The stop lock

It was a sunny wake up but it soon clouded over. The Captain’s mood plummeted when he found the bathroom sink was cracked. That’s another item added to his long maintenance list. He checked the engine mountings and found a loose one solving the mystery of the annoying rattle.

passing moored boats

We cast off after 9.00 which was late for him and made the most of the dry weather and the quieter engine.

After we moored for lunch near the outskirts of Wolverhampton it suddenly became hot but there weren’t many boats moving.

We cast off again at 12 45. The strong head wind made steering tricky at times as we completed the last couple of miles of the Shroppie and took the heat out of the sun.

lines of poplar trees providing a wind break

It was chaos at the stop lock at the junction with the Staffs and Worcester Canal with three boats waiting to go down. Strange as the lock only has a drop of six inches and should be quickly negotiated. The guy leaving the lock waited with his stern blocking the gates waiting for someone on the main line to turn in. They didn’t but after the boat cruised past they took ages to move on.

They were still faffing about when the boat behind them left the lock and passed them. By the time we entered the lock they pushed off and ventured round the corner, now that is leisurely boating.

Moorings at Gailey Top Lock

It was pleasant cruising on the Staffs and Worcester Canal as the wind was side on and the buildings and hedges protected us some of the time. The narrow section was completed easily as we didn’t meet anyone. We passed the factory which now displays large signs telling boats not to moor and to keep moving if the sirens sound. What dangers do they face in there that are so hazardous?

We moored at the visitor moorings before Gailey Top Lock glad to have got that far as the forecast for tomorrow is rain. The barometer has been stuck on change for days so we have no idea how bad the rain might be.