Victor: Heading Banbury way - Atherstone Flight

Atherstone Flight

And so to Atherton Flight once again. How so different from the Audlem Flight on the Shoppie we worked in May that really was hard work, obviously having had little attention.

The gates on the Atherstone Flight were a joy to use, all very well balanced, and though an occasional leakage, nothing serious, so someone, somewhere at Cart needs congratulating.

And our first volunteers this year. Three in fact—just like buses—on the flight working the top three locks. All very pleasant and helpful in fact, with one telling us that there are usually six, but the others she thought had been deterred by the promise of rain. Being a former boater this did not bother her too much, being used to rain, so turned up regardless.

In case you are wondering why the volunteers do not go any further down the flight than the first three locks, it is because the rules state they have to be within a certain distance of toilet facilities. And before you tell me that they  do go down further, of course if a boater is having problems, it is human nature to help—rules notwithstanding.

Another thing very noticeable is that there has been lots of painting, the rails shown above a glistening white, with the flight being much more attractive than in recent years.

The marina that wasn't

I wonder how many of you remember the proposed marina at Bridge 35 on the Coventry?  Not many I expect as it was 15 years ago when there was such a palaver about someone digging out water space for boats with absolutely no planning permission whatsoever,  but even then managed to get a boat on the water that was stuck there for years, with of course no connection to the canal.

The water is still there, with vegetation and trees taking over, and the boat gone, but really it could make a pleasant little marina, mind you the costs now involved perhaps make it impossible.

Still they come

Those boat rallies, and the cheaper hiring of boats now that the holidays are over, is certainly continuing the high number of boats moving on the Coventry, with five passing us in the dark, three of them obviously believing we were moored on piling and pulling in after they passed, with quite a bit of activity when discovering it was no more than a strip of wood holding the bank.  One was away the same time as us this morning at 7.30, so was certainly putting in the hours.

For ourselves, it's just around five hours daily, which is quite enough.

Moored just before Nuneaton by Bridge 38 it was time for 'walkies!', when we took to the path across a nearby field, but returning around its edge it was obvious there is a leak out of the canal as there was water running away from the hedge that borders the waterway. Though it had been raining, the rest of the hedge-side was quite dry.  Perhaps the leak is already known.  The hope is of course that it does not get worse...

And so tomorrow it's the Oxford once more.

Victor Swift