Spring Cruise: Day 5

We knew the locks opened at 8, and we were pretty much ready to set off by that time.  We thought we’d probably be second in line to go down as a boat had arrived last night after the locks closed.  But as we moved round the corner, it was actually moored on one of the water points and didn’t appear ready to move.  We waited on the lock landing and the lock keeper came to see us, to say that at present he was the only volunteer to have turned up and he couldn’t open the locks until at least one more arrived.  More lockies soon turned up and we were on our way at about 8.25.

As we went down the top staircase a boat who’d spent the night at the bottom was also coming up the bottom one, and the idea was that we’d pass in the pound in the middle.  In the event, more that one boat was ready to come up, so we moored in the centre pound while three boats came past.

I used the pause to take rubbish to the bins, and the yellow water bottle to the Elsan for a good rinse out.  Soon enough we were on our way down the bottom staircase.  Yesterday afternoon there had been very little water in the flight, but this morning there was masses, and the lock keeper kept having to run some off.  With a clear run you can do all then locks in 45 minutes; today it took just over an hour and twenty minutes.  At the bottom, Adrian turned onto the water point so we could get the washing machine going while filling up with water.

When the tank was full we headed down the Market Harborough Arm.  We haven’t been down here since our Debdale days (I’ve just looked it up — it was March 2008; we also came on a hire boat, which must have been in 2006) and we really didn’t remember much.  The swing road bridge was being fixed by a CRT man, who swung it manually for us; the bone works next to the canal smells terrible; the mile posts are nice and simple; and the whole thing is pretty rural and attractive.

We did remember the back gardens on the final approach to Market Harborough. We’d passed a few boats going the other way, so we’re pretty sure we’d be able to find a mooring.  When we got to the basin we turned around and moored just outside, tucking into the very first space so the solar panel was in the sun.  It was lunchtime and we had nothing on board, so walked down the hill into town where we had a cheap lunch at Wetherspoons — where I ordered using the app for the first time, so you don’t have to queue at the bar.  We remembered the square with the old grammar school and the church.

We located the railway station for tomorrow, and went to pick up a parcel Adrian had ordered.  When we got back to Union Wharf the boat in front of us had gone, so we pulled forward a little bit so we’re no longer across a bend.

6 miles, 10 locks.  (50 miles, 31 locks)