Tidal Wide to Great Haywood

Mostly sunny day, with a few specks of rain. Turned right at GH junction to get diesel (105 litres @ 55p/l) and a £22 gas bottle from the Taft Wharf.

Lots of traffic going down, none coming back.

8.3 miles, 4 locks, 4.5 engine hours

Tixall

Stayed up late last night to see the first referendum results, so got up late this morning. Turned Erin Mae to polish the left hand side, and continued running the engine for half an hour to get some hot water. Rain came down after I got the polish on, and alternated with sunshine throughout the afternoon.

0 miles, 0.5 engine hours

Acton Trussell to Tixall

Slept late, but got away about mid-day. At Radford Bank a slow boat in front kindly invited us to pass. Decided that Tixall Wide was a better place to stop than the marina. SG on 71 in the morning and 91 when we stopped.

6 miles, 2 locks, 2.5 engine hours

Gailey to Acton Trussell

Weather fine for travel from mid-morning. Stopped in Penkridge to buy lunch from Jaspers. Decided not to stay. Stopped after Acton Trussell opposite the field where we saw marsh harriers one year.

6 miles, 9 locks, 4 engine hours

Pendeford to Gailey

Warm and eventually sunny day for some uneventful cruising. Took on water and got a pump-out (£18) at Gailey. However this did not include any rinsing – very strange. Went down Gailey lock and tied up just before Brick Kiln lock.

7.5 miles, 0 locks, 3.5 engine hours

Wightwick to Pendeford

Left in the dry about mid-day, but the rain was lashing down soon after. Eventually it dried up, with a lot of sunshine by the time we moored up at Pendeford. SG from 85 to 100.

Morrison's shop.

4.2 miles, 3 locks, 2.5 engine hours

The Bratch to Wightwick

Generally sunny morning, with some cloud. Set out a bit earlier to avoid queues and get to Wightwick for lunchtime. All three locks had boats emerging as we approached.

SG 89 in the morning. 100 after cruising.

3.5 miles, 3 locks, 2 engine hours

Greensforge to the Bratch

Cloudy for much of the day, but the sun came out late afternoon. Good time travelling to moor up just above the Bratch. Had to clear the propellor after Botterham staircase locks – plastic and loads of grass cuttings.

SG was 97 in the morning, and back up to 100 after cruising. Ran a wash load.

3.5 miles, 9 locks, 3.5 engine hours

Stourton to Stourbridge to Greensforge

Morning was due to be the best weather-wise. Got under way about 11 and followed the college boat to Wordsley Junction and then in to Stourbridge. We found there had been flooding at the canal basin, with the Stour having broken its banks the previous evening.

Took on water at Stourbridge. Had though we might walk the short distance to the centre of the town, but decided not to.

SG last night was 51, because I'd left the inverter on after grilling. This morning it was 50, but we put in a lot of boating today, after which it was up to 99.

Came back onto the S&W and up through three locks. Tied up just past the Greensforge permanent moorings.

9.4 miles, 7 locks, 6 engine hours

Stourton

Stayed put. Rainy day, sometimes heavy. Some thunder and some sunshine. Diesel heater morning and evening.

Kinver to Stourton

After giving up hope of anything from Wilsons, we encountered a boat at Kinver lock who'd just had a cover repaired by "them" aka Keith Wilson, who has set up on his own. He came in five minutes, inspected the damage, decided the only bit actually torn was the rear panel near the strut. He took it away and added a strip of PVC to the inside, which seems to have sorted it. The other damage we can see, on the front panel, looks like being rubbing marks from sliding the hatch when the hood is down.

Came back up to Stewponey and turned right onto the Stourbridge. Moored up a few hundred yards beyond the 4th lock. SG on 99.

4.2 miles, 7 locks, 5 engine hours

Kinver

Dental appointment at 8.30, then Ralph Wilson came around 10.45 to look at the cover. Said there was nothing he could do as it was a fabric failure. Went back up to the High Street to pick up a cooked chicken, and then the rain came on again.

SG 85 in the morning, and stayed on that all day, with the solar panel balancing out day-time usage. Changed over gas bottle.

Expecting phone calls from Wilson Jnr and KinverCanopies, so stayed put.

Swindon (Staffs) to Kinver

Some early rain, but cleared up enough to travel. Eventually got dry, warm and muggy.

SG was 61 in the morning, and picked up quickly as we cruised. When, after a couple of hours, it got to 84 we turned on the inverter and ran a wash-load. SG was mid-90s when we tied up at Kinver visitor moorings and 94 at 11 p.m.

Rang Wilson's early to see what the score was. He confirmed the liquidation, but offered to come and look at the cover anyway.

6.4 miles, 7 locks, 4.5 engine hours

Wightwick to Swindon

Heavy rain in the night, but decks virtually dry in the morning – Brazilian conditions. Dry as we travelled down through the Bratch, but began to drip a little rain shortly before we decided to call a halt for the day. After we tied up below Swindon lock it came on to rain very heavily.

Got a TV signal for the Euros match!

SG was unusually low at 77% in the morning The only difference I could see was that the computer charger had been connected all night. SG showed 100% by the time we finished travelling.

Heard today that Wilson's have moved from Kinver to Stourbridge in the last few weeks. So the journey may have lost its main rationale. We'll need to ring them.

5.9 miles, 11 locks, 4.5 hours

Pendeford to Wightwick

Turned up on to the Shroppie for water, and then reversed back through the lock.

Dave at Oxley Marine put in two new machine screws for the back door lock (£12). Orph said I could ring him any time just before we wanted the 1000 hour service done, to arrange a day, and they would do it while we waited.

Came down to Wightwick in hot, fairly humid conditions and tied up just past the 48 hour moorings, to avoid being under a tree. SG read 100% when we turned off the engine. Engine time was considerably more than moving time, by the time we'd done the water, the door and waiting at the locks.

6.7 miles, 5 locks, 4.5 engine hours

S&W Bridge 74 to Pendeford

Hot and humid day as we sauntered towards Autherley Junction. Found a decent mooring on the armco just south of Bridge 67, opposite the BCF boat Marsh Harrier. Walked to Morrisons and back, had lunch in the shade of a tree – and then had to move inside in hurry because of a downpour.

SG gone from 84 to 97% by the time we stopped.

3.8 miles, 0 locks, 1.7 engine hours

S&W Bridge 74

Where we are, Bridge 74 is actually out of sight, back round the corner. Stayed moored up. Day was hazy, with some brighter sunshine later on. Eventually SG reached 100%. Down to 93 at bedtime, after some TV on the referendum debates.

Penkridge to S&W Bridge 74

Scorching hot day, but a fairly lazy start. Took on water at Penkridge and then just cruised in the sun. Bridge 74 is somewhere out in the sticks between Calf Heath and Coven. Really isolated spot.

Used the inverter for a wash load – all seemed to be dealt with very happily by the charging system. SG reads 100% this afternoon.

6.75 miles, 7 locks, 4.75 hours

Bradford Bank to Penkridge

SmartGauge 92 to 88 overnight. 87 after an hour of the Webasto.

Cloudy to start but sky cleared and got sunny and hot. Queues at the locks. Pound above Longford lock was low, but that's where we tied up – to watch the French Open final.

Cruising and sunshine got the SOC to 100 by the time we pulled in, and it stayed at that until about 8 p.m.

5.4 miles, 4 locks, 3.5 engine hours

Great Haywood to Radford Bank

Cloudy morning – bit sunnier in the afternoon. Got a pump-out and left the marina about 11. Not much traffic, except for a couple through a bridge, and a boat we crossed with at Tixall Lock. Tied up just short of the bridge at Radford Bank and walked down to the Aldi for a few things.

5.5 miles, 1 lock, 2.7 hours engine time