Date: Mon, 02 Jul 2001 21:41:24 +0100 From: nbrumpus@lineone.net Reply-To: Canals To: Canals Newsgroups: uk.rec.waterways Subject: Trip Report - Rumpus Goes to Brum - Part the Second............. [ The following text is in the "ISO-8859-1" character set. ] [ Your display is set for the "US-ASCII" character set. ] [ Some characters may be displayed incorrectly. ] Friday 13th June Awoke at 0600 after a fitful night's sleep - breakfast, coffee and a shower made me feel much more human. A wipe down and polish session was interrupted by a heavy shower - the last of last night's rain. By the time I'd had another coffee and a bacon sarnie it had stopped, so I set off at about 0830. The weather was still cloudy but very warm. I paused just beyond the Dove aqueduct outside Burton for a brew-up and break, and used a piling hook to moor up with - aren't they easy to use?? Unfortunately, the prop shaft coupling failed as I got to Bridge 29 and again about 20 yards from Jannell Cruisers (just at the engineer's lunch hour) so it was time to get THAT sorted once and for all! An examination revealed that the coupling was oval by 0.04" - enough for it not to grip properly. Having been offered a number of alternatives by their engineer, we ended up making the slots in each side rather larger so it would grip better. (In actual fact, this worked perfectly) We ordered a new coupling from Crowther's with the intention of fitting it on the return journey. I eventually got away at about 1615 and pottered up the locks steadily, stopping in Bridge 36 to make soup. I rather fancied eating in the Barton Turn, remembering their sandwiches last year, but on enquiring found they didn't do meals in the evening, so I decided to moor in Barton Turns Marina, as it would be marginally quieter. As I set off on this very short trip, the heavens opened and I got ratursated! Saturday 14th June I awoke at 0600 to the sound of rain on the cabin roof - NOT an inducement to rise & shine! Nevertheless I did, and by 0715 was packed away, fed and watered and set off under an unpromising leaden sky. The rain did ease off and eventually stopped, but I nearly got soaked by a lorry on the A38 when it ploughed through the extensive puddles on the stretch next to the canal. Doing uphill locks single-handed has now fallen into a well-rehearsed routine - nudge Rumpus up to the gates and leave her in forward tickover whilst I get out and set the lock. Once the lock is empty, open the bottom gates and the old girl finds her way into the lock all on her own (well, she should know the way by now). Shut the gates, wait till she fetches up against the cill or top gates, then open the paddles. Close the paddle on the far (non-balance beam) side just before the water makes a level, open the gate (Rumpus hasn't got the "omph" to do that, even going full chat) and let her find her own way out as you wind the paddles down: step onto the counter as it leaves the lock and drop her into reverse: by the time you've got the gate shut she's backed into it, ready for you to step on and carry on! When we came this way last year the succession of towpath bridges above Wychnor Lock were being de-rusted prior to painting: guess what they were using?? They certainly look a whole lot better now... I arrived at Keeper's Lock just before Fradley Junction almost exactly 3 hours after setting off so a short break for water, rubbish disposal, coffee and report writing was called for. I was about to set off "round the corner" at Fradley when I looked out of the porthole and saw a name I recognised - Tony and Carol Lowe were out on Summer Dim, so we paused for a chat before I set off at around 1055. Having done the swing bridge on my own, NOT the easiest thing to do, I was pottering along when I saw a single loaded motor approaching. Being well-bred, Rumpus knows her place so we slowed down and moved over. It was John and Briony with Stokie, and we've all already heard what THEY thought! I called in at Streethay for some Diesel at about 1245 - cost me a whole UKP4-23! I had lunch whilst I was stopped and set off again about 1310. At about 1415, I realised I was passing the Home of Canal Planner - I saw the signs at the bottom of Sid's garden! So, I turned round (you can do that with Rumpus, you know), rang Sid and got him to take my mooring lines! Rumpus is just about the only boat you could moor at the bottom of Sid's garden, but he ain't having her! After a pleasant chat, I set off again and things started to go downhill. Just outside Fazeley, the gearbox linkage started to play up. I went in the engine ^Ņole to fix it, noticed a wire off the alternator and stopped the engine to fix it. BIG MISTAKE!!! The wire was the main charging lead to the battery, the battery was comprehensively flat (which accounted for the lack of horn and bilge pump) and I was stuck! I started to bowhaul her towards Fazeley but happened upon a cruiser just arriving on the moorings. He had a set of jump leads and was persuaded to let me get one of his batteries out to get Rumpus going again, once I'd done a temporary repair on the lead to get me charging again. A very late arrival at Tamworth Cruising Club saw me changed and off the boat in short order, followed by a rapid walk (well, where would YOU get a taxi at 2000 on a Saturday night?) to the station to get a train for Derby, to get home for a party. The only redeeming factor was that the ticket office was un-manned and I never saw the Guard stir out of the back cab of the train!! Brian L Dominic NB Rumpus Web Sites: NB Rumpus: http://www.nb-rumpus.com Golden Valley Light Railway: http://website.lineone.net/~gvlr/index.htm Coming to GIG2001?? Go to http://groups.yahoo.com/group/GiG-2001 to subscribe to the mailing list! ---