31st Dec
The last thing we wanted to see was ice! I thought it strange the boat didn't move when Ian got up to make the first cup of tea. It wasn't until we opened the curtains that the reason was revealed.
And the temperature gauge came as a bit of a shock too.
Well, this was a bit of a to-do! And us hoping to reach Atherstone to top up the water tank too! Resigned to staying another day, suddenly the sound of cracking ice and a boat engine in the distance.
That changed our plans again. No need to stay, just follow the channel left by the boat. At least it saves our blacking from being scraped off. So not 10 minutes later, the bow was given a hefty shove while I put on the power and FS was on her way.
There were areas where no ice lay, mainly in Nuneaton, and where a breeze was sufficient to move the water and stop ice forming.
During the 3 hours it took to reach Atherstone one boat was seen on the verge of sinking and 2 already on the bottom. Those two had obviously been vandalised!
Plenty of space at Atherstone so we decided not to go down the locks today. Got ourselves settled after a massive shop at Tesco, nibbles and wine, all ready to welcome in the New Year. So Happy New Year to you all. Let 2026 be the year all our wishes come true.
