Bank Holiday Weekend: Day 1

I've been on a set of night shifts, but I got away in good time this morning and had an easy drive up the M1, arriving at the marina at 8.15. Just half an hour later i was pulling out of our berth and heading south. I didn't go far -- just to the service block at Cosgrove, because i wanted to empty the loo. I last did it in September, and it hasn't been used for a while so it was well composted down. While I did that, I also filled the water tank, which seemed to be fairly empty.

I'd seen a small boat arrive by road down by the trip boat and be put into the water. As I approached the lock it was just going in, and turned out to be the electro-fishing guys, who I guess are getting zander out of the canal. I did wonder why they'd used the lock when you'd have thought they could have carried the boat down there.

I turned the lock and went down, chatting as I did so to a boater who moors at Taverners, just across from our marina. Next stop was Wolverton, but there wasn't a space to be had on the rings by the flats. One of the boats there was Silver Melody, last year's Crick Show winner, which I did the boat test on. The owners were just going shopping, so I was able to have a quick conversation. I went through the bridge and moored on the piling beyond; the only downside was that the railway lone was literally just a few feet away.

I did some work writing up Monday's boat test, then went to Tesco to fill the fridge and the cupboards. Adrian was on his way on the train, after meetings in London this morning, and he arrived at about 2pm from Wolverton Station. We set off again to get away from the trains. My original target had been Bridge 75 at Stantonbury, but when we got there it was only quarter to three, so i decided to carry on a bit. Just after the bridge we passed the Exbury Egg moored up.

We carried on into Milton Keynes, where I reckon the number of widebeams is fast approaching the number of narrowboats. When we got to Campbell Park, much to my surprise the park side moorings were completely free, so we moored up there. I've already made the meat sauce for a lasagne, so we'll have that and then it'll be an early night, as i will soon have been up for 24 hours.

8 miles, 1 lock.