New Cratch Cover

This morning, Tim Garland came to fit our new cratch cover.  The old one, which we think is probably the same age as the boat, was falling apart and leaked through the seams whatever we did to them.  Here's the before and after.

We've gone for two zips each side this time, and the doors roll up very neatly.

Tim was all done by mid morning, so I made preparations to head out of the marina.  Reversing off the mooring was ok; I'd feared the gusty breeze would catch the stern and leave me facing completely the wrong way, but in fact I went straight backwards, and the wind helped blow the bow round.

Cosgrove Lock took an age, but as i wasn't in a rush i chatted to the other boaters around.  A boat was in the lock to come up, but was waiting for either a boat on the water point below the lock, or another one coming down the straight.  As it happened, the approaching boat pulled in to moor, so the water point boat, which turned out to be Tranquility, whom we'd seen a few days ago, came up.  By the time I was ready to go down, a Napton hire boat which had been on the water point above the lock was ready to join me, and as they spotted I was on my own, they offered to do all the work.

Below the lock, a mallard hopped up onto the roof, walked about a bit, then got off the other side.

I moored up at Wolverton.  It's a bit of a wind tunnel here, and I had quite a job to get the boat tied securely.  Various other boats have stopped for short periods, presumably to go shopping, but the only other boat here now has a patrol notice attached to it.

This afternoon, a little boat with an elaborate structure on the front, and three guys on board, came past.  They were electro fishing, apparently to remove zander from the canal.  I know this only because every now and then one would shout 'zander', and other would net the fish and put it in a big tank on the boat.

3 miles, 1 lock.