Victor finds the Coventry slow going

IT'S a few years since we last did the Coventry Canal, way before the virus in fact.

And found it quite slow going in comparison, with many more moored boats scattered along its length and the need for some urgent dredging after Polesworth, where the shallow depth had a real effect.

But the number of moored boats, at places where there were previously none, caused a constant need to slow even further rather upsetting out 'working' day. It is our Keith who told he had noticed that a lot of the quiet moorings are no longer used as such as lots of boaters are now using them to get away from the towns (and covid).

I agree with Keith when he remarks that it won't last long as people are inherently lazy and will drift back to their old ways soon. 

New piling

CaRT may have forsaken the dredging but at least its contractors are putting in more piling to secure the banks of the Coventry near Polesworth, but does it need six workers?  As I remember the many times I have seen piling being installed under British Waterways it was a team of three.  Ah? But these are contractors out to make money.  So now it's three working and three watching! 

Sunken boat

It was just past there where we saw the tragedy of a sunken boat, with what it looked like someone from CaRT on hand.

I just cannot understand the daft statements on Social Media by of course people who have not even seen it, with one even trying to get us believe it crashed into a rock!  Yet it was obviously tied to piling as our picture clearly shows.

There are those that must have an opinion on everything, though it is no more than attempting to appear knowledgeable, but they do little more than make fools of themselves in the process.   

Shopping

Many of you must be aware of the shopping by Atherstone Flight easily approached from the visitor moorings, so once again we took to the Co-op there, yet at 3.30 on a Friday afternoon just one till open and no one waiting!  The store virtually deserted.  What a difference at the neighbouring Aldi that was heaving.

We all know why. For it is not so much 'Co-op—Good with Food', more like 'Co-op—Expensive with Food'.  And there is far too much of its own inferior brand.

Fradley open

Getting ahead of myself, as I forget to mention that Fradley Marina is open and complete with boats, though alas, not so many.

I didn't reckon it a great idea, with such as Mercia, Barton Turns and Kin'gs Bromley marinas all within easy cruising and so many empty berths.

This was all down to the greed of British Waterways that encouraged such marina building and at the same time giving out continuous cruiser licences like confetti—as do Canal & River Trust.

Thus of course keeping those boats out of the marinas...

Good idea

One thing I found a good idea was used by the Little Chimney Company boater to secure his boat against those who fail to slow down when passing—a length of wood between a doubled rope, twisted round until tight then jammed against the bank.

The picture shows how simple and yet so effective and makes you wonder it is not common practice as it will certainly hold the boat steady. 

This is definitely one for us, as it will certainly prevent the rocking!

It's been a long time

It's been a long time indeed for Mancetter Marina on the Coventry Canal to be built, as it was some 15 years ago that we first saw where someone had excavated a fairly small area of water by the side of the waterway and moored two boats.

Then a few years later it was just one boat moored that was then landlocked, but then for years no further activity.

But now, at long last, there is a 60 berths marina. Attempting to discover more details we discovered there is electricity and water to each berth and 'usual facilities'.

But most strangely, its website, under opening times, stated 'closed', and this at around 4pm.  There were however lots of glowing reports.

The Ashby

And so to the Ashby, and though for much of the time it was slow going on the Coventry, the Ashby really took the biscuit.

At one time a walker going the same way passed us, though our rev counter was on the normal cruising setting, and before long he was just speck in the distance!

We had intended going to the end of the Ashby again, but in a phrase I may have used before—no way José.

Victor Swift