Tuesday 21st August 2007
Braunston - Blisworth Marina ( miles, locks)
We got up early, but two other boats had started up the locks by the time we were ready. It must have taken them a while since the second pound from the top had drained overnight. When we arrived, the local BW man was letting water down from the summit - a ritual he performs every morning. The other two boats must have been scraping the bottom when they went through.
In Braunston Tunnel, there are lots of wiggles at the beginning and end, which is where you will inevitably meet boats in the opposite direction. Near the end, we were almost stationary when a boat hit us rather hard after he bounced off the wall. This caused Tim to have a canine panic attack and he attempted to abandon ship. This is definitely the last time we invite him.
We shared the locks down the Buckby and Whilton flights with a chap who had recently bought a boat in Ellesmere on the Llangollen Canal and was taking it down to London where he hoped to get a residential mooring. He had been let down with his original mooring and was hoping that something would turn up. I tried not to sound to negative.
It was a relief to eventually escape from the noise of the M1 as we approached Weedon Bec. There were no more locks for the rest of the journey, but plenty of moored boats to slow down for. The weather had turned very cold with a brisk wind from the north, but at least it wasn't raining.
It was early evening when we arrived at the marina. Having carefully chosen our berth on a previous visit, we promptly changed it when we realised the satellite dish would be pointing straight into the trees. After packing the car, it was about 8:30pm by the time we left. I used my navigation skills and my remarkable memory to re-trace the route back to the A43, but strangely we ended up in some god-forsaken little village miles off course. I don't think Jen was impressed.
In summary, it was a good trip, but the days when the weather was good hardly compensated for the days when it was appalling. I shall never forget the summer of 2007.