Monday 25th September
Today we move the boat as we have been in this location since Thursday and we are ready for a bit of cruise. We need to fill with water, empty the toilet, empty our rubbish and charge the batteries as we have been moored in shade, so need to top them up. It turns out to be ‘one of those’ cruises. When we arrive at the facilities there is another boater there but we manage to moor in front of them and pull the boat back when they are finished, then we set off once we are done. We have ordered some items for the boat to be collected from the postoffice so don’t want to cruise too far. Just past the bridge near the facilities in Willington we do an appalling attempt at a mooring so carry on, this happens twice more. ((I wasn’t laughing i promise! Shame there wasn’t anyone there to watch it!)) Not sure if we are out of practice or it’s the Plot playing up but after going maybe a mile from Willington we find the perfect mooring with Armco next to a bridge. On the opposite side is a watering hole and we are joined by a couple of horses.
Time to settle the boat down and get some more boat jobs done.
Miles/Distance: 1 mile
Tuesday 26 September
We decide to fire up the engine as the batteries still aren’t fully charged and the promised sunshine hasn’t arrived as it’s been replaced with rain. I’m not feeling very well so in bed writing this and doing some editing on my vlog. ((Hope you feel better)) Oh, thanks Brackets – have you forgiven me for going to weekly blogs yet… (( )) I will take that as a no. There is a financial reason as well for the weekly posts. If I add a picture to the blog that has be stored in my web provider and I only have so much storage space unless I upgrade my subscription and then it costs me more money ((Are you saying I’m not worth it!)) well, it’s not that but if I delete the pictures for more space then it removes them from my website. Whereas one weekly blog is 1 picture. Anyway we both snuck in an extra post last week so fairs, fair.
Tomorrow we are going to move on as we are getting itchy feet!
Wednesday 27th September
It’s cruising day today as we are both getting ready to move onto to new waters now, although that won’t happen until we get past Great Haywood junction which is the furthest we have cruised on The Plot. We leave the lovely mooring which was relatively quiet other than the road noise in the distance and off we go.
I decide to try doing the washing in our twin tub machine whilst cruising, as the engine warms the water up so in don’t have to use gas to warm the water on the stove and the engine also charges the batteries so we are not draining the batteries. I take the machine into the shower room and find it works really well as I can use the shower head to fill up the machine and the sink to drain the water. The only downside is I miss some of the cruising and have to content myself to peering out the window. There are also no locks to do on this stretch so that makes it easier.
We cruise for a few hours before arriving at Horninglow services where we perfecting our rope mooring skills. Sometimes it’s easier not to use the engine/tiller to moor and to pull the boat in using the ropes. We perfected this last year at this very spot after a disastrous attempt at the first mooring.
There is rain and high winds forecast so we moor up just past the services. It’s funny how you can get a completely different feeling on the boat depending on it’s location. I don’t really like it here and I’m not sure why. There is a few dodgy looking folk about but I don’t know, it just doesn’t feel right but I cannot be bothered to do anymore cruising as not feeling that well so we settle in for the night.
Miles/Distance: 3 miles
Thursday 28th September
Neither of us were really feeling this mooring so we are up early to crank it. It’s such a lovely cruise as we reach the come to the outskirts of Burton upon Trent and into The National Forest. We very quickly arrive at Dallow Lane Lock. I love these single locks, this is where many boaters feel like their holiday starts when they are out as they are what some people would say are the ‘canals proper!’ as gone are the big double locks. The mechanisms are so much easier to use. It definitely gives off a different vibe.
Shobnall Fields area is next to cruise past and the mooring along this whole stretch of lovely armco. I wish we had moved a bit further yesterday but never mind. The marina here looks wonderful as well and depending on what happens over winter I can see this stretch of the Trent and Mersey would be great to moor along as there are plenty of facilities, turning points, marinas and armco. We get through Branston Lock and then moor up for lunch before cruising to Tatenhill Lock. Today’s cruise is about 5.5hrs long and it’s been wonderful to get a full day in and we’ve realised we need to move more and explore new areas. Next lock is Barton Turns, there is an amazing marina here with a cinema which I did enquire about but never had a reply, so we carry on through to Wychnor lock. I have filmed most of these locks for YouTube so you can have a look at that if you get the chance as they really are what the canal life is all about.
The stretch from this lock is sublime to Alrewas. Crystal clear water and churches on the hillsides. Proper countryside vibes. It’s onto the last lock of the day at Alrewas and then we cruise past the water point and under the bridge to moor up for hopefully a couple of days. What a wonderful day of cruising.
Miles/Distance: 7 miles (Wow! Lol) Locks: 6
Facilities… Toilets: yes – Horninglow/Elsan: yes/Bins: yes/Showers: no
Waterpoint: yes – not the fastest on the network so far but not the slowest!
General: Bit of a messy area as people ‘hang about’ and it seems it’s a little too difficult to put there rubbish in the bin! But the facilities are okay.
Friday 29th September
I end up sleeping on the dinette which converts into a double bed as I’m full of the seasonal cold – I thought since I’m not working in education anymore I would avoid it but sadly no! I don’t actually feel too bad in the daytime it’s at night, so decide to sleep here so we can both try and get a good night’s sleep. It’s great having a boat big enough to have the option to do this.
Coffee and breakfast consumed and feeling a bit better I set about clearing up the devastation in the kitchen from cooking the amazing veggie pie last night and Chris tilts the solar panels so we can charge the main batteries and the power bank. It’s fascinating how much more important the sun is and how it effects your life more when living off grid. Jobs done we head out to coffee shop and co-op whilst leaving everything to charge. Chris keeps mentioning he needs to look at the travelpack which came with the boat, sadly we had no instructions for anything when we bought the boat which doesn’t help.
Once back I set my writing office up in the stern as it’s such a beautiful day. The birds are chirping, the butterflies are out in force, blue skies and sunshine and it’s a wonderful late September day and I’m making the most of it to sit outside/inside!
We are hoping to stay here for a few days if we have enough solar to keep the batteries charged up. It’s such a lovely area and it feels like summer has returned as we have a lovely walk to the church on the hill after lunch. Beautiful blue skies, butterflies, dragonflies flying around. Swans sunbathing on the bank of the canal simply wonderful. After a wonderful day my cold started to really take hold!
Saturday 30th September
Nothing at all to report today. I was in bed most of the day ill!
Sunday 1st October
((Pinch, punch first day of the month and no return Peachy!)) Darn it!
We’ve been having a few problems with lack of solar and had to conserve the battiers by not watching tv or using anything when our power pack ran out. It’s something we will have to get used to as winter and darker nights although the travel pack on the boat should help with this we just cannot figure out how to make it work! We decide to cruise and book in at Kings Bromley Marina as we have booked a food delivery as it’s too expensive to keep using local shops and we also have boat jobs to do. I was going to go to lidl with a friend yesterday but was in bed all day!
We get up early and despite feeling a bit weak, we are soon at the first lock and then it’s onto the Fradley flight. We are quite lucky as a few of the locks has a boat on the way out or nearly empty so makes life a lot easier but these are generally easier locks, although some can still be a little bit fierce. There are a few volunteers on the Fradley flight which is wonderful and it’s very kind of them to help. We end up loitering near the junction to the Coventry as a fuel boat is coming down the Fradley flight and delivering to some of the boats moored up ahead. This time waiting turns out to be perfect as Chris works out how to use the travel pack, this will be a big help in terms of the electrics on the boat. I won’t attempt to explain ((The travel pack basically runs like a generator which runs off a belt when the engine is running so this bypasses the batteries on the boat which means the batteries are not working as hard and should give them a longer lifespan))
We moor up in Kings Bromley about 1pm and 5 mins later the promised rain arrives – how lucky was that!
Miles/Distance: 4 Locks: 8
What did everyone think? Was this blog post too long? Shall I go back to daily or is weekly okay? Thoughts appreciated. Also, does the map help in figuring out where we are since vlogs and blogs are approx a week behind where we are in real life! 😊 x ((I vote back to daily since you’ve not actually done any writing so what’s the point!))
Until next week… x
((Oh don’t forget to check out the vlog on YouTube))
C.L. Peache 