Market Harborough

Not quite so misty this morning but cooler than of late, we were away about half ten, it wasn’t long before I spotted a canoe ahead in the mist, at first I thought it was coming towards us but then it disappeared into the mist and round the bend, here we found 3 canoes and a collection of walkers.

A little further on we met another canoe, at first I thought it had an electric coming towards us, but it turned out it was paddle powered, something like this FeelFree Moken 12.5 V2 Angler PDL - Pedal Drive Fishing Sit On Top Kayak

I think this marker donated the boundary of CRTs ownership, is so they only own half the width of the towpath, probably when it was put in the canal was further away.

A short way before Foxton Junction is a rather small winding hole, well its even smaller today as there is a boat moored across it.

In case you are wondering what the notice says its here 

Foxton is a controlled mooring area and CRT have gone to a lot of trouble making sure boaters are aware with large notices as you enter the area.

The notices on the posts at the moorings reinforce the message, I have no idea how many £25 the Trust have collected?

A brief stop at the junction while we Diana took the recycling to the bins ,opening the swing bridge on her return and we made our way towards Market Harborough. I worked the next swing bridge which is bit of a bugger being a road bridge and quite heavy. We carried on down to the basin and winded, we were going to moor just outside the basin but thanks to git gaps there was only one space under overhanging trees so we carried on back a bit towards Foxton having a kingfisher flitting up ahead of us. If you look closely you will see leaves are already breaking out. Luckily I had the camera out ready to photograph the corner of this garden with its little mushrooms so was ready for the Kingfisher.

We moored on the next length of vacant piling.

Today’s journey

 

9¾ miles with no locks in 3½ hours

Saddington Leicester Line

Well the first car to blow his horn on the bridge this morning kindly waited until 9am. We set off at 1030 to another dank, damp mist laden day which didn’t really improve much. As expected the boat that passed just after we moored yesterday was waiting to go down the lock tied up three boat lengths back, so I pulled in ahead of him. The Volockies had been letting water down to refill all the side ponds and all three of them were near the top lock which was handy for booking in. There was one boat coming up so the plan was the boat that was here first would go down, we would follow. We would both pass the upcoming boat between locks 5 and 6 and be on our way. One Volockie worked up with the boat coming up, one with the boat ahead of us and one with us so it was quite a smooth passage with only a short wait while the upcoming boat was secured half way.
Once clear of the locks we turned left towards Leicester and pulled over to fill with water before continuing on passed Debdale marina where this pole stands on the towpath.

If anyone has any idea what its for I would love to know.
Just after the marina the canal enters a SSSI. with the big blue notice, I suppose this accounts for the weeds growing half way across the canal.

What I didn’t expect was to meet a dayboat from Foxton Locks in a bridge hole. We carried on and winded just beyond Smeeton Aqueduct and ten dropped back a boats length to moor on the piling for the night.

Today’s Journey

3¾ miles with 10 locks in 3 hours

Foxton top lock

Another day of no wind and very misty, The boat ahead started his engine OK this morning and left about 9-45
We only met two boats, one before the tunnel and one at the outskirts of Foxton. The weather did clear for a very short time about lunch time, with a bit of blue sky visible, but it only lasted a few minutes before clamping down again.
I am not sure who or what was behind this drinking trough on the towpath. This was taken in the few minutes the fog had lifted for.

One of the boats moored just outside Foxton had an ole AJS on the back deck. You don’t see many of them about these days. A real bike.

  Foxton is the busiest place we have seen for moored boats and as expected walkers.We managed to tuck in just beyond the last bridge so I hope the road isn’t to bad overnight.
After lunch we wandered down the flight and half of the side pounds are almost dry, then must leak like sieves.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Today’s Journey

7¼ miles with no locks in 2½ hours

Welford Junction

Well its Christmas day, so happy Christmas to all my readers.

We got up to a misty morning, looking out of the front doors there was a boat moored ahead, they must have arrived after we closed up yesterday afternoon. The first job this morning was to check what time Wallace and Grommet were on TV.  Last night we had thousands of channels, this morning nowt, so out and fiddle with the aerial, last night it was BBC East today its BBC Midlands. That sorted and it was open presents, sweeties, wine, beer, nibbles and and an illuminated solar system.

Then it was off for a walk, passing the moored boat the deck plates were up, wished the owner Happy Christmas and asked if he was OK, his engine wouldn’t start, flat starter battery, so back to Harnser for my jumper leads and lent him them before walking round to North Kilworth Marina.

Walked back and knocked on the side of the boat ahead, now with its engine running to retrieve my leads and back to the boat for the rest of the day, listen to the King, have dinner and watch Wallace & Grommet. It definitely is not aimed at kids in my opinion, far too good for that.

No miles with no lock in all day

Welford Junction

Well it looks as if the unfriendly weather has left us for a bit and we got up sunshine, however it didn’t last and soon became quite dull with low clouds. We didn’t set off until 1030 hrs as we didn’t really have far to go. things were very quiet, no wind, one walker, one lone fisherman and we met a couple of boats. passing a canal side glamping site I wonder what its like to sit in a hot tub watching the boats go by.

There has been quite a bit of spot dredging carried out but lots of this stretch of canal are still slow going if you don’t want to pull a wash. We have moored just before Welford Junction, its a concrete edge with mooring rings all by our selves. Tomorrow we plan on staying put, I think its some sort of special day.

Today’s journey

7¼ miles with no locks in 2½ hours

Winwick

Boy what a night, we just couldn’t keep that wind out, thank goodness for portholes and not opening windows. This morning it was all change, light wind and sunshine. We untied to leave at 10am but unfortunately the boat moored ahead of us was right across the cut,  he soon sorted himself out and reversed to the bridge where he waited while another boat entered the marina. I guess they thought it too windy to attempt yester.
Just past bridge 5 there is a 17 Mts winding hole, its been unusable for years, but recently its been

dredged and you can get a 57foot round with ease, probably a 60 footer if you used a rope to pull the stern round. It turned out that have dredged all the winding holes along here.
We were first boat of the day on the Watford flight, I tucked into the mouth of the first lock while Diana went to find the Volockie. He came back with Diana and helped us up the first two locks where his partner took over for the staircase. By the time we were up the staircase there were two boats following and one waiting at the top to go down, so we timed it well. The boat waiting to go down advised a brolly for the tunnel, and she wasn’t wrong, boy it was wet.
We pulled over to fill with water at Crick Wharf and on the hard standing between the cottage and what use to be Edwards restaurant stand a newish narrowboat hull, what I would call a tiny prop but also stern and bow thrusters. The first time I have seen this set up.

As we slowly passed Crick Marina due to a moored boat we passed a kingfisher sitting motionless in the bushes, I didn’t spot it until we were almost passed so a rushed shot , not really worth the effort.

This is always sad to see, no matter how unloved the boat is, CRT know as it has an envelope in the back, who knows if the owner will ever come back.

By now we were getting light rain, not enough for a coat or brolly as we continued round the bends only to have a boat reverse out in front of us while winding at Yelvertoft marina so we were following him for the rest of the trip. We got to meet two members of the CIBC at bridge bridge 20. they had to stop for the boat ahead of us beside an ex- working boat right by the bridge, so we didn’t get much of a chat. Just Merry Christmas etc. We carried on for another mile or so before mooring for the night between bridges 22 an23.

Today’s journey

7¾ miles with 7 locks in 3¾ hours

Welton Hythe

My word we had some weather during the night but things had greatly improved before we were read to leave this morning, we heard a boat go by about 8am. well before our time, but another two came by, going our way at about 10 o’clock just before we left, thankfully they both moored just past Butchers bridge, so we didn’t have to follow them up the locks,
There is a nice collection of old, un loved and slowly decaying boats  on the UCC moorings, maybe one day someone will breath new life into them.

Lock 1 was against us with the offside top gate open, but then two was almost empty. Then at lock tree, one bottom gate was open and Nick Wolfe was just untying Aldgate ready to go in, so I shouted I would go past, in the lock through the single gate and slide over to the off side. As I passed the boat moored behind him, Nb. Claxton, the side hatch opened and they asked if they could shar locks with us, not knowing Nick was already set and away. We did however turn the top lock when we saw they were following. I rather liked the idea of hanging watering cans by the bridges to water the popup gardens.

As we worked up with Nick, he was also delivering his Christmas cards and giving local dogs treats things got even better as we could see the bows of two boats coming down in lock 5, it was two working

Narrowboat Trust boat, so not only could we leave 4 open, 5 and 6 were both open ready for us. 
For some reason there is still a shaft and hook beside lock 6, I suspect at one time there was also a rake and cill bucket.

We said farewell to Nick as he was planning to make Crick tonight and followed him into Branston tunnel, it was quite warm and dry to start with the the far 400Mts were quite wet, we didn’t meet any boats in the tunnel but there was one hovering at the exit as we left.By the newish housing estate just before where the planned branch to Daventry was to come in the Café boat was doing a good trade, I suspect that several people on the estate take a walk along the towpath from there . The motor is Trout.

At Norton Junction we caught up with Nick as the wind had freshened a bit and he had to get his sheeted bows round into it in the tight junction. One thing I didn’t expect to see on the winter moorings on the Leicester line was a moored wide beamed boat, they don’t normally come past the junction from the main GU canal. The moorings along here were quite full and I didn’t fancy the spot at the end so we carried on and moored opposite Welton Hythe marina where we are sitting out the gale for the night. The internet is dead slow and the TV not much better.

Today’s journey

4½ miles with 6 locks in 2½ hours.

Braunston

Well it was fine when we left home at 10 am but that was to soon change and at times the road spray made driving pretty grim, however by the time we reached the boat at 1Pm. it was fine but windy.
It was just coming up to 3Pm as I slipped backwards from our mooring to take the full side wind and I had to swing the bows into the wind before I laid beam on to another moored boa. Thankfully I finally got her coming round and made my way to the marina entrance. I waited in the entrance for Diana to close the bridge and catch me up, we then headed off south towards Braunston. We only saw one other boat on the move and we followed him a short way until he moored up leaving us to carry on alone. It was surprisingly pleasant cruising along but the sun  had gone to sleep before we reached Braunston turn and twilight as we moored opposite The Boat House pub.
Braunston has changed a bit in recent years from a Mobile black hole to a better internet signal than I get at home.

Todays Journey

4¾ miles with no locks in 1½ hours.

Home Mooring

Last night we ate in The Boat House that use to be The Mill House and before that The Boat House, its part of the Marstons chain so you know what to expect, luckily Dian checked the menu on her phone and we got a 30% off main courses voucher.
Not so bright this morning when we set off but not too cold and no wind. It seems the Peaky Blinders may be in town.

I needed to pop into Midland Chandlers, while we were there the chap opposite was trying to start his engine, it was spinning over very well and after several minutes it finally fired up.

Looking up towards Braunston the ridge and furrow fields are very visible with the sun at a low angle.

I expected them all to run in the same orientation but as you can see these two fields are at 90° to each other.
After 14 days out we needed diesel so called into Dunchurch Pools for a top up, Its the first time I have ever been here and its not been windy.

From here its only a short hop to our marina and the first job when we arrived was to pump out the loo tank, we then have to go almost all the way round the marina to get to our berth.

Below is a full Google map of out trips this year, the latest one is in blue

  

Today’s Journey

 

5 miles with no locks in 3 hours

Braunston

Well another day another type of weather, bright, dead calm, fine and cool. We were away a little after ten thirty passing several moored boats between our overnight mooring and Napton Junction. The Grand Union is a broad canal so you get a few wide beams along here, but few look like this one. The wheelhouse made  it look huge. So after this we were at Napton Junction where we turned right, under the bridge staying on the Grand Union canal,

our destination the top of Calcutt Locks to fill with water before winding and retracing our steps. Needless to say we had just finished filling and untying when a boat came along, turned out he also planned to wind, so I turned first and he followed.
We were now making our way back to Braunston. Its a long time since I have seen the Calcutt reservoir as full as it was today, lets hope they can maintain the level ready for the summer months.

For about half an hour we had heard a helicopter buzzing about and could see it in the distance flying low, maybe landing and then travelling on a bit,  eventually it came over the canal, I guess they were doing pilot training and remote landings.

CRT have piled the towpath edge in a couple of places which could have become nice wild moorings, but they have hung coir rolls just under the water surface along the front of one and will probably do the same to the other.

A few years ago the highways department did a lot of work stabilising the A425 road bridges where they cross the canal with lots of ground anchors etc. but it looks as if 108 is on the move again.

Looking out to the horizon I think this was smoke/steam from the cement works going very high into the sky before drifting at all it was so still.

Passing the long term moorings on the offside one boat owner is well into the Christmas spirit.

When we got to Braunston Turn we went straight ahead into Braunston its self, winding in the entrance to Branston Marina and then travelling back to moor outside the Boathouse pub for the night.

Today’s Journey

9¼ miles with no locks in 3¾ hours