Summer had better be here....

.....I’ve run out of smokeless fuel.

Yesterday was warm, so I let the stove die down until the evening when I decided just to add the last of my smokeless, it was warm enough so I wasn’t cold. This morning was chilly so I put the central heating on for an hour.

At 9:45 I decided to move on to any one of three potential stops, the first being Newbold. A boat moored in front of me moved off as I was getting ready so I left it 10 minutes before going, now I don’t rush along but within 10 minutes I had caught up with him.

The next picture is approaching Brinklow Marina, the entrance is the white bridge on the right, I had the camera in hand to take a picture into the entrance but as I got quite close a boats bow appeared from the marina, so a blast on the horn had him into reverse to pause while I passed, a friendly wave and thank you from both of us as I passed him, then he emerged to follow me afterwards.

So now I had a slow boat in front and a boat following me, summer is definitely on the way.

Approaching Newbold tunnel I had allowed a gap to open up in front and as the lead slow boat went through I could see a tunnel light on a boat waiting to enter at the other end, Newbold tunnel is only 250 yards long and is two way working but he was obviously waiting for the lead boat to clear, the boat following wasn’t attempting to push me along so I assumed he was in no hurry and erring on the side of caution I waited for the other boat to enter and emerge, it was as I suspected a hire boat and the operator thank me for waiting.

Then it was my turn, my flash worked for once and here’s the result.

Newbold was, as I had suspected yesterday busy, in fact there was only space for boat at the far end of the visitor moorings so I decided to carry on the second option at Rugby.

After this initial straight section where I moored last year and didn’t like it much the canal is quite narrow and bendy so the camera was put down while I negotiated the full visitor moorings on either side of the canal, so it was on to choice three, before or after Hillmorton Locks.

Approaching Clifton cruisers hire base it was difficult to see a way through with hire boats being prepared for the off and three abreast, I had again caught up with the boat in front of me, thats him squeezing through on the right.

It began to get busy on the moorings approaching the Hillmorton locks, so as I had moored after the locks before I decided to take an available mooring before I reached them.  The internet if a bit weak but I have TV.

Tonights mooring

Totals today:  7 miles : 1 tunnel