Killing Time and Route Planning.

As I mentioned in my last entry I'm now just killing time for a week or so until the lock at Fradley junction is re-opened on 9 Feb.  A cold spell is forecast so I decided it would be wise to moor close to towns where supplies are close to hand.  I moored halfway down the 11 lock Atherstone flight on 27 Jan for a few days.  It is a handy spot close enough to walk into the town but far enough away to be quiet.

After a couple of days the promised cold front arrived freezing the canal solid for a couple of days before the weather warmed enough on 31 Jan to thaw the canal.  As a further cold spell was due I opted to move on a few miles to Polesworth, calling at the services on the way to fill the fresh water tank and empty rubbish etc.  Polesworth is a small town with good visitor moorings in a wooded embankment only a short walk from the town.

I timed my move well as the following morning the canal was once again frozen solid with a light covering of snow. This cold air was forecast to stay for the week ahead and indeed the temperature dropped to -4 overnight and hardly rose above freezing for 3 days.

Yesterday a boat came through at first light breaking the ice as they went. Somebody was keen to get somewhere but as I was down to my last bag of coal I decided to head off mid morning to Alvercote marina for more coal.  I set off around three hours after the boat came through and was surprised how quickly the channel he'd had made was refreezing.  I don't like cruising through ice, it damages the blacking (bitumen paint on the lower hull) and makes a hell of a noise as the bow breaks the ice and even more as lumps of ice get chewed up by the propeller.

After a crunchy 4 miles I reached Gascote near Tamworth with 5 sacks of coal onboard and settled myself in front of the stove to wait for the thaw.

A few people have asked where I'm heading next.  The plan for the next couple of months is to make my way around the north of Birmingham and down toward Wolverhampton to join the Shropshire Union canal.  Then head north to Northwich and then head west along the Llangollen canal to cross the famous Pontycysylite aqueduct as it's almost 3 years since I did that route.

Following this I'll make my way back along the Llangollen and up to Manchester and Liverpool before heading across the pennines on the Leeds & Liverpool canal to spend the summer on the Yorkshire canals and rivers.