Pre-Crick: Day 4

I reckon doing one night shift is worse than doing three — I was in bed by 8pm last night, but was awake early this morning.  Consequently we were off at 7am.  It was a bit cloudy and rather chilly, but at least the flag irises were adding some brightness.

Adrian had a work call scheduled for 9.30 so we needed to be stationary in a place with a decent signal, so we stopped just past the big new A45 bridge, in a place we moored a few times before the road was built over the adjacent field.  About an hour later we set off again, then stopped below Buckby locks for another call at 11am.  We had lunch after that and set off again at about 12.30 up the flight.  We were following two pairs of boats up, but there was nothing for us to pair with.

By the time we were in the third lock, we’d met four single boats coming down.  One of the locks has no bar to lift one set of gate paddles meaning they’re out of action, and another has one ground paddle completely missing.  However, the sun had come out and the temperature had shot up.

At the top lock, Sheila from Salodin walked up, being moored round the corner.  It was great to have a brief catch-up with her, and of course we’ll see her at the Crick Show.  We turned onto the Leicester line — the moorings in all directions at Norton Junction were busy — and carried on to Watford locks, getting there a bit before 4.  I wandered up to find the lock keeper and get us booked in.  There was a boat coming down the bottom lock of the staircase and the two singles were set for it, so they asked us to wait until they were down.  We used the time to put some water in the tank, but within about ten minutes they were down and we could go up.  With two lock keepers on duty, I had to strategise just to get to wind a paddle myself!  Adrian made a great turn from the second lock into the staircase, which is a tricky one.

We fair sped up the locks, and with a boat arriving at the top we could leave various gates open.

At the top, we carried on a bit.  When a lovely length of piling in a sunny position with no boats on it presented itself, we moored up for the night.  Bridge 9 is visible ahead; I think in the last we’ve moored the other side of it.

13 miles, 14 locks.  (32 miles, 23 locks)