We left our mooring at Gas Street Basin and headed off up the Birmingham level main line. We had decided to take the Wolverhampton level and go the back way to Dudley. We turned off at the Smethwick junction and on to our first lock and the first of many hail storms started.
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Captain Rob holds on to Harold before the first lock in the hail and strong wind.
We then struggled to get the boat into the next lock as the pound between was low and the canal very silted. The gates were hard to open and we start to believe that we have made a wrong move and should of stayed on the main line. We then found ourselves under the M5 the canal follows it for some time and follows it off along the old main line.
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| Travelling under and alongside the M5. |
At the Spon lane junction we decided to abandon the old line and go back to the main line via the Spon lane locks. Having gone through the first one we picked up some crap around the propeller and had to limp out of the second lock and moor up and see to the propeller. I managed to unwrap several carrier bags and what looked like the remains of a fishing net. Clearly we were not having our best day yet.
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| The top lock at Spon lane and us leaving the old line. |
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| Finally we are back on the mail line. Looking back the old line is on the left and in the background is the elevated M5. |
Once on the main line it is a straight line for over three miles. We had more hail and strong winds then sunshine, we finally came to the last of the locks the Factory locks a short flight of three. As we were in the last lock we had our final hail storm which was the worst so far. The lock conquered we turned left down the Dudley arm and found a nice mooring.
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The final lock and our heaviest hail storm of the day and Jo working the paddles and gates.
We had travelled a total of eight miles and been through nine locks time for a break.
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