Wednesday 10^th October 2018

We had a brilliant time with Phil and Michelle, but didn’t get back until 1:45. The boat was freezing but it warms up very quickly when the heating is switched on. We don’t yet trust it enough to run it while we are not on the boat.

The locks are manned, locked overnight and do not open until 10am. Harvey had me awake at his normal early hour, 7:15.

We had planned to move up to the locks at 9:30. We were moored just down the Market Harborough Arm from the junction and quite a few boats were passing us so we moved just after 9am. When we turned the corner there were quite a number of boats at the junction basin. Some moored and some waiting for the locks. Brenda walked up to report to the lock keeper. We were number 5 in line and quickly, there were three more boats behind us, so a busy day in store for the lock keepers.

We were double moored with the third boat in line so, once he was called forward, I moved across the basin to moor and await our turn. The piling edges though, were in such bad condition, with boats having hit them, there were lots of bits of metal sticking out, that I didn’t moor but just held the boat and tried to fend her off the pilings.

Although there were a number of lock keepers on duty, the operation of the locks was down to each individual boat with the keepers overseeing the whole operation. The operation of the locks was simple but complex and, until you got into the swing of them, you really had to think about what you were doing.

Each lock has a side pound and two paddles. One paddle drains the lock into the pound below. The other fills the lock from the pound at the same level as the lock. The top gate of the lower lock is the bottom gate of the next lock up.

When the lock above is empty of boats, and its top gates are closed, the paddle is opened from the lock side pound to fill the lock you are in. The paddle to drain the lock above is opened to fill the pound, which also, because the paddle is open, fills the lower lock you are sitting in. Once the levels in the lower pound you are in, and the lock above are equalised, the gates between the two are opened and you move ahead into the next, upper lock. The gate behind you is then closed and the process is repeated until the top is reached.

When you first move ahead into the next lock up, initially, the gates in front of you are massively high.

The transit of the flight went smoothly and the top was reached in 1½ hours.

Phil and Michelle had been the second boat up but they had waited, and the four of us had our breakfast at the top lock keepers’ cottage which is now a cafe. We all had the full English and, although it was served in polystyrene containers, it was hot and really tasty. We sat outside, the weather was glorious and the views stunning.    

After breakfast we saw Phil and Michelle off. They have to return their boat to WigramTurns on Saturday morning so were aiming to get to Watford Locks today, ready for the transit through them when they open tomorrow morning. We had enjoyed their company, and Murphy, their Bedlington Terrier, and, as is becoming usual, we felt a bit flat when they had gone.

We stayed moored just above the locks and started a maintenance afternoon, and a hard one too. The starboard side was washed, waxed and polished. The polish is almost empty already. The side doors were taken off again and given a second coat of varnish. A sheet of plywood bought in Leicester was cut to size for Brenda to make a side panel for the bed.

Brenda painted more of the porthole bungs, frost sprayed one of the portholes for the alleyway outside the bathroom and started to make the covering for the bed side panel.

We were both tired and it was a hot day to be working. We finished at 5 o’clock, had our dinner, watched an episode of “Game of Thrones” and are headed for an early bed.

Last night was a crystal clear night and the stars were spectacular. This morning there was plenty of mist about and again tonight, it is very misty but there are plenty of stars glittering through.

Tomorrow we plan to be in Welford, along an arm off the main canal. A pub there has a folk night on Thursdays. Hopefully, we can get moored port side too so as to be able to wash and polish that side. The weather for Friday is forecast to be bad so we might well stay there a while.

Weather: after a cold start it became a gloriously hot day.

Day Total: 10 locks; 1 mile; 1 Tunnels; 1 Swing Bridge; 0 Boat Lift; engine running hours 3.0

Overall Total: 265 locks; 441miles; 16 tunnels; 2 Swing Bridge; 2 Boat Lifts; engine running hours 274.3