Hopwas Wood to Shadehouse Lock, T&M

Our mooring last night was just at the start of a military firing range and early evening we could hear grown men shooting at each other. It didn’t continue for long, maybe they all got shoot! Tilly really didn’t want us to move off this morning and was quite surprised that we were both awake and dressed before she’d had chance to have a nap on my toes for the second morning in a row. They’re early starts do however seem to mean that I get to go out all afternoon though, so I’m quite happy to sacrifice my toe warming duties.

Pushing off at 7am again we hoped that we’d reach Fradley junction before the masses, so that we could turn onto the Trent and Mersey Canal and climb the top two locks of the flight without too much waiting. But progress to the junction was slow going. Passing moored boats before 8am we try to pass as slowly as we can, so as not to disturb anyone asleep. At Whittington the large poly tunnels on the off side have been dismantled, their frames lay in a pile and part of the field looked like it had recently been ploughed, wonder what will be growing there soon.

As we approached the junction we decided as it was 10am we’d stop for some breakfast and then fill with water. We picked up a space just before the water points and settled down to our cereal, knowing that any advantage of being up early had already drifted away. Once we were ready for water we joined the queue. One boat finished and pulled out, it’s space instantly being filled by a boat coming through the swing bridge ahead. This didn’t please the lady who was clinging onto her centre rope waiting patiently. But we chatted away the time until another boat moved off meaning we could both nudge up, we laid our hose out showing our intent to be next.

The taps in Fradley are slow, but the boat up ahead didn’t take long so we moved up and started to fill. With breakfast, waiting, water and bins done we’d been there nearly two and a half hours! So the locks were now busy. With another boat passing us the swing bridge was swung open and I went up to close it after we’d come through being the third boat. As each boat turned left another came up from the lock to the right, we’d be the forth in line.

The pound up to Middle Lock has a stretch of permanent moorings on it, which makes waiting for the lock tricksy as only one boat can tie up to wait. As I walked up to the lock I could see the two ladies from the boats ahead of us chatting, I’d expected to see one of them working the lock, but the boat that came from the right had insisted that she had opened the gates for her boat! Her brusque manor and rejection of any assistance had put a couple of noses out of joint. We stood and chatted, waited for the boat ahead to leave and close the gate before all three of us went up to reset the lock. With no-one coming down we worked our boats up in turn, helping the boat ahead and being helped by the one behind.

As the boat ahead of us left Shadehouse Lock I could see another approaching so I stood and waited awhile for them. I’m wanting to be able to cruise through the summer, so any water I can help save is worth a wait. Once we were up the lock we pulled into the moorings where there was plenty of space. Here there are trees on both sides of the cut offering us some shade. Tilly was straight out, avoiding the woofers from the next boat, I went straight into the field to find some friends.

The blue skies have been covered with clouds, which has brought the temperature down. This afternoon I have busied myself doing a bit of touching up to the paintwork on Oleanna. I was going to leave this until we’d done more narrow locks, but this morning Mick managed to put a big dink in the top of the hatch which went right down to the metal. So the blue paint came out and bits were touched in on the hatch and back doors. I then decided to touch up anything blue that has been scraped. So the rubbing strakes both at the bow and stern were rubbed back and touched in. On the day when we got stuck in a low pound on the Grand Union, Oleanna’s bow got caught under a ledge on a bridge hole as the water was rising. This could have ended quite badly, luckily she came free but the ledge left a couple of scrapes on the bow which also got touched in today.

Next job was to glue some felt onto the insides of our fender hooks. These fit very tightly onto our grab rail and I’ve noticed that they are starting to leave small marks on the cabin sides. So with some Uhu and some strips of felt I have covered the insides. They are a bit tighter, but at least the inside edge is now soft.

Mick has connected our router to run directly from the 12 volt supply, which means that it will now work when the inverter is off. Our phones have limited data allowance and latch onto the wifi from the router when it is on. Both of us last month ran out of our allowances as our phones were having to look after themselves first and last thing each day as we turn the inverter off over night. Hopefully this now won’t happen.

2 locks, 8.21 miles, 2 many moored boats, 3 crocodiles, 1 gnome hotel boat, 2.5 hours for breakfast and water, 1 queue jumper?! 4th in line, 5 minute wait for a boat,  14 fenders on 1 narrowboat, 1 shrew, 2 more friends, 4 trees, 2 woofers, 1 lovely catch up call, 2 J’s day, 5004 touched up, 0 blue paw prints, 4 fender hooks felted, 12volt router, 1 tired Tilly.

Springwoood Haven to Grendon Bridge 49

Before pushing off this morning there were a few chores to do.

Every three days we empty our yellow water tank, Mick unscrews the cap on the side of Oleanna, attaches a cap with a hose attachment, hose attached which then goes into a large black plastic tank that we can carry to an elsan for disposal. Once everything is set up I am given the okay and flick the switch inside to turn on the pump to empty the tank which is below our bathroom floor. Today though, shortly after I’d started the pump the noise changed for a second. What followed I could not see, but could imagine. The hose detached itself and a huge pumping plume of yellow water sored into the sky above Oleanna. Those whale gulpers sure can pump! I flicked the pump off as soon as  I could get to it, but the roof and cabin side were covered. Luckily Mick remained dry and an oncoming boat was far enough away to maybe not know what had happened.

Hose reattached the tank was emptied and then Mick washed Oleanna down with canal water. There was still quite an aroma. So as no-one was at the water point at Hartshill Wharf we decided to give the roof and cabin side a good wash down with fresh water using our blue brush. No way would we normally wash a boat on a water point, but today it was done as speedily as possible before we topped up the water tank. I suspect we’ll be being criticised on  Narrowboat Users Group for doing so as we were seen by several boats passing, no-one showed any sign of wanting water, if they had done we’d have moved on and winded to wash her down by hand.

All connections will be double checked in future to avoid a yellow fountain off the port side.

We moved on to find somewhere for lunch before the Atherstone flight. But as soon as we got anywhere near every space was taken. No choice but to start the locks and hope that there would be space five locks down. Except we had to wait, forth in the queue to go down and just as many coming up the flight, an efficient use of locks. The flight has a band of volunteer lockies, today there were four in radio contact with each other, so they can inform each other of boat movements and hold locks that are out of view from each other. We timed our descent with most of them stopping for lunch. But this didn’t matter that much as once down the first lock a boat was coming up in most of the next locks, so gates could be left and boats could just swap over. There were a couple of helpful souls on the flight who would open and close gates for us which made it all very easy.

Coming down the fifth lock we were closing the gates when we were shouted at that there was a boat coming out of the next lock, so we started to open them again. However the chap who had shouted was a local man who is autistic and comes to watch the boats, write their names down and has a great time, we’ve seen him before. He is harmless but you can’t take what he says as what is actually happening, he is too wound up with the excitement of it all, so we closed the gates again and found a space to stop for some lunch.

This however meant that when we pulled out again we were number three in the queue waiting to go down and ahead were a couple of single handers. With no-one coming up the lock had to be reset between each boat. In front of us was NB Ouse Dunnit, who we’d seen in Paddington basin a month ago. Despite living in York they moor on the Leeds Liverpool, we compared notes on various things in York and Scarborough as we waited for locks to fill and empty. After the first two locks boats were evenly spaced so you could help close up and have someone else arrive to help you close up. Towards the bottom of the flight there were boats coming up so we could swap chambers with them.

The sun had well and truly come out and the thought of stopping in full shade kept us going to finish the flight of eleven locks and push on a bit further to find a shaded mooring for the evening. Today we have managed to keep a day ahead of our plan, but instead of it taking us 3.5 hours it took around 6! The number of boats waiting at locks is slowing us down somewhat, and this is still two weeks before the season is at it’s busiest! Glad we’re not trying to do 7 hours cruising a day.

11 locks, 6.43 miles, 12 ft of wee, 2 scrubs, 4th in line, 11th boat down, 3rd in line, 30C, 6 single handing women! 2 in reality, 1 invisible boat coming, 2 hot for sun, 1 catch up tour, 1 shady mooring with trees!

As we were about to push off this morning NB Kallista, one of the Carefree Cruising boats, came past. The last time we followed this boat was near Napton Junction last May and the people on board made very slow progress in open countryside, was today going to be similar! Along the straight before Stretton Stop we could see that we were being followed, Kallista infront, then us, then another. Did this continue along the canal, just 150 ft between boats, a constant stream. The lady on Kallista hopped off to open the swing bridge. This is only a very small pedestrian swing bridge and has a narrow approach at both ends, no space for boats to pass and is only used by the boat yard to access their workshops. After they passed through it was swung closed again, a chap crossed over and then opened it back up for us, so all I had to do was hop off and swing it closed behind us.

Following Kallista was very slow, their tickover past moored boats has to be the slowest known on the waterways, no bad thing. Luckily once they had passed the moored boats the revs came back up and they motored along at a reasonable pace. A few more miles with a rain shower brought me inside where I found that Google was trying to protect us. In our spam folders were emails about our house from the letting agents. A quote for works and some photos of some damp patches that had appeared last week, when will this end! So when a space with mooring rings showed itself we stopped for some lunch and to digest the quote for digging up the kitchen floor!

A few more miles and the pylon forest announced our approach to Hawkesbury Junction where the Oxford meets the Coventry Canal with a stop lock, Sutton Lock. Not too many boats waiting and the water points before were free, so we pulled in to top up the tank and dispose of our rubbish. We were soon joined by NB Kallista who stopped to do the same. A conversation was soon struck up as our shareboat had been with the same company. We caught up on quite a bit of news and heard that the boats currently moored at Welton will be moving to the new marina we’d moored by the other night. So no more spying WD through the hedge as we head to Crick.

Once the water tank was full we each took our turn working through the stop lock, about a foot drop in level. Here the Greyhound pub did it’s best to call us in for a beer, but it was still too early to stop and if we could get a day ahead of ourselves that would be good. One thing that would have stopped us would have been a moored up Tench, Alarum Theatre are performing their show at the pub tomorrow and Thursday nights and it would have been very rude of us to pass them by without at least saying hello. However there was no sign, so Mick brought Oleanna round in one move, under the bridge and turning the 180 degrees onto the Coventry Canal with ease.
Of course once we were a mile or so further on who do we see! A narrowing with a boat coming through so we pulled over to the let them through only to see the distinct bow of Tench closely behind. We waved Heather through and just had time to say hello before the distance was too great to talk anymore. If only they’d arrived half an hour earlier, oh well. Another mile further and Kate came by on NB Morning Mist.

With the sloped sides of the Oxford Canal behind us the Coventry has numerous places to stop, most of the edge is Armco and having just been recently mown it looked possible to moor anywhere. But we decided to continue on and get through Nuneaton (Pooh Alley) today. All the mannequins had moved round and been recostumed at Charity Dock, well apart from The Stig. In amongst all the stuff there was actually a real human being! A first for us here and then at the corner there was actually a gap into the dry dock, admittedly only a small cruiser would be able to get through the gap, but it was still a gap.

Passing the entrance to the Ashby again. We still haven’t been up there, we’re always heading somewhere else and just don’t have time to make the most of it. Maybe next year.

Our destination for the day came into view opposite Springwood Haven Marina. Here there is a wide towpath and plenty of trees to make a perfect cat playground for the evening. Once moored up we got out the barbecue and sat out on our chairs to have food whilst Tilly came back and forth for hours. They don’t think I noticed the bunny friends, but I did! This evening I  heard that I hadn’t been quite the right person to design the panto, disappointed yes, but it does mean that my summer won’t be spent juggling boating with making models and visiting scenery workshops. However if anyone wants a model making, I’m your girl.

Welton Hythe to Rowdyke Bridge 82

After today I now fully understand why some people don’t move at weekends. Busy or what!

We pushed off a little after 10am and stopped just before Norton Junction at the water point to top up the tank. Most of the boats that had moored around us yesterday had already moved on, others came past as we filled with water. An Anglowelsh boat slowly pootled past with 9 people on board, they had been boat 9 in the queue yesterday at Watford and had spent the night at Crick before returning, they were only out for a weekend. Another boat came past and winded at the junction just as we were ready to pull out, so we waited, then pushed out and turned right towards Braunston.

There was a boat light very near the entrance to the tunnel, so Mick pulled Oleanna over and waited for them to pass before we entered, easier doing it here than inside.  It was obvious that there was another boat heading our way, but where would we pass them. Now knowing where the big kink in the tunnel is Mick slowed down hoping that they would pass it before we got there. But distances are very deceptive in tunnels, they didn’t seem to be getting any closer, we passed 100m, 200m, 300m and soon we’d be at the kink. Just after 400m there were the tell tale dints and scrapes on the tunnel walls where numerous boats have hit, we cruised past still with the boat ahead miles away. Eventually we passed him just past the halfway marker only to see another two boat lights in the distance ahead. Once they were passed we could see another boat ahead, going the same way as us, they must have been travelling very slowly.

By the time we reached the top of the locks we’d caught up with them, it was the hire boat with masses of crew. As I walked up to the lock I could see a boat coming out from the lock below and the hire boat were filling the lock! They really shouldn’t have done that, but the lady from the boat seemed okay about it, her husband on the boat however wasn’t! With so many people around a lock I get a bit nervous. No-one other than me checks that the helm is okay before starting to open the paddles, lots of chatting, is anyone keeping an eye on the bows going down making sure they don’t catch on the gates. I’m maybe a bit cautious, but still willing to have a chat whilst I keep an eye on the boats.

I headed down to the next lock to get it set whilst all the others finished above. We were following a single boat down and quite a few boats were also coming up, busy! There was no space to moor up after the pub above the last two locks, so I walked on ahead helping where I could, no-one had to do much! A couple of boats were heading up, once they passed us I could see Mick waving at me. He’d held back where two Black Prince boats were wanting to pull out, so he could jump into their mooring. Tied up we had some lunch before walking down to the chandlers. As locks were emptied and filled we bumped about so much, there was a constant stream of boats in both directions. One boat pulled up for lunch on the lock landing and was soon moved on by a lockie.

Last Sunday I’d rung Wharf House Chandlers to order some touch up paints for Oleanna. They order paints on a Monday so they should be in by Wednesday. However on Monday lunchtime they had left me a message that they had arrived, speedy or what! So whilst picking them up we decided to upgrade our anchor chain and rope in preparation for the Ribble Link. The rope we currently have is spliced together several times and the amount of chain we have isn’t really enough. So another length of chain and new rope purchased along with the paint our wallet was considerably lighter.

Time for the last two locks. So many boats heading down hill. Two went down and we agreed to join a share boat, only for another hire boat to appear from behind us. It was just easier to let them go ahead as Mick hadn’t pulled out yet. Three boats were waiting to go down the next lock, so no rush to go anywhere. There seemed to be no-one coming up, so we came down by ourselves to join the hire boat. The lockie helped on the off side, once the bottom gates were open he would walk round to give the canal a cursory look to see if anyone was coming up, he saw no-one. I however walked down through the bridge to see a couple of boats waiting, how long had they been there! Up they came.

Once down we managed to pass the hire boat. All the way to the marina was chock a block. We wanted to go further anyway. The toot of steam boat could be heard at every bridge ahead of us. By now it was too late to head to the butchers, so no bangers today!  We carried onto the North Oxford, having to slow right down to gently cruise past a boat on the water point and two hotel boats moored opposite. Just through London Bridge there was the burnt out shell of a Sea Otter. These boats are made from aluminium and the damage done to the shell was appalling, burnt down to the water line in parts.

Out in the countryside lines of moored boats slowed our progress. Between bridges 81 and 82 there is the entrance to a new marina. A small pond already had boats moored in it, but heading northwards a huge marina stretches out along the side of the hill. Numerous pontoons are being constructed and the depth of the marina water will be getting on for at least six foot, this section not in water yet. Where will all the water come from to fill it? From the canal obviously, but they must have to wait for the winter months to bring levels up. Today the canal was very busy, just what will it be like once this and other new marinas open up? We will certainly be avoiding the area in the summer months if we can. That’s a shame, there’s loads of friends here!

6 locks, 7.78 miles, 1 right, 1 tunnel passing 3, 2 mysterons, 1 straight on, 1 full water tank, 4 hours down the locks, 1 sunny day, 3 tins paint, 15m rope, 4m chain, 1 splice, 0 bangers, 1 huge marina, 0 water, 3 friends, 87 pounces.

Crick to Welton Hythe

A parcel we’d had sent c/o of Lizzie hadn’t arrived this morning, hopefully it will catch up with us as we couldn’t afford to wait till Tuesday (the marina office is closed Mondays). So once we’d got our Saturday Newspaper we were ready to push off and Lizzie was ready to hitch a ride. Mick slowed Oleanna right down as we passed NB Panda so that Lizzie could step aboard and off we set to Cracks Hill to wind and then return. The view of the hill is filled with fat green trees and the hill itself looks quite parched and brown after the long spell of dry weather.

Back past the marina and we got our last view of Lillian’s yellow, hopefully our paths will cross in the future. A boat had just pulled out from the ABNB pool on a demonstration, but the bridge hole was ours so they got a demonstration of how the boat reversed. In full tunnel mode we followed another boat through Crick tunnel, nothing coming towards us. Once through Lizzie was offered a turn at the helm, excluding the chaps at Finesse she is the third person to steer her. Oleanna behaved well and was complimented, Lizzie has been driving boats virtually all her life.

As we pulled up above the Watford flight it was obvious we would be joining a queue. There were four boats ahead of us and the first was just entering the top lock to go down. With plenty of hands at the ready I put the kettle on and we had a cuppa whilst we waited our turn. Another boat arrived behind us and the crew kept heading to the top lock to help boats go down. Our turn came and before Mick could give the okay a paddle was being wound up, another enthusiastic crew at Watford! The boat ahead of us was still going down in the first chamber of the staircase, so instead of being able to use the water from our lock to fill the next one it was going to waste. Once the lock had equalised we opened the gates and Mick was ushered out to have to wait in the short pound before the staircase.

One of the volunteer lockies helped me fill the top of the staircase and made a comment that the boat behind us hadn’t booked in with them and therefore shouldn’t be entering the top lock! There were boats waiting to come up and we should have been the last going down! He walked up to have a word, there would be no rushing us in the staircase.

Mick gave me the thumbs up once in the top chamber, but we still had to wait for the boat ahead  to clear the chamber below and close the gates, otherwise I’d have started to fill it again for them. Once down and starting to move into the second chamber the chap behind looked like he was about to wind the first red paddle up, so I shouted up to him to wait! Lizzie helped mostly with opening and closing gates and grimacing at the chap behind.

The lockies today were making use of the two pounds at the bottom of the flight to hold waiting boats in. The first pound had one boat in it, the second had two. At the bottom of the staircase someone had already reset the next lock for us and opened the gate. At the next and final lock there were so many windlasses, ours weren’t needed so we hopped back on board.

Exiting we could see that there was quite a queue waiting to go up, but as we progressed the line of boats just kept going and going! Twelve boats in all were waiting to go up and there were tales of canal rage! Each and every person we passed wanted us to say that we were the last coming down. I wonder how long the wait was.

As we progressed along the pound towards the junction we were being caught up. The wake from the boat behind breaking on the banks. Lizzie grimaced again! There was something around the prop and it was now past lunch time so we pulled in opposite Welton Hythe and let the boat behind pass, we won’t be seeing them again as they are heading to London. Once tied up we decided to stay put for the day. Pushing on further wouldn’t get us to the chandlers before they shut in Braunston anyway. So the doors were opened up and Tilly disappeared into the sideways trees without saying hello to Lizzie!

A green boat approached and as she got nearer it was obvious that it was NB Winding Down. The chap on the bow wasn’t familiar, neither really was the chap at the tiller, but we said hello. A lady popped out from below and said she wondered if they’d see us. Lindsey thank you for your email just now, as I thought it was you. Have a good time on the Nene, sadly you won’t see us on your way back as we are heading northwards. Glad that we got to see WD at last this year.

After lunch Lizzie jumped ship and walked up to the junction to get a lift back home. Tilly has spent the rest of the day terrorising the local wildlife and Mick has had a grade 2 haircut and is now enjoying the breeze whilst reading the Saturday paper sat out on the towpath. All calm now, just the masses to deal with again tomorrow in Braunston.

7 locks, 5.79 miles, 1 wind, 1 hitchhiker, 1 boat too hot on our tail, 5 going down, 12 waiting to come up, 1 bottle fizz on ice (thank you Lizzie), 1 WD, 5 hours of freedom, grade 3, 6.15 first boat down.

Today was the day that we’ve been aiming for when we left London. We needed to be in Crick today to do a handover of our lovely yellow boat Lillian to her new owners

After a week and a day of her being on the ABNB website we had an offer come in, a little under the asking price, but a very reasonable offer. We decided to accept it as they seemed keen. Everyone then had to wait until after Crick Boat Show for her to have a survey done. There were only a couple of questions after this, the main one being how to turn the power on to the fridge. The prospective purchasers then wanted to come and have another look after they’d heard back from the surveyor. Our friend Viv who works for ABNB called us on 11th June to say that all was well and ask if we could do a handover today. We wondered why such a wait, when we bought Lillian we signed our contracts the day of the survey and were cruising away with her the following Saturday. But not everyone can do such things and already have a weeks holiday booked to move her. As we were going to be heading north anyway we could make the slight detour up to Crick and it wouldn’t hold us up.

At 2pm today we picked up keys for Lillian and climbed aboard our yellow boat for the last time. We opened up all the doors and side hatch to let some fresh air in. Wiped away some huge cobwebs where the spiders had collected quite a feast on the stern. Mick turned the key in the ignition and she started up straight away, as ever. She was just how we’d left her although a bit dustier and she’d acquired a couple of mugs. We now just had to wait for the prospective new owners to arrive.

Tim arrived first with George their Alsatian, Pah a woofer, on my boat! Elizabeth followed soon afterwards. We gave them a full walk through, Mick concentrating on the technical aspects and me on the more homely side of things like washing of curtains, what we’ve used in the toilet and how to make the sofa bed up (which was a little bit tricksy). Gosh there seemed to be a lot to take in and we were there for what felt like hours, but hopefully everything will be useful to them.

We locked her back up and said farewell for the last time before heading back over to the office to do the paperwork. A few signatures and bank details were dealt with and the final thing to do was a hand shake and hand over Lillian’s keys to her new owners. They headed off to start unpacking their cars and making her their own.

Lillian has been a great home to us and served us well. Elizabeth and Tim have hired boats quite a few times and will move Lillian to a marina in the area. They plan to use her for weekends and holidays exploring this part of the country. She may move further north in years to come as they live in Pontefract. Suspect she’s going to have a bit of a rest from her life with us. It was lovely to be able to meet up with her new owners and show them round. We wish them a happy, bright yellow future with her. If you see them please give them a wave and say hello, they are a lovely couple. Even Tilly has eventually approved of a dog on her old boat.

Whilst at the office we cancelled our C&RT licence, so we should now get a refund for nine months. We’d taken out a three month extension on her insurance which runs out at the end of Monday. Now all there was to do was wait for the money to be transferred. Crick being Crick didn’t help with this! Mick stood outside the office looking to see if the payment had reached our account, only to be told that we’d first receive a payment of £1. Once this showed in our account, we should let them know and the remainder of the money would be forwarded too our account. As we walked back to Oleanna Mick was trying to check if we’d received £1 before 5pm so that we could get the rest of the money today. But it didn’t show in the account until after the office had closed, so at the moment we’ve sold Lillian for just £1!!!! The remainder isn’t likely to reach our account until Monday. In this day and age this seems very slow. Elizabeth and Tim have their boat and we have just £1. Hmmmm!.

This evening we have met up with Lizzie and Gary from NB Panda to celebrate our £1 with a Red Lion steak and a few beers. It was a lovely evening catching up on the news from around Crick, lots has happened whilst we’ve been away. Noel the harbourmaster has now retired and is cruising, we may see him as we head northwards. Andy and Irene from NB Kamili are out on a short cruise (we think they may have passed us on the day we were in Scarborough). It seems that we shall have extra help through the locks tomorrow as Lizzie is going to join us for a jolly down to the junction.

0 locks, 0 miles, 1 day waiting,  3470 yellow miles, 2366 yellow locks, 3977 yellow engine hours, 1 final goodbye, 2 new owners, 2 big grins, 1 large woofer! 2 fingers crossed, 4 steak and chips, 8 pints, 2 glasses wine, 1 jam rolypoly pud, 2 chilled medications, 1 chocolate and caramel stack, £1!

Watling Street to Crick

Once the van was returned we had chores to do before we could make our way up the last lock of the Long Buckby flight. The first job was to put in the new fuse for the bow thruster so that it’s battery could be charged on our cruise today. A load of washing was put on and by the time we reached the water point above the lock it was nearly finished. We topped up the water tank and disposed of all our rubbish.

At the junction we turned right and headed towards Watford. Passing Welton Haven Marina I thought I caught a glimpse of Roger one of NB Winding Down syndicate members. But as we got closer we thought it couldn’t be him as the chap was busy cleaning a cream boat, not the green of WD. The hedge surrounding the marina is now far too well grown and the odd glimpse through to see which boats are at home are far too few to have a really good nosy.

A steady stream of boats was coming towards us from the locks. All fairly close together, who ever was manning the flight today was moving boats through efficiently. There were a couple of boats moored up so we tucked ourselves in front of them so that we could have some lunch before we started our ascent. Another boat pulled up in front of us and went to check in, I soon followed to find the Lockie. Two were coming down and we were to wait for them before going up. The boat in front moved up the first lock and had been told to wait there until the two passed coming down. Mick nudged Oleanna up to nearer the lock gates to await our turn.

An Anglowelsh boat pulled up behind us wanting water before going up the locks. On board was Granny and Grandad, daughter, son-in-law and the two grand daughters along with two dogs. Mum was ever so chatty, so were the girls and all ever so enthusiastic. Tilly wasn’t too sure about them and gave their dogs a hiss through the window. Well they were outside and they had no intention of helping with the locks! Our turn came after a third boat came down the staircase, they’d snuck an extra one in! One of the girls from the hire boat ran up to work a paddle as Mick was entering the lock. Enthusiastic help is all great, but I still wanted to have my home at the top of the flight, so I called out for her to stop. She waited and wound the paddle up slowly as we wanted.

Once we were up into the next lock we were on our own as they all had to concentrate on their own boat now. Helped on and off by the lady lockie we worked our way up the staircase, her husband, also a lockie, keeping an eye on the hire boat below us. As the levels equalised on the top lock Mick checked our tunnel light focus before bringing Oleanna out.

This stretch is very familiar to us, but we’ve never done it at this time of year. Everything is so fat and green compared to two months ago. All the ewes have been shorn very recently, but their babies still have their tight fleeces. It just doesn’t seem right that these huge lambs are still suckling from their mothers who are just about the same size as them! We wondered whether to moor up for the night this side of the tunnel, but decided to carry on and reach Crick today.

With Mick’s new torch on the stern as we approached the really wet section of the tunnel we could see all the veins of deposits made by the water. It made me wonder if we were travelling through a giant Dr Who monster, all slimy and drooling. No photos as it is really wet in there!

Popping out the other side and familiar boats seemed to surround us. NB Waiouru was sitting right outside the office of ABNB, the first boat you’d see. Then in the next section of the marina there was Lillian all jolly and yellow on such a grey drizzly day, she made us smile. We were wanting to moor up as far away from the road as possible for Tilly but a line of boats at that end of the moorings suggested there wouldn’t be space, but Mick spied a gap. The first boat in the line was NB Tyseley, the Mikron Theatre boat. Tyseley hasn’t been well of late, she broke down on the Soar on her way to meet the actors for this years tour. Since then she has had her engine rebuilt at Debdale. We had heard that she was back on the water and suspected that we would pass her somewhere on the Grand Union. The shows at the moment are on a short road tour, which was already planned. So Tyseley must be waiting for her crew of actors to come and meet her to cruise to the next set of waterways venues, most probably on the Thames.

After mooring up and letting Tilly out we discovered that we had no internet or phone signal, not unusual for Crick. But there was a gap big enough for us at the far end of the moorings. Once Tilly was convinced to come home by the local magpies we moved up to be the end boat. Here we get a bit of signal, which is better than none! First we were spotted by Jane who we moored next to when we first bought Lillian and later on I received a message from Lizzie who had spotted Oleanna’s bow from NB Panda. We’re not as obvious as we once were, she did know that we were on our way.

8 locks, 5.41 miles, 1 full water tank, 1 empty yellow tank, 0 rubbish on board, 1 right, 1 wet tunnel, 0 mysterons, 1 hour wait, 1 Anglogerman hire boat, 6 ever so enthusiastic crew, 2 lockies, 2 poles in a rucksack, 2nd mooring better, 2 very chatty magpies!

Watling Street

This morning we picked up a hire van. Well we’d semi hoped for a car, but they were almost £20 more for the day and quite often the Daventry depot doesn’t have enough vans, so you get a car instead. Sadly today they’d found us a van and unfortunately the van wasn’t big enough for us to fit a scaff plank in the back. So we missed out twice, but got what we’d booked.

Today was going to be a damp one, as we drove past Nottingham heading north the drizzle that we’d woken to got heavier and by the time we’d reached Scarborough it was a major downpour! Both of us should have known better heading to Scarborough without a coat, it was around 9C today! However we had taken a brolli. The drive over the top of the wolds brings you down Staxton Hill. Normally as you turn a bend you get to see the sea miles off, nestled between two hills tucked just under the horizon. But today we could only just make out the hills never mind the sea.

Our mission today was to visit our house. Our previous tenants had left the house in quite a state, their deposit has been spent on trying to correct things for our new tenants along with quite a bit of our money. The other day as the old stinky carpets were being taken up some damp floor boards were discovered, along with a rotten joist below. A couple of builders have been to look and have given their versions of what should happen, so we wanted to see for ourselves. We met with one of the builders and Mark the main man from the letting agents. Sadly the simple solution that had been put through was very obviously not going to solve our problems. But our knowledge of what was done when we knocked the houses together will save us money, so it was worth the trip.

It is very odd seeing other peoples things in your house. A back bedroom has been redecorated for their two year old son/grandson, who would have thought a nursery in our home! We just hope that the work that is needed won’t be a step too much for them.

We then had a visit to our possessions on the top floor. Just how much stuff! I hunted out some wallpaper for repairs and Mick found one of our old computers. Over the last few weeks we’ve been wanting various things that were stored on this computer so we have brought it back with us.

A hunt then to try to find a 100 amp fuse for our bow thruster. We reckon that this blew the day we picked Oleanna up in Sheffield as the bow thruster didn’t work that day, but it’s battery had been off and that at the time was thought to have been the problem. But Mick for the last few weeks has been wondering if the battery for it has been charging. After he tested allsorts with his volt meter, he discovered a blown fuse. We’ve been able to use the bow thruster so far, about 20 minutes worth before the battery would stop working by our reckoning, and it is getting quite flat now. We’ll be passing through Braunston very soon, but Mick wanted to get a new fuse to try and rectify the charging issue as soon as possible. So we tried various motor spares places around Scarborough. The third one we tried meant that we parked bang outside a familiar door, we rang the doorbell, but no-one was home.

Scarborough of course has chandlers so we drove round Marine Drive to see if they could help us, this meant that we got to see the sea which was quite rough. Scarborough is on flood alert this evening due to high tides and winds. The chandlers couldn’t help us, but sent us round the back streets near the harbour to a marine electrical engineer. Here the chaps hunted through boxes of fuses, eventually finding the right size which then had to be gone through one by one to find an 100amp one. He had just the one and at nearly half the price Midland Chandlers would have charged a bargain.

So, now soggy but with our missions accomplished it was time to drive back to Long Buckby. Tilly won’t tell us how many boats went by today, but we know of at least one as we have a new neighbour tonight. Here’s hopping tomorrow is a drier day as we need to move on for our next appointment.

0 locks, 0 miles, 1 small van, 1 exceptionally wet day, 0 sea, 1 full Morrisons cafe, 0 coats, 9C, 3 year olds are big, 60cm deep hole, 1 membrane, 1 new joist, 1/2 price hopefully, 1 nursery, 2 sets new curtains, 0 carpets, 1 poorly  house, 2 half rolls, 1 kitchen computer, 0 kit bag obvious, 3 motor spares, 2 windswept yellow butterflies, 2 soggy boaters, 0 Carley, 1 chandlers, 1 full box, 100A fuse, 2 small van, 1 hungry lonely cat.