Both ends of the Dudley Number 2 canal, and beyond

27th & 28th July

We saw something the night before last that we've not seen for a while. As the evening fell, several bats appeared flittering about over the grassy area next to our mooring. They were quite large – much bigger than the pipistrelles that we used to see when we lived on Anglesey. Consultation with the wildlife guide indicated that they were Daubenton's bats, a species noted for hunting near still water, and having a wing span of around 27 cm.

Yesterday dawned warm and sunny again, and we set off just after eight to do the eastern bit of the Dudley No 2 canal. The first part was frankly a disappointment – adjectives that came to mind were scruffy, grim and grotty.

Eventually, Gosty Hill Tunnel was reached. We'd heard conflicting reports about this, and we were grateful for the BW notice at the entrance that indicated that sections of the tunnel were low enough that we had to take the flower pots off the roof. This makes it just a bit lower than Harecastle, but no worse than some Middle Level bridges. The tunnel itself is downright spooky - not sure why, except the combination of height (for most of it), the two stretches of very low stuff, and the "narrer and shaller" effect came together to make it like no other we've negotiated.

On emerging from the tunnel, you go through what used to be the Stewarts and Lloyds massive tube factory, which made use of the canal for much longer than many other industries within the purview of the BCN.

When we got there, the folks in Hawne Basin were indeed very welcoming, and the diesel was the cheapest we've bought this year. The basin location is not exactly photogenic, unless you are into urban/industrial scenery.

In sum, we're glad we've been there, but won't be rushing back any time soon. One great advantage of spending the night in such a secure spot was that we were able to cope with the very warm night by leaving the slide, the side hatches and the Houdini wide open. Even so, it was difficult to sleep, and a change of weather would, I fear, be quite welcome for a bit.

Today we got away before eight, Sheila doing a sterling job of turning out of the basin. (Its entrance bridge is both low and narrow; indeed it provides a good measure of the tunnel restrictions, except of course you've already been through the tunnel before you get to the basin. Sorry, it's the heat.)

It took around 20 minutes to get through the tunnel, and we were back at Windmill End at a quarter past nine, so took around 90 minutes to do the length. After watering at the cafe, we set off again round the western section of the Dudley No 2, which winds along towards Park End, where it joins the Dudley N0 1.

Blowers Green Lock is one of the deeper ones in the system at 12 feet, but was very easy to work once the security bolts had been released. Fortunately I'd thought to put the handcuff key in my pocket before hopping off the boat, or we'd have been left with Sheila swanning about in the middle of the pool above the lock and me stood there unable to draw the paddles to let her in.

Be that as it may, down we went, the first lock since Tardebigge Top (I don't know, it's just one deep lock after another...) and then it seemed very little time before we were approaching Merry Hill.

The mooring situation here had been explained to us a number of times, but we were still unsure about it when we arrived, so for what it's worth, here's my account of it.

Approaching from the North, as we were, the first thing you come to are the controlled moorings, a set of pontoons behind a locked gate. You can book a mooring here, but we are told that it's now more than eight quid a night. Just beyond are some free BW moorings on the offside, and we stopped there for lunch and to do some shopping.

Both these are at The Waterfront, which is a mix of business park and bars and restaurants, so can, we understand, be a bit noisy at night – some of the places not shutting shop until three in the morning.

If you go just a bit further on, you come to the embankment that overlooks the actual Merry Hill shopping mall. Here there is a good set of mooring rings and some bollards, free to use, and hopefully quieter overnight. These are the ones you'd come to first if you've just come up the Delph Locks.

We've moved onto them now for that reason, and because, being at the top of an embankment, there's a bit more breeze, which is very welcome in the humid conditions still prevailing. All of these moorings are said to be quite secure, though if you were leaving the boat here for a time, you might want to stump up for the locked area, for the sake of your peace of mind.

Obviously, the Merry Hill centre has all the usual suspects when it comes to stores, but it's important to know that that includes a good sized Sainsbury's, so you can get food shopping as well as clothes, DVDs and electronics.

Tomorrow we plan to make an early start and tackle both the Delph and Stourbridge Locks, finishing in Stourbridge basin for the night.

New waters at the back o' the map

25th & 26th July

Regular readers will know that part of our strategy for coping with busy canals is the "start early, stop early" rule. This applies with greater force when long tunnels are to be negotiated, as both the chances of having to pass a terrified novice, and of having to breathe someone else's diesel fumes are thereby reduced.

So it was that 7.15 yesterday found us entering Wast Hill Tunnel, the longest bore on the Worcester and Birmingham. I've been trenchant here before about BW's fondness for extra signage in these cash strapped times, but must admit that for the steerer, the boredom of a long bore is much abated by their new habit of putting distance markers every 100 metres.

You can stand on the back, chugging away, doing mental arithmetic along the lines of "the tunnel is just over 2400 metres long, and I've just passed the 800 metre mark, so I've done about a third of it."

With about 200 to go, a boat did enter in the opposite direction. Called Asclepius, it seemed a bit odd to me when I realised that it didn't have a tunnel light on, though everything else, including port, starboard and stern navigation lights, were clearly functioning. Sheila, standing in the well deck, pointed this out to him, and he just said "yes, I know".

Despite the sign at the start saying that the estimated travel time is one hour, in fact we were out by eight o'clock, and then had a pleasant chug through Edgbaston, with its own dinky tunnel, to the hurly burly of the Mailbox, Gas Street, the Old Turn (where I missed the traffic island in the middle yet again), and we found a mooring on the right opposite Symphony Court, our favourite location for stopping in central Brum.

I commented to Sheila that it was much busier than the last time we were here, and she looked at me pityingly and said "Yes, dear, but that was in March and the stoppages were still on." Good point, I must admit.

You can get to the large but strangely shaped Tesco at Five Ways from here; it's a short trek, along Sheepcote Street from the bridge over the canal, until at Broad Street you turn right and walk alongside the frantic traffic, past a huge multiplex cinema to the giant roundabout, beside which is the Tesco.

After lunch I painted the blue top coat onto the well deck, and we went for a stroll around the junction area, partly to see who was about, and partly to get away from the smell of new paint.

A quiet afternoon followed, resting from our exertions. The succeeding night was a bit noisy at times, but no more than can be expected on a Friday in the very middle of the country's second city. The advantage of the Symphony Court moorings are that they are just far enough away from the pubs and clubs of Brindley Place to get away from the worst of the rowdiness.

Today started fairly early, with another trip to the Tesco for supplies before Sheila set off, staying on the New Main Line at Smethwick Junction, and so reaching Dudley Port Junction, where we turned left onto the Netherton Tunnel Branch.

This is another straight but long tunnel, with loads of room. On emerging, I found I was in the doghouse with the steerer. When putting on all the cabin lights, I'd neglected to turn on the engine room ones, so that She had done all 45 minutes unable to see either the rev counter or the throttle. What was particularly alarming was that there seemed to be another boat coming up fast behind her.

This proved to be a bike; Netherton is really unusual in that it still has a viable towpath on one side (it used to have one on each side, but the other is no longer safe).

The romantically named Windmill End is as nice as everyone says, with a decent length of visitor mooring, a little cafe run by the Bumble Hole Trust, and a large area of public space.

The weather has turned very hot again, so typing here in the study is a bit of a burden: I'll stop there for now, with the prospect of Gosty Hill Tunnel and Hawne Basin tomorrow.