Sunday 15 July 2012

Successful day

Boats kept coming past all evening yesterday, the latest at well past 9 o'clock.  I heard them drop the engine revs, but the boat still went past with a huge bow wave and a significant wash.

This morning was beautifully sunny.  I set off just before 9, heading for the winding hole at the entrance to Kingfisher Marina.


I turned without difficulty and made my way back to Thrupp Wharf.  Yet again there was someone moored in front of the no mooring sign, which adds another dimension to the tricky turn into the marina.  Then I turned the boat to reverse onto our pontoon.  It all went well, which was just as well because our neighbours were watching as they had breakfast in the cratch.  Our other neighbours are out at the moment, so I had a bigger slot than usual to aim at.

At about 10.30, I walked to see a boater I'd arranged to meet for a magazine article.  He agreed to take his boat down to Cosgrove lock and back, so I could get photos.  I was doing my own photos on this occasion, so I took dozens in the hope of getting some good ones.  The sky was blue with white fluffy clouds, so that helped.

I returned to Briar Rose for lunch, and pretty much wrote the article.  It's amazing how easily 1400 words come these days.  Mid-afternoon, I headed for bed for a couple of hours sleep, in preparation for night shifts which start tonight.  I'll be setting off for London in about an hour's time.

During the afternoon, Alan Fincher left an interesting comment on a previous post, about the side shaft in Blisworth Tunnel.  I had a conversation with him about it at Stoke Bruerne last month.  I'm clearly going to have to do a bit more research to get to the bottom of this mystery.

2.5 miles, 0 locks.  (16 miles, 2 locks)

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