Welton Hythe

My word we had some weather during the night but things had greatly improved before we were read to leave this morning, we heard a boat go by about 8am. well before our time, but another two came by, going our way at about 10 o’clock just before we left, thankfully they both moored just past Butchers bridge, so we didn’t have to follow them up the locks,
There is a nice collection of old, un loved and slowly decaying boats  on the UCC moorings, maybe one day someone will breath new life into them.

Lock 1 was against us with the offside top gate open, but then two was almost empty. Then at lock tree, one bottom gate was open and Nick Wolfe was just untying Aldgate ready to go in, so I shouted I would go past, in the lock through the single gate and slide over to the off side. As I passed the boat moored behind him, Nb. Claxton, the side hatch opened and they asked if they could shar locks with us, not knowing Nick was already set and away. We did however turn the top lock when we saw they were following. I rather liked the idea of hanging watering cans by the bridges to water the popup gardens.

As we worked up with Nick, he was also delivering his Christmas cards and giving local dogs treats things got even better as we could see the bows of two boats coming down in lock 5, it was two working

Narrowboat Trust boat, so not only could we leave 4 open, 5 and 6 were both open ready for us. 
For some reason there is still a shaft and hook beside lock 6, I suspect at one time there was also a rake and cill bucket.

We said farewell to Nick as he was planning to make Crick tonight and followed him into Branston tunnel, it was quite warm and dry to start with the the far 400Mts were quite wet, we didn’t meet any boats in the tunnel but there was one hovering at the exit as we left.By the newish housing estate just before where the planned branch to Daventry was to come in the Café boat was doing a good trade, I suspect that several people on the estate take a walk along the towpath from there . The motor is Trout.

At Norton Junction we caught up with Nick as the wind had freshened a bit and he had to get his sheeted bows round into it in the tight junction. One thing I didn’t expect to see on the winter moorings on the Leicester line was a moored wide beamed boat, they don’t normally come past the junction from the main GU canal. The moorings along here were quite full and I didn’t fancy the spot at the end so we carried on and moored opposite Welton Hythe marina where we are sitting out the gale for the night. The internet is dead slow and the TV not much better.

Today’s journey

4½ miles with 6 locks in 2½ hours.