and we have achieved so much. A few of the jobs like the painting of the stern and the bow have been on the list to do since we bought the boat at the end of May 2022. They were always going to be the jobs that waited until the engine was right and the boat was comfortable to live in. We still have a huge amount to do but now we are at the stage where nothing ((Unless it breaks Peachy)) Do not temp fate Brackets! needs doing and everything is a nice job to do.
With sorting the fire, again still more jobs to do on it but the hard work has paid off! Yesterday’s vlog might well have been the blacking and boat painting one so you can have a look at how The Plot looks now she’s had a makeover. Again, we prob need a couple of days just to get all these jobs finished and highlighted off the list but they are all nearly there!
We were up early as I wanted to wash the side of the boat as it was so dirty where we’ve been doing the other jobs and I didn’t want to get in trouble as the blacking was covering in a fire layer of dust! Once done we move over the other side of the canal to the water point and swap places with the boat which is moored just past there, so that was good timing. We use the other boat services as Pete sets the lock and we finish what we are doing and join him. Vikki and the kids are there from the boatyard so it gives us the chance to thank them again for everything and then we are soon down and out and it’s goodbye Langley Mill.
You might have to watch the vlog when it comes out for more information on everything which went on today ((Space/Time/continumummummm coming up)) it’s three days later and I cannot remember everything that happened without checking my videos but my internet connection is terrible. Which has been a theme over the last week.
We manage a total of eight locks before the promised problems with the water levels strike. Pete has already been told whilst we were on route that the stoppage was in place so we moored up just outside Hallam Fields Lock to wait and see if tomorrow the pound ((That’s the area of water between two sets of locks)) would be high enough for us to travel through.
We ((Royal we)) have already been down the weed hatch a few times today as some of the canal was low and it means we just end up dragging up old bags ((I’m saying nothing!)) which is mixed in with weed and gets trapped around the prop slowing the boat down.
We also had to avoid ‘the bath’ as that was still in the water and I saw another one somewhere else. It’s a shame people chuck stuff in the canals but people will be people!
I have a moment at one of the locks when I walk over the gate to close the paddle and see a face peering out of the water ((Was it like Frodo when he was walking to Mordor and saw dead people?)) something like that. For one split second I thought it was a baby but then realised it was a doll! I managed to get it out when I closed the lock gate so at least it doesn’t scare someone else to death or get trapped in a prop or gate!
We finally arrive just outside Hallam Fields Lock and moor up and wander over to chat to Pete. There are 2 other boats in front of us waiting to go down. After a look at the pound ahead I can see why we cannot cruise. There is barely any water and so many tyres and rubbish in there if you were to get your boat in it would soon get stuck on something!
Anyway, we are ready to stop as it’s been a hot day and we didn’t stop for lunch so just had a cheese sandwich on the go. ((Oh you poor things. How did you cope??)) as we wanted to get as far as possible.
Canal and River Trust have been out and are trying to send some water down to fill the pound so we can get through so we will see how things are in the morning. Absolutely nothing we can do about it so we settle down to faffing and wait to see what tomorrow brings.
Until tomorrow… xx
Miles/Distance: 5 miles
Locks: 8
Tunnels: 0
Swing Bridges: 0
(another old picture of when we were moored at Stoke Lock i think this was!)
C.L. Peache 