We could hardly contain our excitement when we arrived at Whilton on Friday 27th August to pick up the keys for the last time for what was now our own boat. The plan was to settle in on the boat and move everything aboard we might need for the trip and set off on Saturday lunch time. We also had one of our cats Mars with us as he was recovering from a broken leg and needed to be kept in a confined space for another 2 weeks.

We reconnected the water pipes at the front and proceeded to carefully fill the tank. Unfortunately I had not checked the gas water heater and on turning on the pump, promptly sprayed the whole kitchen with water. Turned out I hadn't checked the drain plug had been put back. After fixing that with some PTFE tape the water system seemed to be holding and all other systems appeared to work, at least enough for us to use for this trip.

We had intended to sleep on this sofa bed that was in the lounge:

However after the first night this proved so uncomfortable to either sleep or sit on that we ended up on the floor and wish we had binned it at the start to give us more room! On Saturday Morning we moved the boat on our own for the first time for some fuel and made a right mess of moving it back due to the wind!

Becky's cousin Hannah and her fiancé Craig kindly gave us a lift to leave our car at Debdale Wharf and about 2.30pm we left Whilton and finally got on our way.

Not many photos of the first day as the weather was very wet but we were lucky and met a very nice family on a shared ownership boat who we locked up Buckby locks with in the pouring rain - although they decided to stop just below the top lock as it was so wet so we carried on our own.

Arriving at Watford Locks about 6pm we thought we were expecting to wait 'til the following day but the lock keeper said we could be the last boat up after the boats in the flight had come down. We entered the bottom lock at 6.45 and exited about 7.30 with me steering and Becky working the locks.

Day 2: Having moored just above Watford locks we cruised to the end of the Welford arm on our second day and having turned and filled up with water we moored just before the corner above Welford lock. On the way we called in to Yelvertoft Marina for some coal to try out the stove! It might only have been August but it was another day of torrential rain at times and we were both cold and wet.

Moored Just above Welford Lock. Its pictures like these that show why we love boating so much.

Day 3 and we left the Welford arm and headed for Foxton.

We arrived at Foxton Locks at 3.30 on bank holiday Monday and having booked in with the keeper we had to wait ‘til 5pm before we were able to start the locks - not as bad as some people had been predicting. We managed to get down the locks in 1hr despite the number of people around.

Becky steered this time and I worked the locks. We moored for the night in nice countryside on the Market Harborough arm.

View out of side hatch in the morning.

Tuesday 31st August and we cruised to Market Harborough and back and spent the rest of the day starting to strip out the Boatman’s Cabin.

View whilst working in the Boatman's Cabin.

No more cheap pine stuck and nailed on to rotten wood!

Swing Bridge at Foxton. Becky doesn't like this bridge and nearly demolished it and the boat moored the other side! If you're the owner of the boat she says sorry!

Wednesday and we called in to say hello at Debdale Wharf Marina and let them know we had arrived! However we were having such an enjoyable time we didn't want it to end so cruised past and down to the winding hole below Crane's Lock where we turned and moored for the night just above Kibworth Top Lock. Becky worked the locks going down and I worked the Locks coming back up but Becky decided she doesn't like steering for wide locks so I have some persuading to do for next time! We both much prefer narrow locks!

Finally arrived at Debdale on Thursday and they found us a nice mooring at the end of one of the marina jetties for a few weeks until they could crane the boat out onto the hard standing. We didn't think we would like being on a long jetty shared with other boats but it seems much nicer than most marinas as you have water beside you rather than being inches from the next boat. So much so that we are now hoping to stay at Debdale when the boat is finished if they will let us!

Luckily we only had to pay the hard standing rate but we certainly made the most of our time in the water and thoroughly enjoyed our first holiday. Can't wait ‘til Diesel and Dust is back in the water again!

The stripping out of the interior continues after attending Hannah and Craig's wedding on Friday 3rd September and don't need to worry about getting too dirty after that!