Wednesday 24th April Day 277
After the long day yesterday, I stay at the dinette for the morning cracking on with work whilst Chris faffs with a few bits and bobs and after lunch we set off.
It’s funny how we don’t bat an eyelid at doing a flight of locks and today we have the Buckby flight of 7 to do. It’s a short cruise and we are at Norton Junction where you can go up the Grand Union Leicester line or the main line to London which is the way we are going. We moor up just before the top lock and first lock of the day to empty the Elsan and find lockies ready to see us through the first one. ((Do you ring ahead or something – there always seem to be lockies on!)) just lucky, although it’s just the first one they help us through – we are always very grateful. Then it’s not long before the next one. Pretty uneventful flight which is what you want really and we meet a couple of boats here and there so some are set in our favour and some against. The last lock is a devil! Another boater comes up to help as they are coming up as we are going down and I tell you it was a real struggle to turn the mechanism. By now, I must be on around 100 locks this year give or take lockies helping and me doing a few locks multiple times to help others and this one is hard.
We are soon through and pass Whilton Marina which is a place we looked at boats when we bought the Plot. We have found out some very interesting things about our boat from the couple we met the other day. Hi to Jane and Tim if you’re reading – we will see you on the cut for a drink or two! Same to Amanda and Wayne on Narrowboat Spudley – we were going to try and meet them at the junction but with the lockies on we decided to crack on and make some time on our London trip and i’d had some two bits of bad news and so wasn’t feeling up to the pub. ((You okay Peachy?)) Yes thanks, Brackets. just sad when you hear lovely people are going through difficult times.
Moored up, it’s time to get this blog updated as I’ve neglected it for a few days with all the cruising and other work. We might have a few days of no locks so you can rest your winding arm for a bit. Day done. Until tomorrow. x
Cruising: 5 miles / 7 locks
London bound totals: Cruising Miles: 96/198 Locks: 112/174 Tunnels: 5
C.L. Peache 