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Canal 2005

In 2002 we purchased a week on a Narrow boat in April, a lifetime of one weeks holiday a year on a narrow boat. The boat is Shakespeare Classic called Ophelia and is moored at Barton Turn Marina, Burton under Needwood.

Our third canal holiday we are heading up to Nottingham we have Ophelia back this year. There are a number of big locks once we are past Shardlow, that is they hold two narrow boats and are very deep so it will be an experience. Also we are now picking the boat up on a Thursday so it means a night out before the weekend rush. We were able to pick the boat up at 2.30 which means we should be well on our way by 3.30, we are heading towards Nottingham and the first part of the route is the same as our first ever night,we are looking forward to a good meal at the canal pub The Bridge Inn it has changed hands and is now an Italian restaurant. It took us two hours to get to Bridge Inn. It was cold on the boat we turned the heating up, only to discover the heating wasn't working we left the engine running till we went out hoping it would stay warm for a bit. We had a good meal I had canalonie and Edward had the lasagne, one thing about this pub it had a big open fire which kept us nice and warm. Back at the boat it had gone cold, I put the gas oven on with door open which took the chill off the main living area. Just as well we had plenty of duvets we put the extra ones on the beds it was nice and cosy till you got out of bed.

Day one

After a cold start I put the oven again to warm us up while I was cooking breakfast. I phoned the help number and Donna talked us through a few things before it was decided we would have to either go to Burton on Trent to the boat yard there or turn around and go back to Barton, as the only turning point is Burton on Trent we had to try that first. The engineer didn't have the part we needed so we turned around and went back to Barton, we arrived back just after lunch it only took a few minutes to change the part and we were off again. We had by then decided not to go to Nottingham as the turning point was just past Nottingham and we had lost a day everything was against us making it at our nice steady pace, we decided to try the Leicester Canal as far as Loughborough.

We got as far as Burton on Trent and decided to stop there for the night, we ate on board and watched the telly and I did some tapestry. Good old bangers and mash they really are good, and even better washed down with a glass of wine. Where we stopped was on the edge of the housing estate and the gardens were all well looked after, the spring display was fantastic.

Day two

After an early breakfast we set of and hope to reach Shardlow by evening, the weather was good we didn't need coats before we left I noticed a pair of Swans making a nest and I took a couple of pictures of them what a funny place to build a nest next to a bridge. We stopped for lunch at Willington, went and checked out the local shops and pubs. We chummed up with a couple from Devises who were trying out their first boat they were planning on living on it for six months and returning home for the winter, what a way to live I would like to do that one day.

After Willington the locks become wide locks the deepest is the Stenson Lock. Someone had drowned in it the week before. A sunny Saturday afternoon and the pub was full just as I was going to do something for the first time, sensing my apprehension a kind boater advised me to let the bottom paddles up first when the water gets to the cill I could open the top ones, which I did lady luck was on my side a brand new boat arrived and they were only too happy to share the lock with us, The lady had been told by the other boater we first timers at double locks and would need some help, she got stuck in and said to me do what I do when I do it and you will be ok which I did, mean while Edward followed what the skipper was doing, The skipper was making sure his shiny new boat didn't get a mark on it and we came out of it like we had been doing it for years. The double locks are hard work and was glad to share a lock when we could. We also learnt how to do them on our own where we only need to open one side Edward got really very good at moving the boat through narrow gates and handling the boat solo in a double lock if you open all the paddles to quickly you can sink the boat, the wash can turn it over that is why its important to open them slowly and the bottom ones first.

We couldn't find moorings at Shardlow so decided to head on till we could find some, we got as far as Sawley Marina, we crossed the River Trent or the Derwent mouth a narrowboat looks so big on the canals but on this stretch of water it looked like a little boat, fun though Edward wished for some waves like out at sea, wasn't going to happen today it was nice and calm and still warm we pulled into Sawley Marina and moored up in the visitors mooring. We decided on the local pub for a meal it was a Brewers Fayre a good meal and plenty of entertainment, We got back late and turned in early. How boring you think no at 3.00am we were woken by someone bashing on the roof, the level of water had dropped and we were leaning over we had to undo the ropes and let them out a bit, thank goodness the marina patrol had noticed not much fun clad only in my nighty redoing ropes, just as well it was dark and it was cold once we had done that it was back to bed. We still giggle over that poor Edward thought we were under attack from Bandits(yobbos).

Day three

We had a late start today the next lock is a manned lock you go in and they do the rest how cool is that, why aren't all double locks manned. The entrance to three canals is on the River Trent the Erwash, Nottingham and the Leicester we headed for the Leicester I helped do the paddles one side for a couple of boats coming down and a lady from another boat was on the other side so we shared the lock in fact for the rest of the day we shared the locks who ever got there first waited for the other to catch up we even stopped for lunch at the same time, they had two of the most adorable young Alsatians. I had one with me and she had the sister with her, when we were opening the gates he wouldn't lay down or get out of the way for me they were so well trained when she said down he dropped to his tummy. What a relief I was sure I was going to knock his head off, He did help me carry the pole which we needed to use in one part after a lock to stop both boats getting caught on a mud bank, I started of carrying it on my shoulder but it was much easier to drag it behind me so he could help carry it. That was one picture Edward should have got me walking and the dog and me carrying the pole. We never have the cameras ready in situations like that. We got to Lougborough and decided it didn't look to safe to moor up. So turned around and retraced our trip to a village we had pasted earlier in the day, only just made it to the pub in time for last orders of meals, it tasted good a full roast beef dinner at the end of a day and a nice walk back to the boat we were ready for bed and sleep.

Day four

A lazy start to the day today after a long breakfast we set off just after ten and had the canal to ourselves, the double locks were hard work on our own, Edward had to help with some I couldn't move the gates on my own so he would tie the boat up come and help open or shut them, then go back and steer it in. Where I was able to get the gate shut on my own, he would still tie up again and come back and help shut the gates a couple of times the wind would blow one open so I had to walk across the closed gates at one end and push it shut and come back to shut the one he had gone through by which time Edward had tied up again and came back to help which was great.

We left the Leicester Canal and made our way across the Trent to Sawley Marina for lunch and filled up with water before setting off for Shardlow we had decided what ever time we got there we would stop over night. I am glad we did it is well worth a walk round and the county side is very pretty we stopped and chatted to other boaters, got some food at the local shop we picked out the pub there was a choice of three and we settled on the Clock Warehouse every wall in the pub had canal pictures on it, as well as bits and bobs from old canal boats, the meal was good I had a creamy pasta dish Edward had a beef pie I even had a pudding it was lovely. It had started to rain on the way back to the boat but it didn't matter we had a good day and could get something on the telly tonight the last two nights we hadn't been able to. Probably just as well the Pope had died and it was all about him. We could get the radio to work but not the telly.

Day five

We started off early today Willington was our next stop over and we still had the Stetsen lock to do we shared the locks with an Irish family on a Canaltime boat they kept wanting to have all the paddles open so they could take pictures of the cascading water till I told them they could sink their boat but not ours and shut the paddles till the bottom ones had filled the lock to the cill. I don't think they liked that they only shared two locks with us, one lock we had to unlock a chain which is used for stopping yobbos opening the locks and doing damage, that scared me as the gate that was padlocked was the highest one and you have to locked it again once you had gone through its locked in the middle of the gates. At the Stetsen Lock we had a learner boat helping, the teacher gave me a lesson on which hole to use on my windlass, I have been using the wrong hole all these days once out of his sight I will go back to using the hole I like. He was very nice about it and he went on to explain to the learner and me the art of narrow boating in double locks why we have to do things differently to the smaller locks I took it all in I got a free lesson felt sorry for the learner having to pay for all that.

We made it to Willington by six and after Edward had walked over the bridge to dispose of our rubbish at the disposal point, we needed some milk and eggs which we got at the local Co-op, we went and had dinner at the nearby pub then came back to the boat to watch telly and just relax we had no more double locks to do they are all single now. I was feeling very tired by now so an early night was needed.

Day six

Today was going to be the slowest of the holiday we wanted to be back a Barton Turns for fiveish. Willington was a nice place lots of fancy decorated boats its a pity the railway line is so close but the trains didn't start till after 7.00 so cant complain to much.

We stopped for lunch at Burton on Trent had a walk around and then headed on to the Bridge Inn where we stopped for afternoon tea first time we had stopped mid afternoon all week so decided as we were making good time we could stop and just relax for a bit. we got back to Barton for five we were on the canal side which meant we couldn't get to our car to go to the pub so we would try the local on this side doh they don't do food so we walked back past the boat to the local Little Chef not much of a meal when you compare what we have been eating but if was filling we arrived there dripping wet the heavens had opened up, I am sure we left a puddle around the table but no one said anything so we didn't. We got back to the boat and got our packing done ready to move over to the visitor mooring to hand the boat back in the morning, if only the two boats there had shufted long a bit we could have got there last night but they took up all the space that three or four boats could have got into, so instead of handing back at 10 we didn't manage it till 11.

We had a good holiday and even with all the things which went wrong we are looking forward to next year. Planning already!!