Rushall canal, a misnomer

Sunday 5th September 2021

We awoke to  . . . . .  sunshine and blue skies. We’ve not had that phenomenon (think muppets) for a couple of weeks or more. We were warned yesterday that there were some empty pounds in the lock flight so Cap’n and trusty lock wheeling bike set off first thing to investigate and refill pounds.

Meanwhile, back at Jannock, bathed, washing and slow cooker primed ready to go. We set off up the flight. The going was slow and hard. in some locks and pounds the water levels were very low. Jannock dragged herself along hampered by weed up to 6 inches deep, prop tangling litter and strings of water plants.

 

Going very slowly with frequent reverses to clear the prop got us the the top of the flight (lock 3) above which there is a fair run to the last two locks. Here we met a volunteer lockie, it was all in the timing – to us he appeared to be more of a lengthsman than lockie. He told us that yesterday a boat had got stuck in a lock because it was too wide and it had taken hours to free it. They freed it at 9pm. Just as well we had decided to moor for the night below the flight.

 

On to the top lock adjacent to Longwood Boat club, where we struggled to moor against the side to take on water and dispose of rubbish. A great lump of rubbish, weed and general tangleness was removed from the prop before the next leg of our journey.

Navigation became easier as we continued on the Daw End branch, where the weed thinned out we were able to do fish watching in the clear water that meant we were also able to see the canal bottom and all the associated junk that has been deposited there.

 

At Catshill Junction we turned right and made our way to Anglesey basin adjacent to Chasewater reservoir. Graham had hoped to moor here but the banks and rushes were not mooring friendly. We turned and headed back towards the entrance and found a mooring against a brick wall. It was at this point that Graham found that the GiffGaff coverage within the boat was not good and as he was due to be controlling bloodbikes tonight, we needed to move. Back towards Brownhills we stopped just after the winding hole, opposite some maisonettes, and moored for the night with good coverage on Vodafone, GiffGaff and 3.

 

What a shame CaRT have not provided any sensible visitor moorings, apart from the old wharf walls near the entrance, at Anglesey basin as it’s a great place to stop for a walk around the reservoir.

G&B