Retirement with No Problem

Hopwas to Great Haywood, Birmingham & Fazeley and Trent & Mersey Canals, 20 miles 4 locks

We enjoyed yesterday’s longer cruise so decided to do the same today.. we need to be at Norbury Junction at the end of next week you see, for Simon to complete the interior refit to No Problem having done the front half earlier in the spring..

We were doing fine until Streethay when we caught up with an extremely slow narrowboat who’s crew seemed to enjoy us being close behind.. the lady aboard never stopped staring at us would you believe!  I asked with my arm to come by, but they decided to go even slower at just over 1.75mph.. passing moored boats in neutral.  They seemed to enjoy making me keep having to go into reverse.. About a mile before Fradley Junction I decided there was nothing for it but to make a move past, pulling out and once again signalling my intention.

They pulled their narrowboat over to the side I was passing on, but I just kept going even though the skipper decided to go faster.. so I went faster which drew his bow over towards No Problem.. heh!  That sent their stern into the mud… I tried not to smile, and said “Thankyou” as I passed the stranded boat just about missing touching them as I whipped by.. They were most unpleased…Why oh why did they have to behave like that.. It is normally people coming up behind me.. I always pull over to let a quicker boat through..

Very busy as usual at Fradley Junction not only with people but with boats too.  Turning left from the Coventry Canal onto the Trent & Mersey Canal there is only just enough room to get a single boat through to the locks with moored boats stretching across the canal leaving just 8ft of channel.. but it always seems to work, and is easy enough to navigate.. well it was today there was no wind!

Armitage Shanks still going strong.. but not so many loos and bidets outside in the yard.  I suppose with builders easing up on house building their production is probably not as high as usual.. but they were working in the old factory as we passed even though it was a Saturday..

Last lock of the day was at Little Haywood..

The very attractive Colwich Lock.  Last time we were here I think we were in a queue of seven narrowboats, but late in the evening not a boat in sight which gave us a chance to dive into the weed hatch to check the prop.  No Problem had been struggling to steer round the big bends I just thought something had got caught round the prop causing the problem.. Nothing there, so maybe it dislodged as I used the gears back and forth waiting for the lock to be ready..

Some bits and bobs to do in Great Haywood tomorrow before we make our way up the Staffs and Worcs Canal.. that will be 4 different canals in 3 days!