Wednesday 12 April 2017

Coven to Compton

It's been possibly the poorest day, weatherwise, since we set out. There was a bit of brightness first thing, but it soon disappeared and most of the time it's been very cool, draughty rather than breezy and occasionally actually damp. Nonetheless, we got some decent boating in, just two hours from Coven to Compton.

For us, it's also a rather dull bit of canal, though the stretch through the Rockin' is at least a challenge for the steerer (Sheila in this case). I had been busy down below starting the washing machine when we got there but had it up and running soon after we entered the narrows proper. This was just as well as, although it was not quite nine o'clock, there was a boat coming the other way as we reached the bridge halfway through.

It proved to be one of the 'Ginger' boats from Stone. We pulled over into the lay-by just after the bridge and I hopped off and held the centreline whilst they slipped past. The steerer told us he'd met two boats so far, ourselves and the other in the stop lock at Autherley, an excellent example of Sod's Law as applied to boating.

Plodding steadily on, we reached Compton just as the wash cycle was finishing and stopped on the 5 day moorings above the lock, bow to bow with a rather tired looking boat, clearly a rugged sort of liveaboard. After a coffee, we set out to walk into the village to get bread for lunch and noted two things. Firstly that the hippy hutch had a large genny prominent in its well deck and secondly, unusually, that there were no boats on the much better visitor moorings between the lock and the road bridge.

Accordingly, having raided the Sainsbury's Local we moved Sanity Again down the lock and remoored. As yesterday, we're on our ownio here, though it's possible that we'll be joined by others in the early evening. On the other hand, we're no longer on the Four Counties, though there's been a bit of traffic past even so. As far as we know, Compton is a reasonably safe mooring but it's always nicer to have a bit of company.

The Squirrel was lit very early today and is now burning up well. Indeed, it's almost too warm as I sit here in the dinette typing this.

We plan to go out for a meal tonight, no special reason, we just feel like it. We plan on trying the Oddfellows pub which is within easy walking distance.

Finally, some more info has been published on CWDF about the fishing contests I mentioned yesterday:



C&RT's reply from Facebook


Hi there, John Ellis from our fisheries team have advised that the whole match length will not be used there will be no competitors pegged between bridge 56 and bridge 64, (Tyrley to Market Drayton town (between bridge 69 and 71 (Adderley area) and between bridge 72 and bridge 81. (Audlem) . If you require further information they can be found here: https://canalrivertrust.org.uk/.../division-one-national... and the contact details of the match organiser can also be found on there, it may be worth contacting them for further details. Siân L

So according to that link they gave me the sections are:

Section Location
A Bridge 42 to Bridge 44
B Bridge 44 to Bridge 45
C Bridge 46 to Bridge 48
D Bridge 48 to Bridge 50
E Bridge 50 to Bridge 53
F Bridge 53 to Bridge 56
G Bridge 64 to Bridge 66
H Bridge 66 to Bridge 69
J Bridge 71 to Bridge 72
K Bridge 81 to Bridge 84


And here is when each section is being used:

Sun 21 May Open Match on D Sect. Draw, Hippodrome (Wetherspoons) M Drayton TF9 1PS. Contact Brian on 07847628442 or Steve on 07576039169.
Sat 27 May Open Match on J Sect. Draw, Hippodrome (Wetherspoons) M Drayton TF9 1PS. Contact and bookings to Bob Yeomans on 07931555958.
Sun 28 May Open Match on H Sect. Draw, Hippodrome (Wetherspoons) M Drayton TF9 1PS. Contact and bookings to Bob Yeomans on 07931555958.
Sun 11 June Open Match on K Sect, Coole Pilate. Draw at the Overwater Marina CW5 8AY. Contact Paul Harding on 07504346883 (Match limited to 50 pegs).
Sat 24 June Open Match on E & F Sect, Goldstone. Draw at Hippodrome M Drayton TF9 1PS. Details & Bookings to Dave Watkins on 07725556159.
Sat 01 July Open Match on G Sect, Market Drayton. Draw at Hippodrome M Drayton TF9 1PS. Details and Bookings to Dave Watkins on 07725556159.
Sun 09 July Open Match on B & C Sections. Draw at Knighton Social Club, ST20 0QH. Contact and bookings to Terry Nutt on 07970181824.
Sun 16 July Open Match on D Sect, Draw, Draw at Hippodrome M Drayton TF9 1PS. Contact Brian on 07847628442 or Steve on 07576039169.
Sat 22 July Open Match on A & B Sections. Draw at Knighton Social Club, ST20 0QH. Contact and bookings to Terry Nutt on 07970181824.
Sat 05 Aug Canal & River Trust Pairs. C & D Sect, Park Heath. Draw at Castle Hotel, Bletchley TF9 3RZ. Contact, Angling Trust.
Fri 11 Aug Garbolino RAF Teams of 5. A & B Sect, High Offley & Shebdon. Draw at Knighton Social Club ST20 0Q. Contact Ben Jackson on 07979527662.
Sat 12 Aug Individual National. E,F,G Sect, Goldstone & Market Drayton. Draw at Barbers, Market Drayton Livestock Auction, (Sat Nav TF9 3SW).Contact, Angling Trust.
Sun 13 Aug Canal & River Trust Pairs, H & J Sect Adderley. Draw at Castle Hotel, Bletchley TF9 3RZ.
Plus the whole lot on the 19th


Thanks to StephenA on CWDF for finding that out.

Tomorrow, on to The Bratch.

Location:Coven

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