A bit more than I had expected

I decided to move just a mile up to Gayton junction where the Northampton Arm branches off, it would only be a hop so I was in no hurry at all. I walked into Blisworth and got some milk and when I got back to the boat Karl was getting ready to get the bus into Northampton, I will be going down the Arm a little later maybe around 2nd or 3rd July but Karl does not want to do it, there are 17 narrow locks so 34 to do the return journey but I have my reasons for wanting to put the effort in.

So around 11:30 I set off, past this lovely Bungalow

it had beautifully landscaped grounds with a large pond behind the tree on the left but I couldn't get a shot because a boat was approaching and it was too difficult to turn back as I was passing the other boat.
On a bit further past Blisworth Marina

and then through bridge 48, the Northampton Arm goes off to the right and I am intending to moor up on the left as soon as possible after this bridge.

So I spot my gap and start to knock off some speed by slipping her into neutral, when the time is right I turn into the gap by giving her full right tiller and a short burst of forward gear, then once I have the bow where I want it full left tiller and another burst of forward to bring the stern to the bank, at this point I am only at crawling speed but a short burst of reverse will slow me to a stop, into reverse and the response is a loud bang/clanking noise and a puff of white smoke and the engine stalls, 'that's not good' I think but more pressing is getting the boat stopped and moored, as I was only crawling into position no real problem, once tied up securely I put the kettle on.

Tea made, start the engine and she runs ok, lift the engine cover all looks normal, a stab into forward gear (I know I shouldn't with the boat moored but it was literally a second or two), that shows nothing, repeat but in reverse loud clank, juddering and puff of white smoke and she stalls.

Ok so something wrong, stalling, I have read this in other blogs, trip down the weed hatch required.

I finish my tea, open the weed hatch and put my hand in to find it totally filled with something thick and plasticky feeling, pull some out and this is what I find

I am not sure, at this point, what it is but I suspect it's a cratch cover or something similar, 1 hour 15 mins later some bruised ribs and one very sore forearm and a lot of tugging pushing and pulling from inside the weedhatch and hanging off the stern and reaching underneath and this is finally released.

It's a heavy duty tarpaulin about 3metres square, probably blown off a boat. I let it drain for 10 minutes and carried it off to the service point bins situated just inside the Northampton Arm.

Now at this point my fortunes change, I have been trying to get rid of my 240volt redundant fridge in a responsible manner i.e. not dumping it on the towpath for others to deal with, there is a couple moored opposite me working on their boat so I shout across and ask if they could use it F.O.C., the young lady walks along the towpath over the bridge and back down the towpath to my boat, has a look and say's 'yes please' I suggest to her partner he unties his stern and poles the boat across leaving the bow tied and I can pass the fridge across to him, and then he can pole it back again, it worked perfectly, but the clever chap was also thinking and had tied a rope and bought it across, so he just pulled the boat back, now I have a clear cabin again and they have a fridge. Lovely jubbley. 

Tonights mooring

Total Today: 1 mile