Monday 30th October – Day 106
It’s an early morning start as the clocks have gone back so it’s means we are awake at 6.30am so on goes the coffee pot! The drizzly rain starts so we decide a morning faffing on the boat is required. After lunch, it’s then time to untie the ropes and off we go as we have a little break in the weather. We are only a few mins from the services at Gailey and are soon moored up and it’s time to empty the cassettes, water and rubbish.
A chap walks past and has a giggle at the name of our boat. It never fails to make people chuckle and I point out that the boat is well named for us and he mentions the garage just up the road which sells alcohol ((Some reputation you’re building up Peachy!))
As we get ready to set off, I walk the very short distance to the lock and the family in front kindly help us with the lock. For some reason ((I can think of a few)) I thought there was only one lock to do today and I’m just making a coffee when Chris shouts he can see the lock landing! Oops, we arrive to a couple just entering in the lock in their boat so I wander up to open one of the gates and then let them crack on filling it as there is only one ground paddle working, then so pop back to the boat to finish my coffee. Then it’s our turn to get in the lock and very quickly ((yeah right, very quickly! On a narrowboat!)) we arrive to Boggs Lock.
The next lock comes quickly ((again, pull the other one!)) and so does the threat of a black cloud menacing above and coming our way. We resolve to moor up once through the lock. There is a woman very kindly refilling the lock as we arrive. There is a general rule that if two boats arrive at a lock; one at each end then it depends how full/empty the lock is as to who gets to go in first. She said it was in our favour so opened the paddles to fill it for us as we are going down. We have a natter as you do and then her other half joins us and I have a chinwag with him about the impeding weather of doom. He tells me to jump on board so I get a rare treat of us both being in the lock.
The promised drops of rain arrive soon after and it’s raining in earnest as we try to find a piece of armco to moor up. Finally, we spot some and Chris starts putting up the cratch covers as I pull in the boat in and tie it up. The joys of boating at this time of year, the towpath is very wet and very muddy! It’s a good job we decided to moor up as soon after it proper chucks it down and we decide to stay put even though this mooring has the loud rumblings from the vehicles on the M6.
Later on, the rain subsides for a bit so we decide to brave the very muddy and wet towpath to get to the local co-op for supplies. I can see what boaters say about the towpaths in winter and we are thankful once again for our cratch covers to be able to get changed out of muddy wet clothes before getting into the boat. We have wellies and waterproofs and they are being well used at the moment!
I settle down to some writing and then the day is done. Until tomorrow… x
Miles: 1 Locks: 4
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C.L. Peache 