Barby

Last night when we went to bed it was raining but when I got up for my 3am wee it was a clear moon light night with a dead calm canal, however when I woke up this morning it was again raining but not much wind.
We pushed off about 10-30am just after the boat that went down the flight backwards on New Years eve came by and we followed him all the way to Braunston Turn. Due to all the rain we have had recently the water was flowing steadily off the fields into the canal, this wont  help with the silt build up.

At Braunstone Turn we went left up the North Oxford, I was going to stop at Midland Chandlers but not only was it chucking it down there was a boat already moored outside. We carried on in the rain and what I was dreading the wind was picking up and we needed diesel and a pump-out at Dunchurch Pools marina, always fun in the blustery wind, but today the wind was probably in the best quarter. I crept in close to the bank, put Harnser’s nose against the very shore end of the pontoon and allowed the wind to take the stern round and lay us along side. Once the diesel tank was full and the poo tank empty I paid my dues and we were off again, out of the marina and turned left passing under bridge 80, WRG repaired this bridge some years agonot long after CRT took over from BW but again its starting to crack, its all down to the bridge foundations or lack of them. I hope WRG didn’t give them a guarantee. We carried on for a bit and moored between bridges 78 and 79. since we have been here the rain stopped, the sun came out for a short time, the rain started again and now its blowing a gale.

Todays Journey 6 miles, no locks in 2¼ hours.