Things started so well. Nice and sunny to set off down Oldbury locks.
However the last pound was a tad short of water, but some CRT staff who were litter picking kindly let some water down for us.
Ryder's locks, last visited 10 years ago on the Explorer 2008 Cruise.
Just some of the rubbish in the locks.
Unfortunately as we cleared Bull Lane Bridge, Something substantial attached itself to our prop, and despite the engines governor striving to keep the engine going, the gearbox didn't like it. A quick visit down the weed hatch and problem solved, we had picked up a spring mattress. Whilst I started to attack it with bolt croppers, and a Stanley knife for the material, Jo phone CRT, and within 20 minutes 2 lads turned up. Jo and I poled the boat over to them and they set about trying to get the mattress off using a boat pole with hooks on.
Unfortunately because of the angle needed to get under our counter and at the prop, the pole was not long enough, so they rang for more assistance, and soon another 2 lads arrived with a longer pole. With me still hacking away with the bolt croppers, eventually they managed to clear enough of it for the engine to run and drive the prop. 3 hours this took. We set off for Walsall but going was slow as there was still some residual stuff on the prop.
We arrived and moored up in Walsall basin, very tired, but I wanted to get the prop cleared and it took me another hour to finally clear the prop. I was pooped! We decided to leave seeing Walsall till the morning.
Keith.
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