Wednesday 6 August 2014

Double trouble arrives….

 

 

to norton 008On Saturday after a night moored just before Foxton locks we pulled pins at 08 00 and arrived at the locks 15 minutes later to find we were the fifth boat in line to go up.

to norton 011Carolyn had her work cut out as there were 3 hire boats in front of us and only one lock keeper. We know the keeper as we have done the flight many times before. He asked Carolyn if she could keep an eye on the hire boat in front of us as they had never done a lock before. It all went ok until the 3rd lock up and the lady decided to go back to the lock we were in and started to open one of our paddles, needless to say Carolyn soon put her wright.

 

to norton 018Nearly at the top and enjoying the views over the Leicestershire countryside.

 

to norton 019At the top and we pass the Candy boat. It is amazing the variety of trade boats on the canal system.

 

to norton 024Vino Collapse… I have been in that state many times.

 

to norton 026After 7 hours of cruising and some almighty down pours and thunder storms we spent the night at Yelvertoft and then on Sunday we pulled pins at 08.30 and headed towards Crick .Carolyn wanted to get a few things in the village, so while she did that I got onto the services and filled with water and dumped all our waste. It was then through a very wet and Smokey Crick tunnel and on towards Watford locks. This has to be one of the worst lock landings anywhere.

 

to norton 033The landing and waiting area is beneath the noisy M1 Motorway.

We then made our way to Norton junction and picked up a mooring just before the Grand union canal to await the arrival of our two favorite girls.

 

to norton 041After a 4 hour journey up from Devon Chloe and Curly (Abbie) arrived on Monday morning and after a shop in Daventry it was pull pins and down the Buckby flight. Once at the bottom Chloe soon grabbed the tiller.

 

to norton 048With Chloe on the tiller it gave me a chance to do my Titanic impression.

 

to norton 050After 3 hours of locking and cruising we picked up a mooring at Dodford and Curly soon got into action as she pulled Inca in towards the bank.

 

to norton 049Double trouble… I think I am going to be a bit outnumbered over the next few weeks.

We are heading South with a stop over planned in Milton Keynes as the girls are desperate for some retail therapy. We have Blissworth tunnel and the Stoke Bruerne flight in front of us and as Chloe has never been through a tunnel it should be fun, I have told her not to worry as there are lights all the way through the tunnel,which of course there isn't. Then when Chloe departs for foreign shores we will be on the move again .

                                                                                                                    

                                                                                                             Happy Days

2 comments:

  1. lovely photos I liked them all.see Abbie was doing her bit. x

    ReplyDelete
  2. hope you bought us some fudge. may be a different taste from up there xx

    ReplyDelete