Boat Salvage

Last night we were left in splendid isolation on our mooring as all the boats that were caught up in the canal blockage due to the sunken boat for most of the day, made a bee line in order to continue with their journeys.

We arose to brilliant sunshine and Keith applied another undercoat of paint to the handrail that is beginning to corrode. This could be a long job as the condition is along most of both sides of the boat. Try getting a paintbrush to cover the underside of a grabrail overhang that is only a half an inch wide and a similar height above the roof!
All this was done after we decided to move our boat the other side of the sunken boat as Commercial Boat Services were on their way down from Liverpool in order to pump out the vessel and re float it. We didn't want to be caught on the wrong side of it.
They duly arrived having launched their Dory at the nearby boatyard complete with hoses and suction pumps and proceeded to attach a more study wire to the forward mooring eye and started to winch it nearer the bank to enable easier access.

Well, the inevitable happened, the eye snapped off the boat. They then attached the wire through the forward window and door and proceeded to winch away. Much moaning and groaning of steelwork prompted the owner, who by now got wind of the salvage operation, turned up and asked the operators to cease with the pull.

After much conversation it was decided to try to float it in its present position. Before they could begin that had to board up the windows and door to try to stem the flow of water in as they try to suck it out, if you follow the logic.
Time was getting on so we decided to up sticks and continue on.

We headed on through to the Wast Hill tunnel that is 1.5 miles long! There were some interesting hardware of a past generation inter spaced throughout the length of the tunnel that carried telegraph wires.

There were also some accumulation of salts washed down from the soil structure above and manifested themselves around the ceiling and walls of the tunnel.

We turned onto the Stratford canal at Kings Norton junction and passed under the famous guillotine lock that is now sadly adorned with graffiti.

The second tunnel of the day was the much shorter Brandwood tunnel, a mere 322 metres long.

We then came across our first lift bridge that was electrically operated with a BW key and keeping ones finger firmly pressed on the red button. All well in theory but this was evening rush hour and the sedate pace of the waterways gave way to road rage as the lift was lowered again and traffic had to play chicken as to who was going to cross first over the narrow one way bridge!
Galley stocks were running low so it was off to the Drawbridge for supper. We could get used this way of life!