Gailey Wharf, Staffs & Worcs North – Friday 6 July 2012
Let’s get the weather report out of the way – it has rained persistently, another soaked to the skin days.  I was hoping the rain would let up so didn’t start until 10:00 and a short way along is a stretch marked ‘very narrow cutting’ in the Nicholson guide – the canal is only slightly wider than the boat and there are two ‘passing places’ along it.  Fortunately I didn’t meet any other boats.  After an hour and a half felt that I should stop, I was unable to see because my glasses were misting up, so moored next to the ‘Fox and Anchor’ at Cross Green (only 2 miles covered).  Hurried up to the shops to get a newspaper and had a quick read.  The rain had slowed so, fingers crossed I started out again, some hope!  However, as I have given my weekend location I pushed on to here (about half a mile from Junction 12 on the M6 motorway).  Again very few boats out, all steerers looking how I felt – half drowned.  Just past ‘Long Moll’s Bridge’ came across a Viking Hire Boat across the canal!  Blasts on the horn produced no response so looked to see if I could get in to the bank to go and re-secure it.  By this time it had swung a bit so that there was room alongside, so I very gently went forward and used the bow thrusters to push it to the bank.  It’s crew then came out to find out what I was doing disturbing their lunch.  I called out that they were loose but it took a few minutes to register, when it did one came out to retrieve the mooring line which was in the canal.