Hello everyone.
Wanted to thank you for your advice.
Had the best week. Beautiful leafy chilly days and log burner at night. Flat out by 9pm and a brilliant cure for insomnia. Didn’t decide on route until we got to Autherley and then went with the original plan and headed to Kinver.
Bratch was fine.. really helpful chaps both down and back up. Met some folk at Botterham who insisted bottom lock full and empty top into bottom and let it go over weir. I wasn’t in mood to argue about their “forty years of experience” but it made me uncomfortable as I tend to prefer to stick to the official advice. Did it on my own on way back up way I wanted and it was fine.
Beatiful clear canal, hardly any boaters, and learned quickly about bends and windy canals and a 62foot boat.
I actually found there canal much more interesting than he Shropshire Union and it felt very traditional with some lovely remote moorings but access to shops too.
Cant wait until the next time.