Yesterday the weather forecast was again for sunshine and
showers so using the same thinking as before I set off around 8am in an attempt
to avoid the worst.
First stop was a pull over to the offside water point just
past the Old Mill pub and fill up the tank. While I was near Apsley I had
walked back to Wickes and bought the last thing (hopefully) that I needed for
my stove job later and also treated myself to a new 25m water hose on a reel,
the old hose had no reel and had developed a number of blisters and one leak
which I had taped up with duck tape so a new one was needed, I had already put
the ends on etc. and it was a lot quicker both setting it up and putting it
away but, there’s always one, a leak from the fitting buried within the reel,
so at some point I will need to uncoil it all and tighten that!
Tank topped up I moved off passing this old working boat
which is crewed by women recreating a journey (I have no idea what journey
though!) but it looked good.
Not far to the first lock, Rising Sun lock (55) just around
the bend from this lot of moored visitors.
There was a crew just entering to come down, they didn’t
need my help but I had a chat while I waited for them. Then it was my turn,
into the lock and tie up on center line, I always tie up in double locks going
uphill because the boat has a tendency to surge forward when you open the first
ground paddle, this is because the water flows down the lock and bounces off the
bottom gates into the stern of the boat pushing it forward as the lock fills, my boat moved
forward as usual but there was a loud crack as the centre line snapped one of
its three strands, this rope is only about a year old, bought on the Kennet and
Avon last year, so I am not very happy about that, but there is a weak point on
both my center lines where they pass through a fitting on the edge of the roof
and it causes wearing, I think next time I paint the roof I will remove those
fittings and I will buy thicker rope! Later in the day I cut off the damaged
end and spliced a new eye on it, it’s about a metre shorter now but will do for
now.
Onwards to the next lock just past ‘The Boat’, I always
think this looks a nice pub, maybe one day I will actually find out.
 |
| Play area in park opposite Waitrose. |
I could see a boat in the distance leaving the lock behind
me as I set off, so either I was getting a locking buddy or they would moor up,
as I set the next lock and walked back to my boat I could still see them but still
could not determine what they were doing, I took my boat in the lock and as I
was closing the left gate all became clear with several blasts on the horn from
his boat, no doubt panicking I had not seen him, but as I walked across and
opened the right gate his friendly wave appeared!
A nice couple, the wife told me her husband was 78 and she
was trying to stop him doing too much, he had slipped into the canal just a
couple of days ago at Apsley after grass cuttings were left along the edges of
the lock by the contractors, she wasn’t happy about that and had complained to
Canal and River Trust.
 |
| Locking buddies heading off to set the next lock. |
We shared just three locks as I wanted to moor up at
Northchurch to maybe have a look around, so while leaving lock 50 we said our
goodbyes and I closed up.
My first attempt to get to the side was aborted after
running aground so I reversed back about 50 yards to a spot where I had
previously seen boats moored and managed to get in there ok.
Current mooring: A
nice section all to myself for now.
The weather held off for me until I was safely moored and then it rained most of the afternoon and evening.
A nice quiet night, I watched the F1 qualifying highlights,
and at 5:45 this morning my usual cup of tea on deck, oddly I saw a bat flying
around, I thought they were only out in the dark!
A leisurely Sunday breakfast
followed by washing and dressing to prepare for my day ahead and another cup of
tea on deck to find that I am now surrounded by fishermen, about 8 that I can
see, 3 behind me and 5 ahead, they were
very quiet setting up though, I never heard them arrive but I bet they smelt my bacon
cooking!
No comments:
Post a Comment