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Appendices
- Trip Reports 2007.
Summer
Coal Run 2007 - July 13th to August
25th. Part One.
Report by Dave Davies.
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Return
from Brinklow Boats and Loading
at Braunston, July 12th-13th
by Dave Davies.
Nuneaton
was at Brinklow Boats,
to fit the new push/pull gear
lever and I had volunteered to
bring her back to Braunston
in time for trans-shipping around
40 tons of coal from John
Jackson on the Friday morning.
My Mum gave me a lift over to
Brinklow Boats on the
Stretton Arm
of the N. Oxford Canal,
arriving around 10.30am. Steve
Preist was under pressure,
with his wife in hospital and
said he would have to be finished
by lunchtime, to enable him to
get to the hospital for visiting.
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spent the time cleaning brasses and
investigating the ropes and lines
available, as I would be making my
first single-handed trip. Steve
left in a hurry, so I found some of
his work-mates who helped me dis-entangle
Nuneaton
from the melee of boats and one kind
chap stood on the bows fending off
with the new shaft as I tentatively
reversed down the arm to Stretton
Stop, avoiding all disasters!
Once on the N. Oxford
main line it was full-steam ahead,
with only the eccentricities of hire
boats to deal with and rain only falling
for 10 minutes (5 of which I was in
Newbold Tunnel).
Then it was the 3 Hillmorton
Locks, which were taken very
steadily (especially the first, where
my long-throw windlass caught on the
gate hand-rails!)Then a chap in the
first adjoining lock phoned back to
his following mate to leave the gates
open for me. I was helped through
by a couple of obliging ladies from
an oncoming boat, never having to
leave the counter - my offer of a
permanent job was politely refused!
On to the last lock and I was through,
able to leave the gates open for an
on-coming boat. "No bloody problem,"
I thought. It was a couple of hours
before I realised I had left my windlass
at the top lock |
By
the time I could see the spire of
Braunston Church,
I was in my element and at one with
the world, especially with the first
sunshine for what seemed like months!
I actually slowed down a touch to
make the trip last longer, but arrived
at Braunston and
Jon Jackson's heavily laden
Roach
and David Jones' Starling.
They had earlier moved
Brighton from a mooring
near the road bridge with the help
of Mike Partridge &
Jubilee,
and Pete with Argus
was around, so there were
5 motors and a butty at
Braunston that evening,
the crew of which met for fish 'n'
chips and then several pints and
conviviality at the Old Plough
in the village that evening. |
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Friday
13th July: I was expecting
Nick Wolfe around 7.30am,
and had not got to sleep until around
1.30am the night before, so was
shocked and horrified at the banging
on the cabin side at 5.30am! He
then proceeded to hurl the ballast
barrels around (they needed emptying
before loading) before being met
with a barrage of abuse from a bleary-eyed
and now relunctant coal loader!
Boats were moved around. loading
was started with two on each boast,
before a long break for breakfast
from the nearby cafe boat. New member
Sheena arrived and busied
herself with the glamorous task
of pumping the bilges; Nick's
body-building mate Pete
turned up for an hour and a bit
around lunchtime, but was unable
to supply us with any |
steroids!
He did the work of about 3 people
while he was there!
On and on we went, pausing for numerous
tea breaks, changing the boats over
and finishing late afternoon. Of
course, we had to trim the load
and put the side cloths up - luckily
Pete Clutterbuck turned
up to finish off the butty while
I had slinked off for a much-need
pint with John & Dave.
We finally set off around 6.30pm
for our destination of Buckby
top lock, making good time
through the Braunston flight
thanks to lock-wheeling help from
Tim & Vickie Morgan. |
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.jpg) |
Tim
& Vickie left to meet us
at The New Inn, Buckby
and with Sheena getting
some butty tuition from me and Nick
forgong ahead, we relaxed as we
approached Braunston Tunnel,
only to come to a dead
stop, due to a landslide caused
by the continual rain. 30 minutes
of snatching saw us off, and after
the worst tunnel experience I have
had ( I was steering by now and
couldn't keep the butty straight)
we soldiered on through the quickening
dusk to reach Buckby
by around 9.30pm, mooring below
the top lock behind unconverted
pair, Otley & Cygnus.
(Left: Leaving Braunston.
Photo: John Jackson) |
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Narrow Boat Trust is a charity registered
in England under number: 288243
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Registered Office of the Narrow Boat Trust
is at:
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