Off to the Nene day 5

Well last night we ate onboard again last night as the pub doesn’t do food Sunday evening, nor on Mondays so we wont go back tonight.

We were treated to the most wonderful sky as it started getting dark, the only thing to spoil the evening was the cows on the far bank singing to each other. They continued well after dark before wandering off to another field the other side of the weir stream.

We had a few heave showers overnight I could hear them above the sound of the weir but by the time we were up the sun was out. As we were taking the dog for a walk a boat came up the lock, I expected him to be long gone by the time we returned to the boat at 1030 am. but he was just going round the corner and not travelling to fast so we decided to up sticks and try to catch up to him before the next lock. As we approached the Warmington ( no sign of Captain Mainwaring) the gate had just started to lower but after a couple of long blasts and a wave it was on its way up again. This is the first of the manual locks. The boat in the lock was “Shropshire Lass” and the lady onboard who we had not seen before is wheelchair bound so they have wheel steering so that she can drive from the wheel chair. We agreed to share the following locks, he set off first and we closed up, lift the gate etc. The church at Fotheringhay looked magnificent in the morning sun.

Just before Perio Lock there are parcels of land for sale 60ft by 80ft with fishing and mooring rights, car access and mains water. These are being sold by a local estate agent Woodford & Co  Tel.01832274732

At Perio Lock we found our new friends sitting on the lock landing as there was a boat coming down, the only one we were to meet all day. There was bit of a delay as he came out of the lock as he realised he had left his windlass on the lock side. This was an easier lock as it is electrified unlike the last lock of the day Ashton Lock where we bid good by to our friends as they head off onto the canals.

Once out of the lock I reversed back into the weir stream and moored with our bows almost against the canal portage where we sat in the sun and ate lunch on the front deck.
Diana walked off into Oundle, it took her 20 minuets to get there to do a bit of shopping and have a look round town while I scraped off a bit more paint from the roof and treated the rust patches. I really need to strip the whole lot but I keep putting it off and doing bits. Just after she arrived back a second boat came downstream and moored in just behind us for the night.

Tonight’s plan is to eat at The Chequered Skipper in the village, I have already rung them and they do do food on a Monday evening and if its as good as last time I will be quite pleased.