When friends need help part 2

 Friday 6th Oct

Wow, Waka Huia's mattress is lovely, so comfortable and we should have had a good night's sleep. Problem was the wind and rain, not only did it bring us out of a deep slumber but we both admitted later that foremost on our minds was those bow decals! Would they still be on or would they both be floating away somewhere in the marina basin. First thing Ian did after dressing was go and have a look, phew...both were fine!

We delayed starting the engine until 9 am'. Moored on the next pontoon was a liveaboard and slightly disabled, waking him up at 8 am, well we didn't think that a good idea. Anyway having warmed the oil Ian started the oil change.

Marilyn has a natty peice of equipment involving a round container, tube that fits into the dip stick hole and a hand pump that sucks the old oil out of the engine. Really easy once Ian had figured it out!

New oil in.

 By 10 ish we were ready to leave. Mooring ropes slipped and made our way to the marina slip for the pump out and diesel.

A slight issue on the reverse before heading out of the entrance, the wind tried to take the bow the wrong way, thankfully Waka Huia responds to commands really well, she is a great boat to steer and I got her pointing in the right way and very easily for us to bid farewell to her home of several years.

Farewell Debdale

I look very much at home on Waka Huia.

 

Foxton locks was but a short cruise away, The day was glorious, such a shame about the wind! Not a boat passed us we got to the bottom of Foxton locks and stopped on the landing opposite to bridge 61, the micro pub. With the good weather, plenty of folk milling about, we would have lots gongoozlers then so I best not do anything stupid!

Market Harborough Arm

Why is the lock volunteers never at the bottom lock when you want them. With Foxton having two sets of 5 staircase locks, woe betide anyone who enters a lock without first checking with the lock keepers! It meant Ian had to walk right up the flight to find out if it was okay to proceed. 10 minutes later he was back with a thumbs up and two of the volunteers.

Apart from the fact these are staircase locks (one lock straight into another without a pound in between) they also have side ponds.  

 

Side pond

Side ponds provide reserves of water for the locks and prevents water wastage but for the locks to work correctly there is a rhyme that boaters must remember about the  paddles.  Red before white and you're doing it right, white before red and you'll end up dead! That does sound drastic, of course you won't end up dead but it's a catchy rhyme and easily remembered.

Ian doing the red first.

One very short pound between the first 5 staircase and the second 5 staircase.

With the great help by those volunteers, the flight took just 40 minutes. Waka Huia was remembered by one of those volunteers although whether it was the boat that caught his attention or remembering the cheerful and chatty Kiwi woman Marilyn that was always steering the boat, I have yet to get to the bottom of that!

At least another 90 minute cruise was ahead of us including the 3/4 mile long tunnel. Still no boat had come past although I did mention to Ian that if one was met it would be in the tunnel. Why don't I keep my mouth shut because sure enough, as the tunnel came into view a boat entered the Western portal

I decided to wait, Waka Huia was sheltered by the trees either side so the wind wasn't an issue. 10 minutes of hovering and finally it appeared. Now I wanted to make up some time, ABNB closed at 4 pm, time was 3.15 pm so Waka Huia was opened up and we sped through that tunnel at a decent pace. Before bridge 45 Ian gave ABNB a ring to make them aware we were nearly there. They said someone would come out to meet us. But never having been there before, as we came under the bridge we were confronted by this.

 

Was this where Waka Huia was to be delivered too? I hovered for a while in the hope someone would come and meet us but noone appeared. Then a voice asking if we wanted the marina because this was actually North Kilworth wharf! Oh dear, wrong place it was another few minutes further along the cut. 

Eventually the entrance was seen, I swung the bow around but got the angle all wrong! I blamed the wind and that is all Ian needs to know...right! Anyway as I said before Waka Huia handles well and she got me out of trouble  and in I went without a single scrape! A chap hanging over the entrance bridge pointed to the direction I needed to go, a good job too because the marina was huge. Anyway as I rounded yet another corner of the marina so I was waved at by a lady. She pointed to a gap between a boat and pontoon and thankfully I was able to go in forward. Had I had to reverse, that wind would have caused some serious issues!

See that gap ahead, past the on coming boat? That was where I aimed for and then turned right.

So Marilyn and Davids Waka Huia chapter is over. She now awaits a new owner who I'm sure will love her as much as Marilyn and David did. We handed over the keys, had a welcome cup of tea while waiting for a taxi to take us back to Debdale and eventually arrived back to FS by 6.30 pm.

Saturday is a day of Rugby for Ian so we still won't move off this mooring. Good job it's 14 days! But Sunday will be moving day, a shop at Wolverton first before going to Gifford Park services. Yep, two cassettes full and the third and last filling up rapidly!

And seen on route,

How lovely to see a mowed towpath. This is how it used to be in the good old days and before C&RT gave the contract to mowers. Now if the paths are mown twice a year, count yourself lucky!

At Foxton

And what has happened to the man walking at the back of the horse? Gosh the place has changed in the last few years!