Gailey Lock

Captains Log


Canal Date                 16th May 2011
Travels                       15 miles –4 Locks
Canal                          Staffs & Worcester
Current Location      Gailey

We are now heading for Nuneaton; we have to be there by Monday 23rd May. This is one of the times that there is a definite time scale.

I panned to go as far as Penkridge today but my foot would not let me! I had to stop in the end at Gailey Lock. Not a bad place to stop at all, in fact it is a very nice place to stop, so we did stop, full stop! After leaving Dimmingsdale we had to stop at Compton for a few bits from the chandlers and top up some food shopping. On the way back to the boat we have to pass a chip shop, only this time we did not quite manage to pass it, we called in and had some of the best fish & chips ever. It is fully recommended by me. (And so low in calories too!)

The journey it self was not remarkable, it was just very nice, very calm, very relaxing and very windy! We had travelled for a few hours before we met a boat coming towards us, and in true boating fashion, it was at a blind bend into a narrow bridge hole. We missed each other, or rather I missed him, I do not think that he had even noticed I was there until it was far too late for to do anything at all. Almost straight after that a hire boat drove into the side of us, the look on his face was that total panic with just a hint of guilt together with that look of “Oh my god what have I just done”

Pam & I reassured him that is all OK and everyone has to learn. I don’t think that it helped matters on board his boat as his wife came up the stairs wearing here life jacket! We also met up with and got tangled up with a bunch of school children in canoes. I slowed down almost to a stop and they were drifting everywhere. Now from the back of a 60ft narrowboat you can not see kids in canoes at the front. As no one shouted or anything, I assume that I did not slightly kill any of them, in fact they took great delight in standing up and shouting “Ahoy captain! “ as they eventually paddled past.