Victor asks that you don't ditch your canopies (2)

Published: Friday, 20 September 2019

CratchLarge

PLEASE do not ditch your unwanted canopy in the waterway as some unlucky sod could get it around the prop shaft.

And we were one of them!  We had just passed Crick on the Leicester Section when our engine came to a sudden halt and we were marooned in the middle of the waterway by the side of moored boats.

CratchSmallAs the pictures show we were brought to a halt by a discarded boat cover, complete with eyelets, that I can tell you—as you can well imaginetook the hell of a job to remove, with the help of the boat hook in the eyelets.

Well prepared

Having had many such experiences caused by people discarding things in the waterways, we were well prepared for all eventualities with a vast array of tools but it still took 25 minutes hard graft to get it out of the weed hatch.

But to think a boater could have dumped it really is beyond the pale. And what if a hire boat had been caught with a crew of no experience and no tools?

DunchurchPoolsNew marina

But again I get beyond myself, so back to the North Oxford, where I discovered yet another marina, though I'm sure there is no longer the demand, with more and more taking to continuous cruising.

This one, new to me, is on the track of the disused railway above Braunston, a favourite stopping place of ours, that certainly was not here the last time we stayed some 18 months ago, which I found surprising being so near to Braunston Marina, that has a habit of objecting.

MountainAshIt is Dunchurch Pools Marina, that is in a very attractive setting and in addition to the normal berths with electricity and water boasts of super berths, whatever they are. Not sure either of its size, perhaps Thomas should have paid a visit as he sometimes does.

Growing nicely

The last time we were on the North Oxford I mentioned the numerous sprouting Mountain Ash trees growing on the edge of the canal and it towpath and comparing with the picture last time, I can report that they are growing nicely.

TheBoatShopGiven a few years these particular trees should well cover the waterway and at the same time damage the bank.

But alas, no one seems to care, as the days when the canal edges were cut have long gone.

On to the Main Line

On to Braunston and the Grand Union Main Line, that I have to state was very well dredged as we cruised easily, but before the locks we can never resist the 'Aladdin's Cave of a shop beforehand, packed with all kinds of goodies.

RealCartManSo came out once again the poorer!

Then wonder of wonders, though no volunteers at Braunston Locks there was a real live CaRT man, who really knew what he was doing, so it was a fairly quick passage, being the only boat.

The idiot

Regarding volunteers, perhaps I should elucidate about the idiot volunteer at Hillmorton Locks I commented on, for I should have mentioned that he was using one of the twin locks for boats going up and the other for boats going down!

Canaltime2Thus wasting a lock full of the wet stuff with each boat as one being emptied without a boat and the other being filled without a boat every time one went through.  Well, what you you call him?

Pleasant cruising

We all like the summit pound between Watford and Foxton locks, as it has open vistas of rolling farmlands, though alas not so well dredged as the Main Line, that is perhaps to be expected.  But what was certainly not expected was a Canaltime boat.

I really thought that after the 50 at Sawley had gone, and having seen none for many a cruise, they had finished, but here was a real live one!  Mind you, it must be getting on a bit now, though the obvious new colour scheme has perhaps given a new lease of life.

AlderTreeOther memories

Other memories brought back cruising this waterway, that some of you may also remember, was the scourge of the foot and mouth disease in 2001 when the waterways were closed down until disinfectant foot baths where installed along this section and most moorings closed off as it was highly populated with sheep and cows.

Those were the days that many of you will not remember, when the towpath was just for walking and  the edge to the canals was cut flat, with ner a sapling in sight.

CoirRollsNowWhat a difference

What  a difference today after years of neglect where Alder is taking over the towpath edge of this pound, that will eventually smoother the waterways, aided of course by that stupid idea of setting coir rolls full of weeds by the towpath side for insects, is was then stated.

The couple of today's pictures show how the Alder is being allowed to take over and how the coir rolls have turned out into masses of weeds.

Mind you, as we have only counted about a dozen walkers over the last two days, I don't expect CaRT will be to bothered as its precious visitors will not be in attendance!

Liked the summit pound

BlackSheepHowever we have always liked this summit pound with it open vistas, especially as in the bygone days of British Waterways it was very busy installing miles of Arco piling, it getting better and better for mooring as time went by.

But with all the extra boats plus the increase in continuous cruisers it is again often getting difficult to find moorings, and alas with this lot there will be no more piling, that's for sure.

Opposite one long stretch of piling was the notice 'Please do not moor' on the offside, were it was absolutely impossible to moor, unless the farmer was concerned about his black sheep being rustled!  Something you do not see to often, but here I counted seven.

NKMNew marina

Now there are even more boats with another new marina opened last August that is a massive undertaking boasting of 420 berths.

We had noticed building on the site for some years so it has been a long time in the making, but with the shortest name of any—NKM. Mind you, as it was by North Kilworth, it does not need a genius to ascertain the initials, eh?

FoxtonPaintingIt is all making that summit rather crowded with now three large marinas, but alas, many empty berths, and an whole world of difference from our first cruise many, many moons ago.

Foxton

Soon we were approaching Foxton Flightwe had to be approaching as there were two volunteers busy painting railings where the visitors descend on the locks from the car park.

 And with a bright sunny warm day they were there in droves.  More in fact that we had seen over the whole cruise, and often a bit of a menace.

FoxtonInTheWaySome of you may remember the real locky Crystal, who ran the flight like clockwork, somewhat different from the host of volunteers today, she often holding two boats coming down in the 'passing' poundand sometimes even three! whilst allowing others to come up.

Allowed only one

What a difference now, with two boats being held in the upper locks by the volunteer having to wait for just one to come up, he not having more than a single boat tied up.

Alas the volunteers of today have perhaps been told only one can wait and so be tied up.  It was Crystal that drilled into us 'red before white and you will be alright, white before red and you will wish you were dead'. Referring of course to the red and white paddles that control the locks and side pounds.

FoxtonVisitorsEven the volunteers today knew of the saying, so she still lives on at Foxton!

Too young

In the recent past we have always arranged to be the first up or down before the crowds arrived, but this time it was late morning and the visitors were in abundance.

And complete with a class of five/six year olds being told the working of the locks, but wrong to me it being by the working side, and certainly too close to boaters operating the paddles and swinging the gates.  Two of the children were obviously terrified of the very deep locks.

RustyBrokenPaddleAnd how much of the working of locks would so young a child take in, or from their expressions really be interested?  To my mind not a good idea.

Will we make it?

And so on to the worrying part into Leicester and the 'safety' of the Soar with its ever constant flow courtesy of the thousands of Leicester's flushing toilets.

The two small flights after Foxton are not regarded as problematic, except for perhaps a broken paddle or two wrapped-up for Christmas and rusty railings that is all rather familiar, so we made decent time with the added interest of a Fountain's fella who was spraying between the cracks of the lock sides.

WetstoneBlueName'Going blue'

He was in charge of a team that have a wide area to control, but was telling that CaRT have told him that he had to cut hundreds of thousands of pounds from his budget—so perhaps we now know why the vegetation from the towpath side is not being cutCaRT will not pay!

This fella told us some most interesting things, one being that the cost of 'going blue' was £10million, though CaRT disguise it on the propaganda in its leaflets of an infinitesimal point of its income, but seemingly not its whole income... 

CartCraneAnd don't forget this is the second time in changing the logo and all it entails in just a few years.  Little wonder little cash is left for vegetation control, eh?

Oh Dear

Oh Dear indeed! for on the second flight we caught up with a broad work boat with a crane pushed by a tug, and had to wait whilst the tug pushed the work boat in the lock then locked it though, then filled the lock again for the tug that came out coupled-up then proceeded to the next lock.

Seeing there were just two workers we helped with the locking, that certainly paid off as they told us we could pass a little later on a broad section, and sure enough they allowed us through. We of course then 'broke' the top paddle when passed though to fill the lock for them, and with no other boats about continued to do for a couple more.

RovingRepairsRepairing leaks

Then approaching Tythorn Lock, the last before Kilby Bridge a passing boater told it was out of action, but the CaRT people let him through, and sure enough there was what I will call the Roving Repairers.

They told us they were repairing leaks in the bottom gates, had done one and were working on the remaining, adding they had seen us at Foxton when we passed through, having recognised Rusty, the dog.

Took five days

It seemed they were attaching the strips on the gate edges, and if so were completing the work in a day that took contractors five days on Whetstone Lane Lock two years ago!  That proves yet again it is better to let the people do the job who know how to do it.

VolunteerBlueBankThey allowed us through so then to Kilby Bridge and the hope there would be some mooring available.  We need not have worried, there were only three and one had been discarded with CaRT notices stuck on it.

Leaky Leicester

Now it was the Leaky Leicester section, and becoming grounded coming out of Whetstone Lock, with the pound low, started getting worried, but progressing slowly made it to Gee's Lock then more depth.

A volunteer locky

Arriving at Blue Bank Lock a volunteer locky arrived, (pictured) who told us they only attended on Monday and Friday as—in his own wordsthere were only half the boats there were last year.

We only had three boats pass us yesterday and just four today, so it is obvious that there are many who now know of the unreliability of this part of the system and its closures.

Then we arrived at King's Lock and down on to the river. So though I had my doubts, we made it!

Victor Swift