Coastal sailor does Brummy canals and tunnels

[Adios]

Something different for you. I know this isn't Canal World forum but then I'm not a typical canal user. In fact I don't really have much interest in inland waters usually, all that being locked in feels restrictive after the expanse of estuary and coast. I just happened to be nearby and heard there are some interesting things there. Miles long tunnels have to be explored especially when you have kids. So I bought a little fishing boat, stuck some LED headlights on it and managed to find a slipway at the Earlswood Motor Yacht Club on the south east side of Birmingham.

Thanks to Thomas Telford a vast amount of canal is accessible on one level without needing to use locks, ruled out by being one adult and 3 young kids on board. In the end it took 4 long days of motoring to explore all the canal and tunnels on that level. The longest tunnel was Netherton Tunnel at 2.7km long, with the luxury of towpaths on either side. Wast Hill Tunnel was 2.5km long, no wider than 2 narrow boats with no towpath and only as tall as they needed to leg the boats along. Another one Gosty Hill Tunnel at 500m was only wide enough for one boat. Plus quite a few shorter ones. Wast Hill Tunnel is so long you enter it in down-town Edgbaston and come out into glorious Worcester countryside.

Lots of history, lots of industrial architecture, lots of green, some wildlife and a fair bit of drab industrial landscape but not as much you might expect. We found safe places to tie the boat up each night and got an Uber home and back the next morning. Overall very worth it, sold the boat a few weeks later for what I'd paid for it and the kids loved it all.

Edgbaston


Entering Wast Hill Tunnel its like going pot holing by boat. Just have to have faith that there is an exit somewhere down there



Half way in it got misty but there was a little light at the end of the tunnel



Gradually the dot turns into a framed picture of countryside



A few from around Gas Street Basin in central Birmingham







Some old and new bridges going towards Dudley



Netherton Tunnel, couple of miles long, would be a bit creepy to walk along



In the brilliantly named Gosty Hill Tunnel someone has painted a picture of Dracula which the kids loved of course

 

[Adios]

The heron refused to stay still but I quite like what it did



A half hearted attempt at a faux Amsterdam look



And lastly a bit of an abstract one proving that when photography goes wrong it can still turn out quite nice

 

[rogerthebodger]

Wow that takes ne back many many years till I lived in Halesowen and had my boat at bumble hole near one of the portals of Netherton tunnel

Cruises from the river severn and stourport all the way over to the river Nene in Northampton where I moved too before moving overseas.

Great pics.

 

[rotrax]

We know that area well - glad you enjoyed it.

We always did.

Canal boating was the fastest way to slow down we ever found.

 

[LittleSister]

Excellent photos, and an interesting and cheering tale.

 

[Stemar]

Looks like a great time. Lovely pics!

When I bought Jissel, we were looking for a canal boat because that was what the Admiral wanted. We had a narrow escape on a "project", then couldn't find anything suitable, so we went to a place called, IIRC, Nationwide Boat Sales which had several possibilities. It turned out to be several acres of field with boats of all sizes and types scattered at random across them. We did our tour and crossed the possibilities off the list one after the other, the common factor being that they didn't need TLC as much as a humane killer. We'd seen everything, but neither of us felt we'd finished, so we went round again. That was when we saw a Macwester Rowan that had been left open with a ladder leaning against it, so we went for a nosey. Milady fell in love with the idea of a seagoing boat and, while that one wasn't suitable, I found Jissel on the internet and the rest, as they say is history.

Milady is no longer well enough to sail, so we may end up going back to a canal boat. Unfortunately, we now live a good way from a navigable canal, having moved to be nearer our mooring.

 

[CLB]

As a matter of interest, what sort of boat did you do this on? I assume it has to have the beam of a narrow boat, even if it is not actually called one. Got any pictures? I wouldn't mind trying something like this myself.

 

[Adios]

Milady is no longer well enough to sail, so we may end up going back to a canal boat. Unfortunately, we now live a good way from a navigable canal, having moved to be nearer our mooring.

You would have to work hard to make it seem as pleasurable as coastal boating IMO. Maybe a very cottagey narrowboat with woodburner and a particularly nice part of the canals with not too frequent locks. And enough time to take it places, ideally continuously cruising, or you'll find yourself just going forward and reverse on the same narrow strip of water between dog walkers and joggers.

I tried to have a boat on the Trent but it just didn't inspire in anything like the same way as the coast and it ended up being a big mistake. Too far and not interesting enough to drive me there. Every day on an estuary is somehow different but every day on the river is pretty much the same. Unless its flooding and you can't use it, or the locks are closed half the winter for maintenance, mooring costs are excessive and invariable, not like the coast were you can always find somewhere more muddy for less money. After the coast I think switching to inland would be tough. If not well enough to handle sails I'd rather have a motorboat to move around the coast on calm days and read books at anchor. My first boat was motor only and I'm sure its the being on the water thats the good bit, the challenge and interest of seamanship is almost same. The means of propulsion is quite a minor part of the whole thing, at least for short journeys.

 

[Adios]

As a matter of interest, what sort of boat did you do this on? I assume it has to have the beam of a narrow boat, even if it is not actually called one. Got any pictures? I wouldn't mind trying something like this myself.

Very much an AFD (Average Fishing Dinghy ) Anything less than 7ft wide would work as the locks there are one boat wide and 2 need to pass in the longer tunnels. I'm not sure if the slip at Earlswood is still available to use, the club changed management and they weren't receptive when I spoke to them at a later time, its mainly a place for residential narrowboats despite the name. If close would be better to go down and see if you can charm your access rather than cold calling on the phone. The slip was also very narrow with a kink in it so not for big boats.

If able to go through some locks there are a few other places to put in but not as many as you'd expect. Boatlaunch Quite a few on here are landings which are included as you can put a canoe on the canal there but no slip.

Because ours was so short compared to average narrow boats we had no trouble finding somewhere we were allowed to tie up at boat yards and the one night we were charged it wasn't a memorable amount more a token gesture. I bought a long wire to fix to the padlock used to padlock the outboard on which secured engine and boat to a ring or something on shore.

I've somehow managed to not have a full length pic but this was our 12ft long with a cuddy that was just enough shelter at least for the kids if we got caught out but we had perfect weather each day despite being the November half term. It had bench seats the full length of both sides which made it ideal

 

[CLB]

Very much an AFD (Average Fishing Dinghy ) Anything less than 7ft wide would work as the locks there are one boat wide and 2 need to pass in the longer tunnels. I'm not sure if the slip at Earlswood is still available to use, the club changed management and they weren't receptive when I spoke to them at a later time, its mainly a place for residential narrowboats despite the name. If close would be better to go down and see if you can charm your access rather than cold calling on the phone. The slip was also very narrow with a kink in it so not for big boats.

If able to go through some locks there are a few other places to put in but not as many as you'd expect. Boatlaunch Quite a few on here are landings which are included as you can put a canoe on the canal there but no slip.

Because ours was so short compared to average narrow boats we had no trouble finding somewhere we were allowed to tie up at boat yards and the one night we were charged it wasn't a memorable amount more a token gesture. I bought a long wire to fix to the padlock used to padlock the outboard on which secured engine and boat to a ring or something on shore.

I've somehow managed to not have a full length pic but this was our 12ft long with a cuddy that was just enough shelter at least for the kids if we got caught out but we had perfect weather each day despite being the November half term. It had bench seats the full length of both sides which made it ideal

Thank You. The next question was going to be about the slipway. These seem to be getting fewer and fewer, at least ones for public access that actually have somewhere to park the car and trailer. I'll have a look on Boat Launch. I do have access to a little boat, similar in style to yours but more like 16ft long. It should be well under 7ft beam, though I would have to check.

 

[Adios]

Thank You. The next question was going to be about the slipway. These seem to be getting fewer and fewer, at least ones for public access that actually have somewhere to park the car and trailer.

Might as well try where I put in, called Lady Lane Wharf on boat launch. There's bugger all other places in Birmingham. If you're keen enough and have a decent winch on the trailer you might be better to make a ramp that could hook on the back of your trailer and use that to winch your boat in and out from the side of the canal. There's only a foot drop from the side in most places

You can tip it in here 52°25'15.6"N 1°55'18.5"W

And I happen to know you can tip it in here though there is a bit of foul ground close to the bank to get over 52°34'57.2"N 1°59'37.7"W That's just a place I happen to know and is on the side of a carpark, but there must be countless places with no barrier.

Some angle iron and some bolts and some slit lengths of plastic pipe over the metal. Probably same length as trailer would do so easy to carry. If needs to be longer can do it in sections and put together on site, still not a problem. Post pics if you do

 

[Tzu]

I did something similar in our 17' Silhouette for a day a few years ago, launching at Lapworth.# but just for a day Very tempted to put the mast up too until i looked at the bridges surrounding us

edit: Lady lane Wharf! Now I remember where we launched, thank you!

 

[Adios]

I did something similar in our 17' Silhouette for a day a few years ago, launching at Lapworth.# but just for a day Very tempted to put the mast up too until i looked at the bridges surrounding us

It looks like there is a slipway being used to haul up narrowboats near Wharf Lane. Is that where you went in? Was the marquee over it like it is on google? 52°20'42.6"N 1°46'10.4"W

 

[Tzu]

It looks like there is a slipway being used to haul up narrowboats near Wharf Lane. Is that where you went in? Was the marquee over it like it is on google? 52°20'42.6"N 1°46'10.4"W

No, search for Lady Lane from that page, you will see it.. its about a mile or so further up the canal

 

[Adios]

No, search for Lady Lane from that page, you will see it.. its about a mile or so further up the canal

thats where I put in. When did you do it?

 

[bikedaft]

great pics. cracking fun with the kids thanks

 

[Tzu]

thats where I put in. When did you do it?

Sorry delay.. if you mean how long since our play on the canals in our Silhouette; must be 12 years or even more.

 

[Sgeir]

Great photographs, thanks. All very interesting but I particularly like your Birmingham pictures.

We charted a narrowboat for an out of season week a couple of years ago on the Kennet and Avon canal with some of our grandchildren. We had no canal experience other than on yachts in the Crinan and Caledonian canals, but thoroughly enjoyed it. It's a fine way of experiencing Victorian industrial England.

 

[Bru]

Once got stuck at Earlswood when we ran out of enough water to float ex-FMC steamer President. Had a hell of a job getting her back to where we'd started (long story)

Same boat through Gosty Hill Tunnel, reckoned to be the first steamer through there in several decades, we steam cleaned all the bloody great big spiders off the tunnel roof! I was covered in the damn things from head to foot and i most emphatically do NOT do spiders :0

Happy days!

 

[[2574]]

So if you’re half way through a long tunnel where there’s no “hard shoulder” and the engine dies - what happens then?