When Barbara & Mike expressed an interest in having a boating holiday John and Jenny, who had been before, said they would be delighted to come along to pass on their knowledge and help crew the boat. Steve, who had also been on a holiday afloat, was invited to add another pair of hands and help split the cost. So the crew was selected all we needed was a boat! Kateboats in Warwick duly obliged and hired us the 65 ft narrowboat Kate Elizabeth which provided us with the accommodation we needed for weeks cruising along the Warwickshire Ring in mid Sept 2008. What follows is an illustrated diary of some of the events that took place during that week.

Day 1 Saturday Sept 13th 2008   -   approx 8½ miles cruising - 6 locks

Crew:- Capt John, 1st Mate Jenny, CPO's Mike & Barbara, Chief Engineer Steve & Ableseabear Ben

We arrived to pick up the Kate Elizabeth from the Warwick marina at 1.30pm, having been granted access to the boat the Kateboats staff then duly disappeared for lunch while bunks were allocated and we got settled in. Steve had the stern cabin, Mike & Barbara the middle cabin and John & Jenny the one towards the front (with the en-suite luxury bath/shower room).  Then as if by magic the shopkeeper appeared "are you all ready to go?" he asked. We all agreed that we were and what followed was a detailed tour of the inner workings of the boat. With the tour complete John signed his life away and we were off. We set sail at 3.15pm and after an interesting 1001 point turn the boat was pointing the correct way for our anticlockwise circumnavigation of the Warwickshire Ring.

There followed a very brief instruction on how to control the boat before the tiller was handed to Mike and the shopkeeper disembarked. Cruising alone we encountered our first bridge

Closely followed by the second, narrow and on a tight bend (why are all canal bridges built on corners?)

as we exited the bridge the shopkeeper appeared on the bank "Have I left my clipboard behind?" He had! and with the clipboard returned we resumed the cruise only to be confronted by our first lock!

There was a man waiting at the lock "Im waiting to show another boat how to work the locks" he said "can they come through with you?". We agreed and very soon were joined by the NB Rebecca (another Kate Boat) who accompanied us through the first set of broad locks on the Grand Union Canal. The rest of the afternoon passed smoothly (except when Steve the "suicide squad" leapt ashore, didn't notice the missing kerbstone and ended up on his back in the mud with one foot in the canal!) We didn't laugh...honestly! We moored up for the night in failing light just before lock 17 for a ham salad followed by Blackberry (picked on the towing path) and Apple (from Jenny's garden) crumble & Ice cream. After a wonderful afternoons cruising in overcast but dry weather we turned in for the night and all slept well.

Day 2 Sunday 14th Sept 2008   -   approx 18 ½ miles cruising - 17 locks

All awake bright and early to hear the engineer (Steve) checking the oil etc. before starting the engine to provide us with some hot water. Breakfast at 8.00 am Porridge followed by toast and marmalade. During the breakfast table conversation Jenny stated that she didn't wear makeup! exactly on cue QUACK QUACK QUACK QUACK  was heard as a family of passing ducks dissolved into paroxysms of laughter! (an event that was to be remembered throughout the entire week). With Steve at the tiller we set sail at 08.45 passed through the Bascote locks (two of them operate together as a staircase lock)

we used the width of the lock to pass another narrowboat going the opposite way

then cruised serenely onward stopping for lunch just after the 8 Stockton locks.

We continued after lunch round the Napton turn without incident onto the shared stretch of the Grand Union / Oxford canal

and on to the famous Braunston Junction. This magnificent triangular junction with ist black & white cast iron bridges led us on to the Oxfrod Canal proper.

Here we encountered many more boats and avoiding action was required more than once.

Steve managed to misjudge a corner and tried his hardest to anihalate two sunbathers when he decided he Kate Elizabeth needed a trip ashore. Im not sure who was more surprised, the sunbathers when they realised that the boat probably wasn't going to stop and jumped out of the way, or Steve who hadn’t seen them until they leapt into view just before we gently nudged the bank with the engine running full astern. A little further on, on a tight bend, we met a boat coming straight at us at full speed. It seemed certain that we would be hit amidships but with both boats at full astern what seemed like a certain smash ended up as a front end glancing blow. Barbara describes the incident rather well "I was at the sink and turned round to see the window filled by the front of another boat heading right for me!". All boats and crew survived intact although we were pushed into shallow water nearly running aground. With Mike taking the tiller to give Steve a short break we stopped to give a couple of heavily laden shoppers a lift back to their boat....... and managed to run aground whilst picking them up. Thankfully with the help of some nifty pole-dancing by John

and helpful advice from the two experienced boaters we refloated and delivered them and their shopping to the stern of their boat.

We continued without incident to Hillmorton where we stopped for the night just before the flight of locks. Another dry and slightly overcast day.

Day 3 Monday 15th Sept 2008   -   approx 19 miles cruising - 4 locks

A cooked breakfast prepared the crew for an early 08.45 start through the Hillmorton locks and round the outskirts of Rugby.

The 250 yard long Newbold Tunnel (the tunnel of light) was illuminated by floodlights with coloured filters make an attractive feature of an otherwise gloomy tunnel.

Onwards to Stretton stop

where a hire boat from the fleet based there decided to do an 18 point turn to enter the boatyard. This caused some concern to the crew but Captain John kept the boat straight enough to "shoot" the stop lock once a gaggle of boats had passed in the opposite direction. Part of the crew (Barbara & Jenny) disembarked to visit the shop and pick blackberries (dont ask about the muddy boots!) for the evening meal whilst the rest propelled the boat along the cut. We stopped after a while to let the shoppers catch up and took the opportunity to make the most of a very light breeze to try to fly a kite or two (just about got a swallow flying, Steve's cutter didn't want to know!).

With the girls back on board we approached Hawksbury Junction. Hawksbury boasts the shallowest lock (a drop of a mere 6") and the tightest turn (180 degrees onto the Coventry canal) on the canal system. This was accomplished by captain John in a masterful fashion needing just a short reverse to straighten up the bow before collecting most of the crew (who had leapt ashore to capture the event on film) at the stop lock.

Pushing on in failing light we turned left at the Marston junction and moored for the night near to bridge 17 just outside Nuneaton (interestingly this was next to an area known as Griff Hollows that was the inspiration for Red Deeps in the Mill on the Floss by George Elliott who lived nearby). Dry day again - what's going wrong its not usually like this!

Day 4 Tuesday 16th Sept 2008   -   approx 20 miles cruising 13 locks

Off early as we had a long distance to travel to avoid mooring up in Birmingham, we were under way by 0815. We dropped off the Female members of the crew at Atherstone locks to go for provisions while the flight of locks (11 in all) was negotiated. The plan was for us to refill with water (getting to the water point was a challenge achieved by nosing into the bank and roping the front of the boat in to the watering point) then descend the locks and meet the girls at the pub.

The water supply was extremely slow and we had only just entered lock 2 when the "where are you" message was received so the pub had to wait and we passed through the slowest set of locks we had encountered so far! Lunch was taken on the move as we sailed past Polesworth and through Nuneaton before reaching the Fazeley junction. Looking inoccuous on the map this was a killer turn over 90 degrees immediately after a very narrow bridge and stop lock (couldn't start turning the boat until the stern had passed through the stop lock which left very little room to manoeuvre). The turn was ably negotiated by Jenny with the aid of another of our pole-dancing crew Mike.

This turn led us on to the Birmingham and Fazeley canal passing Drayton Manor with its famous white "Tower Bridge" and the Kingsbury Water Park before mooring near the Dog and Doublet for a well earned meal.

Everyone we meet is commenting on the dry weather 4 days on the trot now "not like the last couple of weeks" they all say.

Day 5 Wednesday 17th Sept 2008   -   approx 16½ miles cruising - 22 locks

An 8.30 start today and the voyage continued with a slow journey through the 11 Curdworth locks (lock 7 especially slow!)

under the M6 toll road and through the Curdworth tunnel.

The canal then began to weave its way through the increasingly industrial backwaters of the outskirts of Birmingham leading through the "tunnel" created by a factory that had been built over the canal and on to the Salford Juncton.

The Salford junction is where the Tame valley canal, the Birmingham & Fazely canal and the Saltley cut (Grand Union) all meet. This tricky turn takes place under one of "Spaghetti Junctions" many slip roads, an area filled with the stench of traffic fumes with the canal covered with a slick of diesel creating some wonderful coloured patterns on the surface.

The turn onto the "Saltley cut" (the Grand Unions "bottom road") is not immediately obvious as it is once again a turn of over 90 degrees and not visible until you are right on top of it!

The turn was once again completed with the aid of the pole team and we cruised sedately away from the roar of the traffic to moor for lunch outside Star City, a casino complex.

The 5 locks of the Garrison flight came next. Imagine our surprise when we arrived at the third lock to be greeted by a group of 20 or so year 6 schoolchildren out on a lesson by the canal to learn how the locks and canal worked. We arrived just at the right time for the teacher who said that watching a boat using the lock explained how it worked far better than he could put into words. The kids couldn't believe that we actually lived on board and many wanted to join us.

Sadly we had to leave the children behind and head for the Bordesley junction where we would turn our back on the big city and head back into the countryside again. Bordesley junction links the Grand Union proper with the Saltley cut and the Birmingham and Worcester canals and is a dark and gloomy industrial setting. The turn leads immediately to the Camp Hill flight (6 locks rising 84 ft) quite a surprise to turn the corner and be confronted by a closed lock gate with nowhere to offload the crew!

A reversing manoeuvre brought us alongside on the Birmingham side of the Saltley cut and the lock crew had to cross a couple of bridges to reach our destination Camp hill lock No. 1. This is an impressive flight that turns a corner and accompanies one of Birmingham's main roads out of the city. One or two tight bends and fairly deep locks that start very industrial become fairly rural and end by the old BSA factory.

The Grand Union slowly leaves the industrialisation behind and we had a gentle cruise to the safe moorings at Catherine De Barnes an impressive name for a very ordinary place where we moored for the night.

Having had two fairly long and busy days it was decided that with not far to go to get back to Warwick we would take it easy and have a lazy day tomorrow. Nice dry warm day again! surely we are not going to break the jinx.

Day 6 Thursday 18th Sept 2008   -   6½ miles cruising 5 locks

A late start today as we are nearly home and in need of a relaxing day. We left Catherine de Barnes and started our gentle cruise only to find the way blocked by a rogue narrowboat that was diagonally across the canal! A boarding party was dispatched and using Kate Elizabeth's bows we gently nudged the offending craft towards the bank. It transpired that she had pulled out her bow mooring pin and with no one aboard and drifted across the cut.

The boarding party soon had her safely moored up once again and with our good turn for the day completed we could resume our journey. towards the Knowle flight (5 locks descening 42ft). We were in need of water having not filled up the day before and stopped at the water point at Knowle top lock to fill the tank. We were joined by another Kate boat, NB Edna Marie, who joined us on the water point while we waited for another boat to come up the flight.

With the locks set in our favour it was decided to cease the water fill and resume at the bottom water point, the hose was run in and safely stowed and we made our way down the flight accompanied by Edna Marie.

Safely down the flight we headed for the water point as Edna Marie continued along the canal. Once moored we ran out the hose only to find that in our eagerness to get down the flight someone had left the hose coupling attached to the taps at the top of the lock flight. So off Steve trudged to retrieve the vital piece of equipment that he had left behind, luckily it was still there and on his return we were able to continue to fill the tanks. Moving 100 yds off the water point we stopped for lunch.

The plan was to continue to the Kingswood junction where we would explore the Lapworth Flight (on the Stratford on Avon Canal). Looking for moorings close to the junction we managed to run quite firmly aground. All hands on deck was called and with significant heaving on the long pole including a pole vault off and back onboard by the suicide squad and redistribution of the crew to move the centre of gravity we eventually got the boat moving again and moored 500 yds further along the canal. We all then disembarked and went to look at the impressive if rather complicated junction between the Grand Union and Stratford Upon Avon Canals.

John & Jenny fancied a walk to Packwood House (NT Property) the rest of us had a sedate stroll along the canal watching others working the Lapworth flight of locks, made a nice change from working them ourselves. We all met by a picnic area and made our way back to Kate Elizabeth for dinner on board.

Another lovely dry day!

Day 7 Friday 19th Sept   -   9½ miles cruising - 23 locks

Aha me hearties, shiver me timbers Jim lad, tis national talk like a pirate day - quite apt methinks! The day dawned bright and sunny, the hottest day so far. With the Hatton flight looming but not far to go we had a leisurely start to the day we cruised through the Rowington "Tunnel" not actually a tunnel just a deep cutting then through the Shrewley Tunnel a proper tunnel this time 443 yds long and extremely wet! Waterproofs were needed for the first time in the week while the crew battened down the hatches and hid indoors leaving only Captain John & Able Seaman Barbara outside.

Back outside again the sun quickly dried off the seats and we were able to enjoy the wonderful day. We moored up near Bridge No. where we disembarked and walked to the Hatton Craft Village. Slightly misnamed this is a small designer outlet centre set alongside a farm centre. Very warm in the sunshine much to nice a day for shopping! The major problem was that the world wouldn't stand still so we all rather lurched around in the sun. Back to the boat for lunch to fortify ourselves for the dreaded Hatton Flight the so called "Stairway to Heaven" or in our case stairway from heaven as we were going down!.

We paired up with NB Debbie's Delight crewed by a trio of Germans and swiftly assumed a good locking routine.

The two German men went ahead to set the locks ready for the British crew to see the boats through and lower them to the next level. 21 locks lowering us 146½feet down the hill towards Warwick.

It was very hot and by the time we had reached the bottom lock we were all pretty exhausted.

But not much time to rest as very soon just after the Budbrooke junction the 2 Cape locks hove into view. This started the debate to go down the locks and moor up at the bottom or moor up above the locks and do the first thing in the morning. We decided to go down so meeting up with Debbie's Delight once again we descended our final two locks and moored within earshot of the lock gates, and as it turned out within earshot of a building site where they were working into the night.

Dinner was a wonderful meal in the Cape of Good Hope pub - reached by walking up to the top of the lock flight and walking across the lock gate arm! no mean feat in daylight but great fun in the dark after a few drinks! Nobody fell in and all the crew made it safely back to bed.

Day 8 Saturday 20th Sept   -   400yards cruising - no locks

Kate Elizabeth had to be back at the boatyard by 09.00 so it was early up and frantic packing. A swift breakfast was had attempting to use up what supplies we had left before Steve took the tiller to take us home.

A very short cruise, under one bridge and before we knew it we were mooring at the boatyard. Good driving Steve! the boat we had to moor against still has all its paintwork intact. It was sad leaving what had been our home for a week and we all suppressed the odd tear as we packed our cases back in the cars. Guess what?.... it was still dry and sunny. That makes a whole week with 5 remlaps all together in one place without a single drop of rain! This must be some sort of record!

A great if somewhat tiring week was had by all and I would like to take this opportunity to thank all involved. We survived a boating holiday with 5 adults in close proximity with no fisticuffs and only one wet foot (if you ignore the muddy ones the girls had while blackberrying. A wonderful experience that we hope to repeat someday (not to soon though we need time to recover!)

Mike