Watford to Braunston Sat 7 2010

We set off on the short run to the top of the Watford Flight, there were no other boats ahead of us, but we had to wait for 4 coming up. The first was a boat belonging to the LNBP  with an all girl crew. This was followed by another all female crew an old 70 foot springer,  with a well deck lower that the water level, as they made their way up the flight the well deck was collecting more and more water, by the top lock one crew member was baling with a saucepan.

Due to badly leaking gates part way up the staircase, for a 70ft boat BW have to empty the higher lock before filling the lower one which is the reverse of the normal procedure and wastes the water from the upper lock.
As the lock keeper was busy helping the longer boats through I assister the third boat up by operating  the gates for him on the towing path side. This was all in the steadily falling rain. Once the forth boat was up we were soon on our way

A short way past the A5 I was informed by a man on a boat that we met that I was going far to fasted I was making a terrible wash.

At Norton Junction it was right hand down and off towards the tunnel and not another boat in sight. Then just as we got to the Welton Rd. Bridge 2 boats pulled out from the wharf on the off side and went through the tunnel ahead of us, so that is a queue at the locks.  Half way through the tunnel a boat came in behind us and then we met an oncoming boat with twin headlights.
We approached the lock as the boats ahead were locking down and the boat behind pulled into the moorings. We had to wait while a boat full of pirates came came up the lock, by now the boat that was following and then moored had caught up with us. I appeared he had problems with his engine cutting out, once he was in the lock with us it was evident that he had diesel problems as his bilge pump was putting a slick onto the water. It was a slow run down as the two boats ahead held back two locks down under instructions from BW, but I think it was just because there were two boat entering the next lock down and coming up.

We only went down to the pound below the Admiral Nelson where we moored for the night.