More Locks

Wednesday 18 June

After negotiating the first lock of the day outside the Cape of Good Hope the boat got stuck on the bottom just outside it. All it would do was to pivot about its centre going neither forwards or backwards. Out came the pole only to repeat what the engine had been doing! With the boat across the canal the bank was tantalisingly close with a handy bollard waiting to be noosed by the bow rope. At the third attempt this was achieved but pull as we may and with engine assisting, we were going nowhere. After a few minutes a passer by was collared to help in the struggle and gradually we got her to inch forward towards the bank. Phew!!
We were fortunate to be able to share locks again today with crew of five lads who had hired a boat to pub hop between World Cup games. They left us at Long Itchington where there were a selection of pubs to chose from in order to watch tonight's game.
It wasn't long before another hire boat with an eager young family aboard came along and we were able to ascend the Stockton flight of 10 locks including the two at Cuttle.
Enough for today and we settled just beyond Blue Lias marina and outside the Boat Inn. It was a lovely sunny evening and so we dined outside and retired to the bar to watch Spain get beat again!

Thursday 19 June

Only three locks today before we were to reach the long pond into Braunston. When we got to the first lock there was a beautiful seventy footer that we were able to share with. She had a 1936 Gardener engine whose slow decisive thump, thump was to die for! They were on their way to berth in a new marina at the end of the Ashby canal.
We were then into rolling countryside where we spotted the first of the summer's haymaking activities.

We also spotted our next boat!

It wasn't long before we arrived at Braunston  The canal reached here in the 1770s and its proximity to main turnpike roads made it an early centre for transhipment of loads. It remains today a central point on the canal network.
During our travel today we took stock of our route and decided that rather than press on up the Grand Union canal to Leicester, Sawley and then onto the Trent and Mersey to Fradley Junction, we would take the shorter route up the Oxford and Coventry canals. That way we would save 67 locks and 66 miles and give us more time to relax and explore. We also planned to visit the Ashby canal that we haven't seen for many years.

Braunston Turn

At Braunston turn we veered right under the iconic cast iron bridges and the idea was to to wind at the marina so that we would be facing in the right direction in the morning. As we approached the marina we spotted James and Hazel on nb Gabriel who are fellow Boaters' Christian Fellowship members. Also there was a convenient mooring astern of them. After a welcome cup of tea aboard their boat and catching up on things we decided that we would all go along to the Admiral Nelson this evening to watch a performance staged by the Mikron Theatre. We were joined by four other BCF members namely Peter and Jean Web aboard Arachne and David and Brenda Gooding from nb Shammah. It was a delight to meet them all again.

The Mikron company have been performing for 43 years canalside and this the third time that we have seen them; a superb performance.

Friday 20 June

With time on our side now we had a relaxing start with Dianne walking into the village to buy a loaf of bread to leave Keith to catch up on the ship's blog. When Dianne returned we joined James and Hazel to enjoy a traditional cooked breakfast aboard a tastefully converted Springer just along the cut.

 

 

It was time to say our goodbyes and so we headed North up the Oxford canal to moor just short of Newbold on Avon and enjoy a nice meal aboard before trundling along the towpath to visit the Barley Mow.