Down the hatch!

We continued on our way down the Trent & Mersey canal to Fradley junction where we turned on to the Coventry canal with the intention of going on down the Birmingham & Fazeley canal eventually reaching Stratford on Avon.
 
Once on the "Covvie" we noticed the boat wasn't moving or responding as it should given the engine revs we were running.  This called for an investigation, so we moored.  The obvious thought was something round the propeller.  We began by having a tentative poke about with a boat hook.  This confirmed our suspicions. So the next operation is "down the hatch".  Above the propeller there is a water tight hatch which allows you to reach the prop (just).
 
Some lucky person then has to climb down beside the engine, bend themselves double and thrust their arms past their elbows into cold murky water.  Murky, because the prop has stirred up the silt.  Guess who drew thw short straw?  Groping around I could feel something so with the aid of a sharp knife I began to cut handfuls away.  The blip shows the collection of cords/ropes I cleared.  The extra shows the lump of polythene which was also tangled down there.