Away at last…..

Friday.  

Having unloaded yet another car full of gear, Rog braved Tesco for some last minute shopping, and we left the marina at about 1.30pm.  We had an uneventful couple of hours to our planned overnight mooring, just short of Furnace Wharf near Nether Heyford.

The skies were still grey and overcast, but it was at least dry.  Ozzy settled fairly quickly into his normal cruising spot, up on the side locker, and enjoyed barking at all the sheep and horses in the fields.  Parked cars and people walking also got a good telling off from him, for daring to come anywhere near ‘his’ boat!

5 miles and 0 locks

Saturday. 

 We set off around 9.30, passing the lovely house where I always have to take a photo.  The moorings here are reserved for working boats, otherwise it would be my preferred overnight mooring spot

We stopped for fuel at Stowe Hill Marine, as is our usual habit, and then continued to Whilton for the start of the Buckby flight.  As usual there was no boat in front of us, or following, to share with, so we had to go it alone.  However, it wasn’t too bad a trip up the 7 locks as they were either ready for us, or had someone coming down, so there was usually someone to share the work.  I only had to part empty one lock, and that was because the to gates we so leaky that the lock had half filled after the last boat had gone down.  Buckby Wharf was rammed as usual, but as we prefer to moor just a little further on, at Norton Junction, that wasn’t a problem.  We reversed a couple of hundred yards up the Leicester Arm, and  snuggled up between two other boats for the night.  Again a fairly uneventful day.

Tonight’s mooring.

Tomorrow we have a lovely unhealthy brunch to look forward to after we’ve been through the tunnel, and worked down the locks – a bacon and egg sarnie, complete with fried potatoes from the Gongoozler’s Rest, moored just by Braunston basin – yum!

7.5 miles and 7 locks