T'was on a Monday morning ......

Our first night on the boat was none too comfortable, as the cabin configurations were set with two single beds in each. The single beds are VERY narrow, and yesterday morning I suggested to John that it was a pity that we had not asked for the three double bed configuration. While I was making breakfast John wondered how the configuration was changed and discovered that the singles slide together to make the double (actually the size of a three-quarter bed). So he moved my beds, saw that it worked and by the end of the day we were all configured in the "double bed" plan.

So last night we had a very comfortable sleep - into bed at 9.00 last night, and woke this morning at 7.00!

The morning started with Weston Lock and Hoo Mill Lock which brought us down to Great Haywood where we found the Canalside Farm Shop. We have been wanting to get food as Sunday was not good for shops and apart from cereal and a few slices of bread the cupboard was looking very bare. The shop was great and had a wonderful variety of fresh vegetables, fruit, cheeses, freshly butchered beef and pork and and a well stocked bakery. So, we stocked up, headed back to the boat and set off turning west off the Trent and Mersey Canal onto the Staffs and Worcs Canal. To celebrate I cooked us full English breakfast - sausage, bacon, tomato, mushrooms and eggs with toast, marmalade and coffee.

I cannot leave the Trent and Mersey without relating the interesting half hour we had on the Water at Great Haywood. Entering Great Haywood, one first passes the the GH Marina, a section of public moorings, pass under a bridge, and arrive at a Canal Services Wharf. While we were filling the water tank, we spoke to a man on the next boat and he told us his wife had walked back, over the bridge, and back to the Canalside Farm shop. As we are not allowed to stay moored at this wharf for longer than it takes to fill up, we had to find a mooring. So we decided that as the turning into the Staffs and Works was a good size lake, we would turn round, go back under the bridge and moor next to the Farm shop. Once finished there we would head back to the entrance of the GH Marina, again turn 180 degrees and head back, past the Farm shop, under the bridge, pass the wharf and turn right into the Staffs and Worcs.

So much for the best laid plans - especially when handling a 69ft boat in a gusting wind. I went up onto the bridge to video John turning in the junction. That went well. Now under the bridge heading for the mooring at which point the wind caught the boat and John found himself lodged diagonally across the canal, totally blocking it, much to the amusement of an insta-crowd. I jumped onto the boat, Stan jumped off, and then John and I decided that we should forget mooring and head on to the Marina. Arrived at the Marina, as John turned, the wind caught the boat and we overshot the entrance. I jumped off with the bow rope and using engine power, wind and hard pulling on the rope we got partially into the entrance of the Marina. John started to reverse and again the wind caught the boat and again we had to use power and rope, eventually turning and heading back to the mooring and an anxious Stan.

We are in awe of the ease in which 'owners' can handle their boats. We know that takes lots of practice to get the boat to do what we want, rather than the reverse! We sail on regardless!

The Staffs and Worcs is a very pretty canal built by Brindley following the contours of the Sow River valley. We have had very few locks, but with a narrow canal have been on our toes as there is quite a bit of traffic. We have just 'locked-up' Shutt Hill Lock and will soon come to the town of Penkridge.

Sunday morning

We all seemed to wake simultaneously at about 7.00 this morning, within short time all were dressed and had coffee in our hands. We sat round the table chatting until someone ask why we were sitting and not traveling. So ....

The Trent and Mersey canal is showing all the signs of autumn (fall for those in the US), golden leaves float on the water and there is a pleasant chill in the wind. One has to say that in is not only leaves that float on the water - ducks, moorhens, swans (and other unmentionable bits). 

There were two great canal architects - James Brindley, who died in 1777, and Thomas Telford, who lived and worked in the early 1800s. These two men must have had amazing vision and an understanding of water mechanics. Brindley was instrumental in constructing the Tent and Mersey canal in order to connect the potteries both with their sources of clay, and their markets.

One of the first locks we traversed this morning was lock 36 - Telford Lock - named after Thomas! Our route has taken us past parks and woods, historic sites and quaint buildings. One high-light was passing a small boatyard at a point when the canal crosses over (aqueduct) the Trent River. Forget the name of the yard, but the services it offered were interesting - boat repairs, fishing, 10 meter shooting range and "line- dancing" (What?????).

We continued on with two excited Californians discussing the merits and demerits of line-dancing to the little town of Meaford (pronounced as in 'method' and it's four locks which lowered us 32.5 feet, and into the town of Stone. At some point between Meaford and Stone the rudder somehow came off its lower mounting and so a call was made to our boatyard for help, which arrived in 20 minutes. (Traveling at 4 mph doesn't get you far!). All was quickly fixed and we made our way through the Stone flight dropping another 39.5 feet. 

The big attraction of Stone for those who travel the canal is the pub "The Star". Built in 1771 it has an interesting place in the Guiness Book of Records as the pub built on the most levels - nearly every door has a sign "Mind you head and mind the step"! Having negotiated the locks and replenished our water tank, we walked back to The Star and had a healthy lunch of Ale and Steak Pie and chips, washed down with our choice of the local brew. Actually, John had diet Pepsi and Stan and I had Stella Artois lager, but "brew" sounds better!

As I write we have just passed down the Aston Lock (9 feet) and will soon be finding a place to moor for the night. Of this part of the journey Pearson (author of the Canal Companion) writes "With no great dramas to catch the eye, the canal traveller is thrown back on his own resources".

We are soon to be arriving in Weston-on-Trent where we will moor for the night and probably make a visit to the Saracan's Head for an evening repast.

Early morning in Dubai

Arrived safely in Dubai at 4.45 after a good steady flight. Had an empty seat next to me, and an Indian lady on the other side of that. She and her friend are Hindus off to Chennai to stay in an ashram for two weeks. The lady told me it is the highlight of her year - I guess we would say she is going on retreat.

Sarah had warned me that Dubai International was all about Pampers and Kit-kats. Well, things have changed! The mighty dollar reigns and one can buy anything "duty free".

This airport is a hive of activity being the Middle East hub for travelers from all over the world. The write up says that planes take off at the rate of one every 90 seconds .... So one can understand both why there are so many people, and also why so many of them are fast asleep as they wait for ther connections.

In a couple of hours I will be boarding my plane to Manchester, hope to be there at 13.00 South African time.

Here is an airport pic - could have bee taken in any international airport, except that sign is in Arabic

On our way

Today started with me flying the second leg of my trip from Dubai to Manchester. Not a bad flight - daylight flight and all that.

Met up with brother John at the airport and we caught the train from the airport to Manchester, and Manchester to Stoke-on-Trent. We met up with Stan on the boat and then walked to the shops to stock up on basics. As we walked home I was trying to find a SIM card for my iPad, but to no avail and eventually the other two returned to the boatyard and I waked into Stoke. It was a very long walk and I was ready for a hot shower when I got back. But the engine needs to be run to heat the water, so we started up.

We had initially thought that we would spend the first night in the boatyard, but the rental company moved it to a mooring outside the yard. Of course once we started the engine something in us said "let's get going" so we made our way south through the first three of the Stoke flight of locks. They were fairly straight-forward and we were able to teach Stan the principles. 

At Durban Airport

This morning was spent doing the usual - Men's Group meeting at Gianni's (saw whales jumping in the bay); interring ashes at All Souls; filling the car; and, oh yes, packing.

We drove down to Westbrook for lunch at the Beach Bistro (good food), then on to the airport. I've booked in and now we are sitting having a cup of tea before I go through the gates at 5.30.

Taking off at 18.40

This morning's update

I think that I have at last 'got' this blogging thing - only time will tell!
Will I remember what I have done? :)
So, I apologise for all the various notifications you will have received as I posted and then deleted.Thank you for being patient.

Last night emails flashed back and forth as we arranged when and where we should meet. Stan arrives in the target area tomorrow (Friday); John and I arrive in Manchester on Saturday, meet up at the airport (flights being on time) and travel down to Stoke-on-Trent to join Stan at the boat yard at about 2.30pm. Well, that's the plan anyway!

For your interest (and testing to see if I can publish photos!)

In 2007 brother John and I travelled round the Cheshire Ring.
This photo was taken at the stop lock at the entrance to the Macclesfield Canal.
The photo gives you an idea of what a (small) lock looks like and also the size of the narrowboat on which we will be traveling - 69 feet long.

Welcome!

This blog has been created to enable you to share an adventure with me.

I would like to invite you to join "Three Men in a Boat" as we travel on the Four Counties Ring, a journey on British Waterways canals in a 69 foot narrowboat. The "Four Counties" is a canal ring which links the English counties of Cheshire, Staffordshire, Shropshire and the West Midlands. On the Ring we will travel for 180kms and encounter 94 locks.

Our adventure begins on Saturday 29th September 2013 and lasts for two weeks. Join us as we discover beautiful countryside, navigate through towns and villages and deal with 'locking up and locking down' and 'winding holes' - all at a maximum speed of 4 mph!
So, sit back and enjoy!