Get the pointy end in and the rest will follow.

Tuesday 21st December

Gosh, we slept late, at least until 8am! That wasn't planned at all as I really wanted to get away early. It was all that boaters fault yesterday waking us in the silly hours of the morning, but still away for 8.30 though, I made sure of that!

At Gayton Junction instead of stopping for water we continued, that could wait until we got to Cosgrove. Not much further before we reached Blisworth tunnel. You may have seen the link to the tunnel ghost on my sidebar, well I'm pleased to say no apparition made itself known today......hmm, or did it?????

Gayton Junction.

The light at the end of the tunnel

 

Oooooohhhh, and what was that????

At Stoke Bruerne top lock 16, gongozzlers looking at my every move and the one time I wanted to do the perfect entry into the lock, I get it horribly wrong. My excuse? The back pump was running pushing me away from the entrance. It would have been easier if both gates had been opened but no, I rattled that closed gate something horribly bouncing off it and straight into the opposite wall! Then back to the gate which now had started to swing open. I did eventually get in. One of the onlookers looked horrified, I smiled at him and light heartily said "Isn't that how you normally go into a lock? Once the pointy end is in the rest will always follow."

You can see the water movement with the back pump working.

The pound between lock 17 and 18 floods every time water is let down from lock 17. Any boat ascending 18 has difficulty in opening the top gate. This must have happened to the boat seen coming toward us. Turns out it was Jules from Jules fuel boats. Not in the workboat today and I'm almost confident in saying she has given up the work but not the business, still keeping a finger in the pie so to speak. Anyway we passed the usual pleasantries and with a friendly wave they were gone.

Jules

Flooded pound

What is this pipe all about? We used to be able to walk under the bridge on that side, The path was raised and backs needed bending to walk through, but we never knew a pipe was beneath our feet.

Oh dear and a slight boo, boo was made at lock 19. Bottom gate paddle was up. Ian looked below, couldn't see a boat or another person so dropped it and filled the lock. Not two minutes later a chap walks up to say he had set it for himself. Oops but as Ian said, how was he supposed to know!

 Turns out it was a a chap in one of the Rothen workboats pushing a pan, oh and yes I passed him on the wrong side. It was easier for me to go around him than him trying to get around me. 

From the bottom of the flight to Cosgrove took a tad under 2 hours. Parts were deep and we could get a move on, but equally parts were that shallow that even at 2mph a wash was created. The worst part was before Thrupp Wharf Marina and took an age to do just a mile. When we did eventually reach Cosgrove, it was quite late, so the decision was made to stop below lock. Of course first we had to find a space and looking down the moorings, this didn't look good. Thankfully nearer to the Iron Trunk aqueduct than the lock, a decent sized space was found.

 

And seen on route,

Wonderful bit of hedge laying.

The craft you see on the water, must be ever so dark inside.

 

A frayed line showed why this boat was adrift.

And wildlife,