So, yesterday (Thursday) we got up early (6-30am) and got away about 7-30am which is early for us and travelled 3.5 miles to Hillmorton. Before tackling the locks we stopped on the waterpoint to fill up. This took an absolute age as the pressure, not very high at the best of times, is halved when someone else is using the other tap, which someone was!
I had plenty of time to walk the cassette up to the elsan disposal which is on the non towpath side of the canal between the first two locks. Meanwhile the chap on the hire boat behind us was telling Ken all about the disasters that had befallen him and his crew during their trip! Apparently one of them was now in Coventry hospital and his wife had buggered over this morning as well!
After about 30 minutes the tank had filled and we were off. Then there was another delay due to there being damage to the coping on one of the middle locks resulting in the top of it not being wide enough for a boat to get in. Consequently it was shut resulting in the closure of 2 of the other as well so that there wasn’t a backlog in the middle and also to regulate the water flow.
I should explain that Hillmorton Locks are comprised of 3 paired singles and usually you can use either one of a pair so that two boats can go up or down or in either direction at the same time. However with one of the centre locks out of action and one of each of the other 2 pairs closed this made it slower for the queue which had started to build.
Anyway we finally managed to get clear of the locks and carried on another 6.5 miles and moored up about a mile outside Braunston. Braunston is a bit of a boating Mecca and can get really busy. However, as we discovered when we walked in later this day this was not the case! Not to worry though because we were quite happy with the mooring we had selected and it was nice and quiet.
Ken was going to do some fishing but was once again thwarted by the weather as it started raining as soon as he thought about getting his gear out!
Today (Friday) we have travelled another 8 miles and the 3 locks at Calcutt and are moored about half a mile from the top of Stockton Locks. Calcutt locks are the first of several doubles I will have to do before we reach Warwick and I was assisted at the first of these by the crew of a Viking Adrift boat which was coming up. They had come from Czechoslovakia and were amused when I told them I had been taken for English lessons at school by a Czechoslovakian lady!
After mooring we walked down the locks about a mile to The Blue Lias which is a really nice pub which we have been to before obviously. It has had a bit of a makeover since the last time we were there. Talking of that The Boat Inn at Birdingbury Wharf at the top of the locks, which was shut the first time we came here and had just been reopened last time has also had a makeover but we didn’t go in there this time.
Ken is now fishing and has actually managed to catch some fish!
Tomorrow we are going to do Stockton Locks.
