Objectives achieved

It was a pretty broken night last night, with wind and rain from time to time, and the impact being extended by drips from the overhanging trees bouncing off the roof. Still, at least it meant we were up and doing in good time yet again. The rain had stopped, but it was still pretty breezy, and I was glad of Sanity Again's good behaviour in such conditions.

We boated to Peel's Wharf and filled the water tank properly; I nipped off and got the paper whilst this was going on. Then it was round to Fazeley Mill Marina for just after nine. I managed the turn off the Coventry onto the Birmingham and Fazeley without hitting the towpath for once, but the entry to the marina was a right hassle. Having filled the water tank, the bow was swimming very deep, and the offside mud grabbed it in a loving embrace.

This meant that when I tried to motor the stern round, the whole darling boat slid sideways down the cut. In the end, I managed to get the stern into the towpath bridge hole (we need to reverse in to have the pump out on the right side) and we finally got onto the wharf.

There's a new woman doing the work there, and very helpful she was. We took 62 litres of diesel and just managed to pump out in the time allocation on the machine. Exiting went much more smoothly; another boat was waiting already, so our early start paid off.

Back we went the way we'd come, with the wind blowing some of the time but the sun shining quite a lot too. We've come on through Hopwas to tie on the towpath beyond Hopwas Woods; there's a good view here, and no trees, so hopefully a more peaceful night tonight.

Meanwhile, BW have done it again. Anyone remember the great bollards fiasco, when they spent a fortune installing three bollards at every lock, regardless of whether they were needed? Take a look at Maffi's post about the new safety rails on the Staffs and Worcs Locks. Things are now much safer for people riding their bikes across the lock, but the licence paying boater may well have his head knocked off. I mean, OK, it's only two miles an hour or so going into a lock, but how would you like to stand there whilst I hit you on the head with an RSJ at 2 mph?

I despair, I really do – does no one at BW actually think this stuff through from the point of view of those who pay their wages?

/XD

Edited to add: Sarah on Chertsey has done a really well balanced post about the whole issue too; her level headedness puts me to shame!