Mile marker 23 to Ranby 2 day moorings

Floris was still whipping up the air this morning, we opted to stay moored for a while. This meant Mick could do an oil change, a little bit over due but now we’re through the assisted passage we’ve a day in hand. Overalls on, back doors pulled closed, the wind was blowing right in at the stern, he lifted the engine board and got started.

It was handy not to be working locks as some time was required as Frank’s medical PA.

Tilly wasn’t being too busy outside, maybe she’d used it all up yesterday. So to keep her occupied we went for a walk Blackberry hunting. The ones alongside the boat were already wizened as though they never really come into fruit, but maybe a bit further on they would be better. My hunch was correct and quite a mass of almost overly ripe plump blackberries were ready to be picked. Tilly wasn’t much help, but a new patch of sideways trees kept her busy whilst I filled a pot with almost half a kilo of berries. I feel some baking coming on.

I got the wood glue out, time to restick some of the edgings on shelves and cupboard doors. The glue seems to be giving up being sticky in some parts of the boat. So some encouragement for the glue to go in the gap, a good squeeze, wipe down and some tape to hold it in place whilst it dried. Job done.

Mick wasn’t having much luck. The sump drain pump had stopped pumping, not good when you want to pump the oil out! He’d had a go with an electric pump he’d bought from Lidl a while ago, but this would take forever and possibly drain our starter battery. After trying numerous things he ended up giving up today. Maybe rigging up the electric pump to the 24v-12v dc-dc converter in the electrics cupboard so the domestic bank could be used instead?

After lunch we opted to move on a bit to the next mooring.

This morning a CRT tug had come past with a skip boat, as we made ready it came back without the skip, would we be slowly following this to Osberton Lock? They crawled past us, but as soon as they had gone past they cranked up the speed. We followed, at a far slower speed.

This stretch of towpath is currently closed right up to the lock, the next stretch is where the problem bridge is. From the canal it didn’t look like anything was wrong, but looking up the side it’s had quite a wallop and bricks are ready to tumble onto the towpath.

Above Osberton Lock, CRT were just leaving having removed the skip to further up stream, we actually now had a lock landing to land at, then a limbo under the once five bar gate. I lifted the paddles to set the lock just as the heavens opened! Both of us retreated to the shade of the trees, thankfully the downpour didn’t last long. I opted to walk the remainder of the way, knowing I’d not be getting my full quota of steps or brisk minutes done.

Past the green/cabbages/cauliflowers again, if only there was a way down into the field to see what they were. I soon approached the Ranby Moorings. Here at one end sat the boat from The Lock Keeper, they have a cat called Nutmeg, so I headed to the far end of the mooring and loitered for Oleanna. Not only am I now a mad cat lady, but I also loiter on the towpath!

1 lock, 2 miles, 1 blowy day, 1 litre of oil pumped out, 1 litre of oil put back in the engine, 0.5kg of blackberries, 5 edges stuck, 1 cat walk, 1 sharp shower, 0 climbing trees, 1 mad woman waving to the other boat.

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