Sometimes luck is with you.

I had decided yesterday that I would move on today if the weather was ok, so at 9am I walked to Waitrose and bought a few supplies, back on the boat a cuppa and watching the sky until I decided at 10:30 that it wasn’t going to rain or shine, just an overcast day ahead, and I pulled pins and set off, a very uneventful, uninspiring run up to Cowroast, the locks were mostly against me and three of the six had to be left empty due to leakages, so a bit more work than usual. No locking partners and only the last lock was in my favour as a boat was just leaving when I approached, not that I mind really, it’s all part of the fun and unless it’s pouring with rain I don’t mind sitting on the gate beam waiting and watching, I’ll let you know how I feel if I do have to do a cruise in the pouring rain! The scenery is rather dull and the mainline railway runs close to the canal in several places, so no pictures.

One little bit of interest on the journey was a chap cutting overhanging branches off the trees at lock 48, he was sitting (fairly high up)

on the branch he intended to lop off and there was quite a bit of banter between him and his buddy on the ground as the branch swayed about, but he managed to cut the branch on the correct side of his body and the branch fell safely to the ground leaving him where he was.

Now the reason for the title, I was getting low on diesel and had one empty gas bottle so I had been looking out for a fuel boat for the last few days and seen none, my backup plan was to call into Cowroast Marina when I leave here and give them the business but I would much deal with the trading boats. So having moored up just before lock 46 and sorted out a few things I thought I would walk past the lock and Marina and see if any fuel boats were about before ringing a couple of them to enquire their whereabouts, I had just locked up and was getting off the boat when in the distance behind me I spotted Phil on N.B. Hyperion (of ‘Barging Around Britain’ fame, for those of you who saw it) approaching, sometimes luck is with you J. So 86 litres in the tank, a replenished gas bottle and a chat about his 15minutes of fame and life in general before he was on his way again and I went back aboard.

Tonight’s mooring, forward view just before Cowroast Lock

It’s not pretty behind.

 A hedge along the towpath and a car dealership opposite, well it can’t be a Constable painting scene every time.

Totals today: 2.5 miles : 6 Locks