Day 11 - Tuesday July 11th, Curdworth to Birmingham 8 miles 2 furlongs, 27 locks, 6 hours 50 minutes
Early start this morning, as I wanted to be certain of being in front of the slow guy from yesterday. Set off at 6.05am, and chugged through a rather low pound to the bottom of the Minworth three locks. Arrived to find someone who had, mistakenly, thought 6.30am to be an early start. He followed me up the Minworth locks, never really catching me up, even when I filled the top lock slowly so that I could use the time to liberate a load of junk from the prop. Cruised steadily to Salford Junction without collecting anything else on the prop. Turned left at 8.40am towards the Aston flight. After messing around at the first lock, having to go back to the boat to hunt out the anti-vandal key, the other chap caught me up at the second lock. He asked if I was single handing, and I could sense the gloom descend on him when I answered in the affirmative! In the 4th lock I saw a boat coming down the 6th one. Since all the locks were full I went up and opened the top gate of the 5th, so that he could go straight in. Don't know where the guy behind me got to, as he didn't show up while I was waiting for the guy coming down. As soon as the 5th lock was clear I set off again, having that and the next one set with the gates open. Whilst coming up in the 6th lock, someone coming down from the 9th saw me, and left the 9th set, came down the 8th, left that set and opened the gates for me on the 7th. All in all a pretty good run there :-) Cleared the top of the Aston flight at 10.50am, and set off for the Farmer's Bridge flight. Two hours to get through the flight. Not spectacular, but not too bad either. Passed a couple of boats in the flight. One near the bottom where the pounds are longer, and one under the buildings. This one, sat in the empty lock with the gates open until my lock was full and I had come out and moved sideways out of their way. Presumably their steerer was incapable of doing anything other than going out of one lock and into the next. Cleared the top of the flight at 1.05pm and tied up in Cambrian Wharf on the 14 day moorings. Next scheduled cruise date is Sunday July 16th. Weather Sunny Intervals Terry Streeter NB Arun - Cambrian Wharf ------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Sponsor --------------------~--> Something is new at Yahoo! Groups. Check out the enhanced email design. http://us.click.yahoo.com/SISQkA/gOaOAA/yQLSAA/ygtolB/TM --------------------------------------------------------------------~-> Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/canals-list/ <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
