Happily boating to Atherstone

5th & 6th December

We'd meant to make a prompt start yesterday, but managed to sleep in a bit. Nonetheless, we still carried out the full plan, shopping at Sainsbury's before boating round to Peel's Wharf to top up the water tank, dump rubbish and recycling, and check with the BW office that the Atherstone stoppage would be finishing as planned.

The pleasant woman on the front desk was able to tell me immediately that it would be done by close of play, and so the flight would reopen to navigation today. I later learnt (from Brian Jarrett on Kyle) that in fact it had been a close run thing.

Seemingly, they'd finished the work on Lock 8, rewatered the lock and removed the stop planks, then discovered that the new bottom gates wouldn't seal shut. The lock was dewatered again, and it turned out that the heel post for one of the gates wasn't sitting in its cup. It's a wonder that it hadn't fallen over. Presumably, it had to be lifted and reset, which explains why they only just got the job done in time, despite having had pretty good weather for the month they were working on the flight.

Be that as it may, we set off to visit Fazeley Mill to diesel and pump out. It was my turn to steer, and as I pottered along the bit of the Coventry leading to the junction, I pondered the chances of getting neatly into the marina.

The danger with crossing your bridges before you come to them is not just the unnecessary stress, but the fact that you may fall into the minor stream to be negotiated first. In this case, I suddenly realised that firstly, I was approaching the junction too quickly, and secondly, I had the low winter sun smack in my eyes.

Sheila in the bow started giving me her best alarmed look, and then raised her hands over her head, stretched them out and started closing them together in our signal for "The bow is about to hit the bank".

Much reversing and muttering didn't succeed in avoiding this outcome altogether, to the amusement of the gongoozlers, one in a push chair, busily engaged in feeding the ducks.

Thirty-three years of practice, and you can still make a complete dork of yourself at any moment steering a narrowboat.

It probably doesn't need saying, but my entrance backwards into the marina was perfectly creditable. Fazeley Mill are currently selling diesel at 62/105 ppl (domestic/propulsion) and have a very straightforward procedure for charging for it on your declared split. I've duly advised Sue of No Problem via her own blog, so she can update her diesel splits page.

We bought another four bags of coal, so with full water and diesel tanks, an empty toilet tank and bags of coal both on the roof and in the well deck, we were quintessentially happy liveaboard boaters.

Naturally, after my shake up in reproof for over confidence coming through the junction one way, I had no trouble making the turn back onto the Coventry, and we boated gently up the Glascote Two, stopping at the top to eat lunch. Then off we went again, just as far as Alvecote for the night.

Alvecote marina used to be heaving with around fifty Canaltime boats to look after, but since ABC (aka Alvechurch) took over the management of that fleet, they've all gone, which must have been a blow for the workforce.

This morning we set off in leisurely fashion, planning to get up the first half of the Atherstone flight before lunch. It was another glorious winter's day, clear and cold. There were a few boats around at the foot of the flight, and just as we were finishing we encountered the aforesaid Brian on Kyle, escaping after being trapped in Barry Hawkins's yard for a month by the stoppages either side.

On the way, I called Fazeley Mill; on checking the stuff in my wallet before putting the vouchers out for filing, I realised that they'd undercharged me. Of the 113 litres I'd bought, on a 20% declaration, 23 should be propulsion and 90 domestic. They'd charged me for the domestic fuel all right, but only for three litres of propulsion diesel.

They were quite prepared to write off the loss as having been their fault, but I want to be able to use them again, (and indeed be able to look myself in the face in the mirror) so I promised that we'd straighten it out next time we are in there, almost certainly in three weeks time or so on our way back north.

We've moored for the night between locks six and five, handy for the shops yet quite quiet. The forecast is for a hard frost again tonight, so we have to allow for the possibility that we'll be here for slightly longer than planned. Otherwise, it'll be off to Hartshill for tomorrow night, and Hawkesbury Junction/Sutton's Stop the night after.