Spring Cruise: Day 10

Finally free to leave, we slipped away from Aylesbury Basin at 7.30 — making our way steadily up the Arm.

At the staircase locks at the top, there is still a problem with the paddle between the two locks.  When we arrived, there was almost no water at all in the top lock, and as I filled it, the bottom lock also began to fill.  We made it to the junction after four and a half hours.

Having climbed 16 locks, we then began to make our way down the other side of the hill.  At the two Marsworth locks, an uphill boat didn’t notice that I’d lifted some paddles to fill the bottom lock, so we had to wait while they pinched our lock and came up.

There were a few widebeams on the move, including one at the top Ivinghoe lock.

Here we had caught up with a single-hander called Bob the Welder.  He has a little welding workshop at the back of his boat, and has made his gear lever from chain.  We stayed with him until Grove Lock, with the locks all in our favour.

Through Leighton Buzzard there was a downpour which lasted all through the town.  A couple of boats were just going down the lock, but at least by then the rain had stopped.  We carried on to Bridge 109, a favourite spot.  There are a few boats here, but we have tucked onto the end of the piling.  It was 5.30 by the time we stopped, so a ten hour day — partly because the forecast for tomorrow is very poor.

17 miles, 28 locks.  (56 miles, 70 locks)