Another interesting day.

After using the new layout of the cassette wc and it’s supporting wall panel, yesterday I decided to improve the access by cutting a curved section out of the panel. It saves you bashing your shoulder each time you enter the area.

My plan for today was to move somewhere that I could moor and organise delivery of the shower tray and screen. As I wasn’t sure how long delivery might take I though it prudent to fill the water tank first, the tap was about ½ mile behind me, so having winded (turned around) it was then a slow trip back over the Iron Trunk Aqueduct and past all the moored boats to arrive at the water point, my timing was out and someone was just starting to fill their tank, so I moored and waited. After a while the large boat that was previously moored behind me arrived having the same need for water, we both needed to fill and wind again, he decided to hover in the winding hole, and as luck would have it two boats were coming through the lock and one other was waiting to go in, it made for an interesting time.

Me waiting, boat ahead on water point, large boat in winding hole
two boats about to emerge from lock and another hovering mid-stream behind me.

When I moved to the water point the large boat winded and took my place, I filled and winded and was on my way, it all took 2 hours to get back to where I had cast off earlier.

I needed a ‘proper shop’ so had to stop at Wolverton where there is a large Tesco and Asda, all was going well as I arrived and saw the moorings where empty,

Wolverton wind tunnel

then I discovered why, it was a wind tunnel in conditions like today, I moved to the bank as usual but struggled to get the stern in close, when I eventually did the bow was being pushed out by the wind, it was a struggle to pull it in, by the time I had tied the bow the stern was ¾ of the way across the canal, try as I may I couldn’t pull it in, so I walked along the gunnel and by easing forward until the bow rope was tight I slowly managed to swing the stern in using gentle revs and engine power, even hopping off quickly and tying it was a fight against the wind.

I did two trips to the shops getting back to the boat just in time for the rain and ‘proper’ wind to begin, good that I’d avoided the rain but I did not want to be there, so I was glad it all died down after an hour or so and I set off again passing the railway mural before bridge 71a.

An uneventful trip from then on, crossing the aqueduct at New Bradwell.

and arriving at my intended mooring for the night in front of 'The Black Horse' pub and hopefully stay to organise my goods.

I was soon to discover otherwise, Google Maps had shown it to be what I needed, a mooring with a Pub car park and access for delivery, what it didn’t show was pedestrian access to the car park was down a high steep muddy slope, access to the pub was easy but it’s built on a hill with no easy access to carry goods from the car park to the tow path, so it was a no go, I do not want to be carrying a shower screen in that situation.

It was about 3pm by now so plan B, move on tomorrow and look again!

Totals today: 5 miles