Hmm to wait or to go?

 December 30th

Blooming weather, it's drizzling again! Good grief when will it end, mild though, makes a change not to wear long johns and thermals! Almost ready to leave when Ian mentioned staying for the rain to ease. It was me this time that decided not to. Pulled pins a tad after 9 and ascended the two locks, both which needed emptying first and thankfully not quite the same challenge trying to control FS with that wind as yesterday. By the Buckby top lock was the facilities. No boats on the move so stayed in the lock whilst Ian did the cassette biz before then heading toward Braunston.

Leaving the mooring

CRT yard on the right.

Norton Junction

 

Just after the junction two boats were ready to set off, they saw us coming and waited until we had passed, good-oh we would now be sharing the locks with one of them. But looking back a while later, where were they? My goodness either we travel fast or they were particularly slow because entering the tunnel not hide nor hair was seen of either of them. 

You can just make out the rain.

 

Surprisingly the tunnel wasn't that wet. Blisworth had more water coming from the ceiling than Braunston and I even managed to capture the vent without a single drop of water on the lens.

That bendy bit again but from the opposite direction

 Foggy is the way I described the inside. Another boat exhaust causing the haze I expect. In fact the end of the tunnel wasn't seen until we were almost upon it. 

A glance back and a boat light seen followed shortly by a second. A bit of a dilemma now. Do we wait for the boat behind to catch us up or continue down the locks on our own

This taken with a zoom.

 No excuse needed not to go it alone, after all, there were two boats following, both could share that lock. Also, a boat had just come up the lock leaving the gate open. The decision made, we go it alone.

 

 What we hadn't realised until descending this lock was that boater had left the top gates open on purpose not just the top lock, but the next two as well! If it hadn't been for meeting another boat on the forth, I expect all the rest would also have been left open. I shouldn't complain, we could sail straight in, but this was not good practice in keeping the water levels constant. The one reason I'm always harping on about closing gates is because of leakage. If gates are closed the water levels in pounds remain constant. We found this out on the next pound because of that open gate, it was down by a good 12 inches. 

Got to the bottom and stopped for water by Gongozzlers Rest. The smell of bacon, absolutely irresistible so while the tank was filling Ian bought us lunch. And what a lunch, huge baguette cut in half, filled with loads of bacon and sauté potatoes on the side. The cost? Just a fiver and worth every penny.

Gosh the towpaths were muddy and plenty of water pouring off the fields. Trying to find a mooring without mud is almost impossible. It's that horrible thick, stick to your boots, type of mud, Every time we got off the boat at the lock or the water point, we must have gained height by inches with that glupie substance sticking to the soles. 

 

Back to single locks again tomorrow. So much easier than those doubles. Will it rain again? Knowing our luck it most probably will and it's New Year Eve. Hope to celebrate at a mooring at Old Oaks wood.

And FS being seen off by Swans