September Cruise: Day 3

We had a lovely evening with Catherine and family, who brought fish and chips from their village.  Also yesterday evening, the boat I was supposed to do a boat test on earlier in the week came past, so I arranged to go and see it this morning.  They needed to be away in good time, so I was there at before 7.30.  I got all my notes, and Andy the photographer is arranging to see them separately.

Back at BR, we had breakfast while it drizzled, and then we set off at about 9am.  It was very murky.

It was also very misty inside Braunston Tunnel, so that we were nearly at the other end before it was visible.  We passed two boats, right at the far end.  At the locks, a boat was waiting that we’d seen go past yesterday evening, clearly (as the price was still in the window) just having been picked up from Whilton.  Yesterday, the guy had also clearly just fallen in, as he was wet and carrying some of his clothes.  The couple had never boated before, but were managing very well and were quick to learn.  We had a really fast transit down the locks, meeting uphill boats at every one and hardly having to wait at all.

At Braunston Junction we turned left, heading for Napton.

We like this section; today there were lots of moving boats, but not as many moored ones as usual.  At Napton Junction, we carried straight on.

We had a boat in front of us at the locks, who turned out to be a single hander.  The volunteer lock keeper worked the bottom lock for him, then we came up.  At the second lock, he’d gone in and I closed the bottom gates for him; he made no effort to get off his boat, so I said I’d go and get the next lock ready for him — leaving him to do the one he was in!  It turned out there was a boat coming down the lock above, so that all worked well.  Of course we saw the single hander at every lock, and in spite of the slightly tetchy start, we were getting along well by the end.  It’s a very pretty flight, one of our favourites, with great views, and the sun almost came out.

Around the middle of the flight, the water buffalo were in the field, but quite a long way away.

We got to the top lock about 4.30 — so quite a long day.  There’s a nice collection of old buildings there.

There was no room on the moorings just beyond the lock, so we carried on a little way where there was some piling, and a few other boats.  There’s a lovely outlook across the fields, and there doesn’t seem to be a road anywhere near.

14 miles, 15 locks.  (36 miles, 29 locks)