More boat time

The plan was a nice early start out of Fradley for a couple of days in the sticks, only number two sons social life saw us getting to bed at 3.30 am so our early start went out of the window.

Those of you who know Fradley might imagine lunchtime on a bank holiday (even one when the brass monkeys were carrying their own welding kits) and so it was a tad busy as we set off towards Shadehouse woods. Luckily we were only a couple of boats per lock, and that was because we were not prepared to 'nip out' of our moorings in front of other boaters. It was busier southbound with fun and games at Junction lock with the usual issues of boats coming down the T&M working into a queue with those boats coming off the Coventry going south.

I am going to consult the 'experts' and find out the peaks for the Canal time and Shakespere boats from Sawley and Barton Turns respectively. They will come out of their bases at set time of the day and week and therefore arrive at fradley at roughly the same time each week ? (I'll let you know, so you and we may be aware of the times to avoid)

Due to the slow progress through Fradley we were hungry as we exited Shadehouse lock, so as we could, we cruised up towards canal turn (where the T&M stops its South westerly direction to that of North westerly that it maintains to its end) We moored up and decided that this was good enough, far enough from others and away from the gongoozlers of Fradley.

Good food, nice warm boat, a good book and a satellite signal was all that is needed in life - a few fish would have been nice but it was very cold and there were still a fair few boats on the move. Rachel modelling the inside of our boat while I slave away on the stove (we do take it in turns really !)

Monday saw the wind a little easier but still as cold. We had a very lazy start (managed to keep the fire in all night, I have the mastery of the squirrel now) We set off to wind at either Kings Bromley marina or Handsacre. The snow and cold wind made the decision for us and we winded at Kings Bromley.

Canal turn going back towards Shadehouse lock, you can just see flecks of snow encouraging us home.

We were back at Fradley early in the afternoon and had an uncontested trip through the locks until we stopped just after Junction lock at the 48 hour moorings for food and rest. There were fewer boats moving today and the majority we private, confirming my thinking the hire boats arrive with some degree to a timetable (to be avoided in the future).

We ended out little jaunt by mooring up and departing just after 5pm, with a return trip by yours truly to do a good vac out and some odd jobs tomorrow.

I like our boat, fairly simple but comfortable. She's not the prettiest, or the most technological, but she is simply ours.....

Nev