Sat Jun 7th - 6 miles, 4 furlongs, 36 locks - Shireoaks to Turnerwood Total cruising time 7 hours 30 minutes.
Kicked off from our overnight mooring at 7.55am for the climb to the summit. A total of 13 single locks, 2 double and 2 triple staircases in around a mile and a quarter were cleared by 11.15am. Along the summit to the bricked up entrance to Norwood tunnel where we managed to really annoy one fisherman. When he saw we weren't stopping at the winding hole he started shouting and indicating to us to stop. He was saying that the canal was closed and that we were passing a sign telling us not to go any further. I pointed out that the sign merely stated that there was nowhere to wind beyond that point and that I intended to motor on up to the entrance to the tunnel and then reverse out. I was accused of having no consideration for others. I declined to participate in a war of words and held my peace. Grounded on the silted up tunnel entrance at 12.20pm, before reversing back towards the fishermen. Stopped just beyond the weed but before the fishermen to clear a bladefull of weed so that hopefully I would have a nice gentle reverse past the fishermen. Four of the five fishermen were quite pleasant about it, the fifth just muttered under his breath as we passed. Winded and moored up on the visitor mooring there as we needed to take a trip to either Rotherham or Sheffield to get a replacement phone for one which went swimming this morning. Bus trip to Sheffield in the end, as that was the first bus to arrive. Set off back along the summit at 4.50pm, and moored for the night in the one long pound above the last double staircase at 7.30pm. We are currently under attack by an extremely annoyed swan. His missus and four cygnets are just swimming around and letting him get on with it. Not sure if he just resents us mooring in 'his' pound or somehow we're in his way and he wants rid of us. It may be a noisy night if he doesn't get bored soon. Terry Streeter NB Arun - Turnerwood
