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.