Busy trip to Church Lawton Top

With a short run in prospect, we didn’t get away until a bit before eight. I’d run the Hurricane for an hour whilst we breakfasted, so by the time we’d reached the bottom of the Lawton Treble Locks, Sheila was able to start a washload running (plenty of hot water, battery charge on float).

Typically, since we weren’t in a hurry, we made very good time. We started meeting traffic about halfway up; it was a familiar boat in unfamiliar circumstances. Brunel was well known around the Fradley/Alrewas area but is now on her way to the Elton Moss yard having been sold into the Boatfinder brokerage there.

Apparently her owners have moved to Spain.

The only mishap of the day came as we rose in the top lock. It is one of those which has ridges across the rising board or babby below the cill. Sanity Again’s bow fender caught on one of the ridges and a link gave in a securing chain.

We had been contemplating going on further to let the washload finish, but since it would take a little while to fix the chain and the rinses had just started we decided to call it a day.

I’ve fixed the chain with a shackle for the time being; this winter back in the marina I’m going to take the fender off, replace both fixing chains and cover them with poly tube to protect the paintwork. It’s much easier to work on the bow in the marina as there’s a pontoon across the front of the boat.

We’d just made a coffee when who should appear but Austin and Liz on Just Siviting, Braidbar 99. We had time for a brief chat, some of it about replacing water pumps, before they carried on. We gave them a hand down the Church Locks in the midst of a sudden burst of traffic. It was only afterwards that we realised that the convoy system through Harecastle Tunnel bunches the boats up and this effect is exacerbated by the fact that both Church Locks, although originally duplicated, are now singles.

Since most of the Red Bull Locks are still doubled, loads of boats arrive at the top of Church at once and then have to wait their turn.

It wasn’t until after we’d eaten lunch that the resulting traffic jam had cleared.

It’s been very quiet since. We did think about washing the port side of the boat, being now tied on that side but a) the towpath is very high here and b) there’s a lot of cycle traffic kicking up dust.

We’ll wait until we get onto the Macc; maybe Sally will be able to give us a hand…

/wahaha