A short hop.....

.....and more painting.

Because I’d wanted to moor up conveniently for my visitors the position was not what I normally would have chosen, the railway runs alongside the canal in this area and where I was moored it ran very close and very loudly! On Tuesday I did a quick shop and decided to head off to a better position, I needed a couple of bits from a chandlers so I headed for Whilton Marina, only a short distance about 3½ miles and it would set me up for the next stage of my current trip. 

Here’s a few pictures of this short trip.

This is Jules Fules other pair Southern Cross and butty,
they service the north section of the GU and the Coventry canal.

The old fella is still here, he's another much photographed 'attraction'?

I stopped some distance away from the lock and marina  rather than being too close, where there were spaces, I am now sandwiched between the railway and the M1 but it isn’t as bad as it sounds.

Current Mooring:

The marina and chandlers is just this side of the lock.

 Once settled I started on the next painting job, which is the insides of the two bow lockers, because of the lack of space I decided to do them one at a time, not efficient but  more convenient.

Having removed all the loose and flaking paint and all the loose rust I treated the area with Fertan, which is a rust convertor and another one I haven’t tried yet, time will tell!

A before picture

Yesterday was a washout so I walked up to the Chandlers and bought a couple of bits including a piling pin, also known as a nappy pin ‘cos they look a bit like one.

I attached it to some heavy nylon rope that I had found in the locker by forming and eye around the pin, I then measured the distance between the bow and the piling at 45degrees and formed another eye on the other end.

This is the result in position.

The idea is if I am mooring on pilings the rope will already be on the bow cleat and I just need to drop the pin down behind the piling (where it hooks onto it) and then pull the boat back until the boat is snug against the piling, and then chain up at the stern, it should be quicker and easier than tying up each time, and apart from that it gave me something to do for an hour or two!

This morning I washed off the residue from the Fertan treatment, as per the instructions, and primed inside the locker.

I will probably move on tomorrow.

A lovely unplanned visit.

I was ready to cast off this morning at 8:45, the weather was bright and I had another lockless cruise planning to stop around midday. Just as I was about to set off a boat passed and then the boat behind me moved off as well so I gave them a 15minute head start, it didn’t matter really but I prefer not to be following other boats where possible, so it was just after 9am when I got going.

I was intending to stop at Gayton junction and top up the water but there was a boat already filling and another waiting so I didn’t bother, it was an uneventful cruise so here are a few pictures.

Blisworth Marina.

Rush hour at Gayton Junction visitor moorings, there's two following this one.

Bridge 43a

Bridge 43.

Off canal mooring, room for a small one.

The Wharf pub (well the garden) with moorings for patrons at Bugbroke Wharf.

Just a swing seat, always wondered what they are actually like to sit in.

At around 11am I looked at my phone and found a message from my son,’ where was I today?’, after an exchange of messages we arranged to meet at Weedon Bec which was my intended stop.

I did stop at the water point at Stowe Hill and then carried on to moor up close to bridge 24 which gave my visitors easy access as they could park in the ‘Heart of England’ pub.

Current Mooring:

Totals today: 8 ½ miles.

I had a shower and my son, daughter-in-law and granddaughter arrived just after 3pm, after a chat we walked back to the pub for some lunch then back to the boat afterwards.

Hazel has learnt how to give a thumbs up, I think this one was for the biscuit.

It is always lovely to have visitors and even better when you are not expecting it, thank you for coming to see me.

Into the darkness......

....that is Blisworth Tunnel.

My mooring at Stoke Bruerne was 2 days which fitted in with my plans nicely, yesterday I became surrounded by trading boats, behind me the boat was selling bits and bobs, another selling paintings, another was selling ‘canalware’, ahead of me an ice cream, cake and tea boat, I was definitely the odd boat out and I think a lot of the gongoozlers must have wondered what I was doing there in the middle of was looked like a floating market!

I wanted to move on today anyway, but not too far, the Belgian F1 qualifying started at 11:55 and I did not want to miss it, so it was around 9:40 when I set the washing machine going again, donned my lifebelt and set off towards the tunnel.

The tunnel is two way, with wide beam boats being permitted transit through at 8am on Mondays to Fridays by arrangement only, it wouldn't do to meet one of them half way through, and it's another reason to buy a ‘narra’, Blisworth tunnel is the 3^rd longest in the UK at 3,076 yards, there is no towpath through (hence the lifebelt) and it has airshafts to provide ventilation, it takes about 30 minutes to get through, picture time!

Southern portal.

In the gloom, it's actually not as bad as it looks but my tunnel light
doesn't show up in the pictures, I can see ahead!

Looking up at the roof of the tunnel and an airshaft, this one is concrete lined.

Still gloomy!

Another airshaft, this one doesn't look lined, I paused to take this picture,
it was very wet with a stream of water coming through it!

Daylight again.

Blisworth Tunnel Hut, adopted and restored by Blisworth Canal Partnership
in 2013. I wonder what they use it for.

Northern portal

Having re-emerged into the sunlight I passed by Blisworth Tunnel Boats

and was immediately on the lookout for a suitable mooring, pilings, open to the sun and not too busy being the criteria, a nice section appeared between bridge 50 and 49.

Current Mooring:

Boat on the loose

As I'd approached the mooring I could see a boat adrift at the bow, a few boats had passed me just prior and obviously none though it worth stopping to re-secure him, so after I sorted myself out I walked back, checked there was no-one aboard and re-fixed his mooring pin which was luckily still attached to the mooring line.

All secure again

Totals today: 3 miles : 1 Tunnel

I’ve got the washing out in the sunshine and someone in the distance has lit a nice big smoky bonfire, the joys of being in the countryside, somehow I just don’t care!

Stoke Bruerne.

I spent a very enjoyable rest day far from the madding crowd, I watched that on the BBC, and then catching up with some cleaning, hoovering and dusting throughout and then washing down the shower tiles and cleaning out the filters to the shower and basin, so that is an hour I will never get back! I also checked the weed hatch and removed some electrical wire and plastic off the prop and while it was accessible I also filled the greaser that feeds the stern gland.

As there was no streetlight or any other non natural light I slept well and this morning was surprised to find I woke at 7:15, normally this time of year it’s around 5:30, so that was a bonus, I busied myself and got ready to cast off leaving no later than usual around 8:30.

While I was moored at Giffard Park I had enquired with Jules Fuels when they might be passing and found that they were moored for a week at the bottom of the Stoke locks so I had arranged to stop as I passed by them today, the locks (and the fuel boat) were just over an hour’s cruise time away.

It was very pleasant and quiet, I only passed one or two boats and was soon passing Yardley Gobion with Baxters boatyard and Kingfisher marina, I noted that Baxters diesel was 74p per litre as I passed.

 How about saving some money on your wide beam build cost by having a container plonked on the hull, attractive, no, cheaper, probably!

The countryside around the next village of Grafton Regis makes for pleasant viewing with the harvest now gathered and sheep grazing in the fields with the Church sitting up on the hill.

I spotted the fuel boat pair brested to a single boat just before the bottom lock and headed in to pull alongside, Richard was working on the boats, maintenance time, but stopped to help me tie up alongside before topping up the diesel (69p per ltr) and supplying two bags of smokeless.

It seems so wrong to be considering the fire this early in the year but we have not had a great summer and I thought it sensible to take a couple of bags in case we get a cold snap before October (that’s when I feel ok about lighting the stove!) As there was a water point right opposite I pushed across afterwards and reversed to top up the tank again, I didn’t really need to but it may save queuing somewhere later, I always keep it topped up when I can.

Topping up the water tank.

Having finished with all that I went and set the lock and moved in to find a boat approaching, perfect timing with seven wide locks ahead (20-14) in quick succession it is a big help to share, so I opened the other gate and they joined me.

It all went rather well from there on, there was a wide beam coming down so we left the gates for him and went straight into the next lock that he had left open, then at the next another pair were coming down so a repeat performance.

Second lock of the flight, me on the tiller while others work the lock.

At the third lock my locking companion suggested tying the boats together and he would steer while I and his mate worked the locks, this is the easiest way but I never suggest it, rather let them make the suggestion which tells me they are confident enough for me to risk giving over Quinquireme to a stranger!

It all went smoothly until we reached the penultimate lock where it was necessary to untie due to not enough room to exit the lock tied together.

Now separate and heading for the top lock.

The first of two pubs, The Navigation is just below the top lock

A pleasant if somewhat obscured entry to the top lock

At the top lock there were to volunteers so a nice easy end to an easy ascent, they went out first as I was going to look for a mooring, so we were now in Stoke Bruerne.

Curry house on the right, pub on the left, volunteers doing the work.

It’s a busy popular boating area with two pubs, a canal museum and a curry house (Spice of Bruerne) which is very good I’m told, moorings are often hard to find in the section between the town and the Blisworth Tunnel which is ahead, I wasn’t bothered if I did not find one and plan B was to continue through the tunnel and find a mooring later, but the mooring Gods smiled on me, not only was the easiest mooring available, (it has three nice bollards due to a concrete edge) but someone had painted a personal message just for me!

Current mooring:

Totals today: 4.5 miles : 7 locks

Tomorrow I am going to force myself to have a lunchtime pint, I cannot remember the last time I was in a pub and even in 14 days moored with Karl we never made the effort, thing’s need to change!

The internet signal is woeful.