Black Horse bridge -Debdale Wharf

Last night we ate at The Black Horse, it was OK but I wouldn't go down the arm especially to eat there. As we walked back to the boat there was still no ice on the cut. How things changed overnight. We had a very late start following a walk round the village of Foxton. As we returned to the boat the Canal Time moored behind us was about to set off so I let him go ahead to do the ice breaking, I found him against the bank just round the next bend so we were now out in front. The ice wasn't too bad down the Market Harborough Arm but was quite a bit thicker on the main Leicester Line. It was quite strange as we would come to places where it was a good 15 mm thick and then clear water, I kept to the off side where the trees had stopped the ice getting as thick, but a lot of the way it was open bank and the ice uniform across the cut. A family of swans were pleased to see us as it meant they had a channel to swim down. We turned back into Debdale Marina where the ice was completely unbroken and as we had to pass a couple of GRP boats moored in the narrow section I broke the ice ahead using the long shaft not wanting to risk sending an ice flow into their hulls. We are now safely moored in the marina for the nigh with a few snow flurries. While we have been away NB Alice Mary with Stowmarket Navigation painted on her side has come into the marina, The Stowmarket Navigation is one of our local waterways in Suffolk presently under restoration.