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