Minor change of plan

The weather forecast for today had improved a lot by the end of yesterday, and the toilet tank gauge was getting a bit insistent, so we decided to  do Thursday today. I popped up to the yard above the lock a bit after eight, found one guy painting and asked when they would be doing pump outs. The answer being "nine o'clock" and the service wharf free, we locked Sanity Again up and juggled her across onto the wharf.

It's a tricky access, about as bad as the Anglo Welsh yard at Great Haywood, but with Sheila helming and yours truly wielding the long shaft, we made it. It's best treated like the AW yard, too; come out of the lock and reverse onto the wharf, ending up with the stern on and parallel to any other boats waiting there.

Sure enough, at nine a guy turned up and after a bit did our pump out. It's quite a classic for the collection of unusual pump out kit; a pull cord started Yanmar air cooled diesel pump shifting the stuff to a hidden destination, presumably a septic tank since there's no mains drainage at Gailey.

Having said that, it's a very powerful pump, and did as good a job as we've had for quite a while, though you don't get any rinsing at all. Cost was £15, about the middle of the range these days.

We were away by half nine or so, and Sheila steered the pleasant route from Gailey past Four Ashes (big chemical plant) and Calf Heath (Hatherton Junction and marina) to finish at the Fox and Anchor at Coven. There was plenty of room when we got there in the late morning, which was no surprise given the numbers of boats we'd met coming the other way, mostly at blind bridge holes.

After lunch, we took a walk into the village for fruit, veg, b---d and a p---r. Back at the boat, we fixed the covers on the solar panel; we go through Autherley Junction tomorrow, it's school holiday time, and it would be tedious if any of the little darlings chucked a brick off one of the bridges onto our panel.

By the same token, we'll make an early start of it, especially as the best of the weather is forecast for the morning. The plan is to tie just short of Brewood on the SUCS moorings by Bridge 7. We'll probably go on to Wheaton Aston on Friday, stopping there over the weekend if the forecast storm materialises, and maybe even if it doesn't.