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| Navigator Della is keeping her eyes on the Lock fill |
The Staffs & Worcs Canal northern branch begins or ends
at Great Hayward. For us it was the beginning and our aim was to get to
Penkridge and moor up for a couple of nights with canopies over stern and
wheelhouse in situ while rain was forecast to pass overhead blah blah. Bank
Holiday Monday was sunny and warmish in our locale and the scenery improved as
we made our way along the canal. There was a steady flow of boats moving in
both directions that can give a synchronicity to Lock use. The deep narrow
Locks give a steady fill and raise DB up where she belongs. The action is from
winding up the ground paddles rather than gate paddles which means the water
pressure entering the Lock is not seen by the person wielding the windlass.
Paddles opened fully straight away mean the boat lurches forward and reverse
thrust is not effective to hold the boat back. In our case, DB takes up a lot
of the Lock and when she lurches onto the button Bow fender there are a few
upsets in the cupboards and bench tops. Not the end of the world but a measured
winding up of the paddles halfway negates the water surge. Fully wind up the
paddles when the Lock is past a 1/3 full. That’s my take on it. If helping
another boat then ask them how they would like you to help.
The fish torturers, I mean Anglers were lined up near one Lock
we were approaching. Some were holding titanium fishing rods that looked the
size of weapons of mass destruction slung over the Cut. They moved them out of
the path of DB at the last possible second. Imagine if they were just hooking a
fish! The Anglers do not appear a cheery bunch but it could be their state of
deep concentration or is it meditation. Like I am reminded every day on planet
earth ‘Don’t judge a book by its cover’!
Penkridge on a sunny cooling spring afternoon is a fine
place to moor. The towpath was busy with people wearing smiles. We got busy
with the Canopies and within 15 minutes we were ship-shape or is it boat-fit?
Cptn disappeared although I could hear his voice. Turns out
he met John who lived in the house behind the fence where we were moored. A
lovely man who had invited Chris and later, me, to see his tidy garden display
of early vegetables and flowering shrubs. He proudly shared with us that he and
his wife had recently celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary.
Wow, he carried a clipping from the newspaper with an article and photo of
them, and he said that HM Queen Elizabeth had sent them a card. Who’s going to
send the Queen and her man a card next year when they make 70 years of
weddedness? I wonder what precious jewel is left for her - a vintage Philip?
While I was looking at John’s garden there was a knock on
the garden gate-door.
“Is this your dog?” the woman asked John. “It was standing
outside the gate-door when we walked past and I said to my husband that if it
is still there when we walk back I’m going to knock on the door because it
might be lost or abandoned.”
I thanked them very much and reassured them that she was my
dog and lived on that boat behind them. Once again human caring and
thoughtfulness appears. Della is always keeping an eye on the hand that feeds
her. She likes to keep up with where her ‘team’ is.
The Penkridge Wednesday Market was mostly stalls of the
usual tat with less than a handful of produce sellers. It was similar but much
smaller than the markets in Spain and Portugal. We did get 3 huge packs of
bacon and gammon cuts for £2. Good we have a freezer!
Time to pack up DB and get under way. I fancied a rural
stop, for a change. Yes it is England and yes it is like that song “Little
boxes on the hillside, Little boxes made of ticky tacky...” but as I keep
reporting there are rural areas that are still farmland and not everywhere are
the power lines and chemical factories seen. But I was keen to be away from
civilisation for a night.
We did the Lock – Helm share doing turn-about. I’m feeling
more confident or is it competent behind the wheel. I steered DB for a distance
after the last Lock which had a few tricky manoeuvres. The Cut became less
busy, fortunate for me because there are a few blind bends.
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| Wasgij moment. Hatherton turn behind me. |
The Hatherton turn
was one of the tricky bends once it became apparent the Canal didn’t turn to port
but was a sharp turn to starboard. The working boat moored just on the turn was
not helpful and perhaps a sign indicating the way the ‘real’ canal goes would
be helpful. I’ll remember now! As chance has it the nose of a Narrowboat
appeared heading towards DB. I held DB back, it was close but no cigar. Another
boat held back while I turned DB and moved to the starboard edge of the Cut. No
steel kisses to be had.
I took a selfie photo to try and capture the Hatherton turn
rather than me! I was trying out my skills of multitasking at the wheel. I
could see another bend approaching but I thought I had time to get DB around
that with no problem. Fine chance, I got her stuck in shallow water and needed
Cptn to talk me through a get out technique.
We moored up in the spot I had hoped we would find.
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