24c in mid October - what'll winter be like !!

Today 10th October I was back over to Percy. Two jobs to do... empty the wood store and wind Percy.

I may have said before I don't burn a lot of wood on Percy now. I used to when I lived aboard and was able to feed the fire (plus at the time in our lives despite us both working the costs of living apart was taking a large sum each month from our savings - so anything that was 'free' was good. ) Much of what I burnt then was oak from a fallen tree in a piece of land the University had recently acquired. I go the ok to take what would fit into my then Honda CRV and I loaded it up. I then drove it home and barrowed it slice by slice to Percy over the lock gate - what a skin flint !! Anyhow the rest is willow from the tree C&RT took down 12 months ago.

Today as it was all nicely chopped and split I bagged it and took nine bags back over the lock gate and into the tardis that is my old Rover estate and back to the cottage. I fear we have had such a great summer and now a mild autumn (so far) winter when it comes will be a tough one. We have a wood burner and an open fire here at the cottage so the wood will be used up over the winter.

On arrival it was so nice I made a coffee and watched the world go by....

I was going to wind Percy first then move the wood but as soon as I fired up the Lister and put on the tiller there was literally a steady procession of boats - mainly heading towards Alrewas.

So I altered my plans and started the barrowing of bagged wood to the car.  Something I'll not miss when we move moorings.

Part of the walk from the lock to the car. 

Once all the hard work was done I had some food then untied  Percy and headed off in beautiful and hot autumnal weather.

The new marina at Common lock is progressing. It will be a nice little marina  - one to watch develop for sure. I think if I did the marina thing near Fradley it would be Kings Bromley not this one. Nicer location and the right side of the Fradley locks. But for some to be so close the Alrewas, which is a lovely large village and Fradley is a perfect location.

This is where the marina entrance will be (on the left) just before Common lock going towards Fradley.

I was lucky approaching Bagnall lock as a lady was just about to empty it so she opened the gate for me instead and locked me down which was nice of her.

The winding at Alrewas was made easy by the stiff wind that had started blowing since I ventured off the mooring being blocked by the trees on the winding hole side of the bank. You can see clearly in the photo below where the wind is affecting the water and where it is blocked - perfect

As normal a beautifully executed turn watched by no one at all. 

Heading into the winding hole.

Looking back towards Alrewas after the turn - sad I'll miss this excellent village. We did one time consider buying a house here but its commuter belt and areas of it quite busy and like lots of other places it's starting to see developments. The horse paddock by Bagnall lock is now being built on and they are lovely but massive houses.

The trick for a single hander is timing - and good binoculars. On my approach back to common lock I could see with my binoculars the lock was being worked down by a boat, so I dropped a couple of turns off the speed wheel and timed my arrival perfectly. This is a difficult little lock if the wind is blowing from the south as it was today - hence the 24c temperatures. It, with the bywash can keep you pinned to the lock landing and it is difficult to get off  - the trick is a long and slow reverse as the prop wash pushes Percy off the bank but you have to reverse back far enough that the back end is out a way so you can drive the Front end around .... Timing my arrival saw me cruising straight in.

Then the last stretch and Percy was moored up. Facing up the canal now in the right direction for Great Haywood which will be my first nights destination if all goes well in a few weeks when I start the relocation move .....

However before that I have the mooring to clear. I have started and not a lot to do, just empty the 'shed' into the forecabin, dismantle the shed and drive the shed (after carrying it all over the lock gates again) to Shebdon.  There are other bits but they can be moved after I have got the boat to its new mooring. I'll have a couple of weeks in November to do that.