Yeah..... we did it!
What a brilliant trip! In the two months (yes we don't scoot ?) we've worked through gales, hard frosts, torrential rain, snow, and latterly the glorious weather.
We were held back for about a week, waiting for the wind to abate before we went through Watford Locks.
At Crick Marina we pulled in for a diesel top up. While John was inside the shop/chandlers he had a scout around for antifreeze/coolant, the only container of it he could find was on the floor in a corner of the shop. This was a 'charity' area where boaters donate stuff they don't need. A boater who was clearing out his boat before he sold it, donated the almost full container/can to the pile. John donated a fiver for the can. The engine's water is now back to where it was before the water hose slipped off, chucking all the water out of the system. (Thank you to the kind people here who offered to help us!). A bargain always brings a smile to John's face ?
We took a detour down the Welford Arm (sorry to say the Services weren't very nice). We had a meal in the pub which was yummy, and I took an almost vertical (she exaggerates) climb to the shop for provisions. There's an ancient limekiln at the end of the arm for the historians amongst us.
The summit was absolutely beautiful, and we enjoyed every minute! Strange though, I don't think we saw a single swan, nor many ducks.
We climbed down Foxton Locks where the lockies were cheerful chappies, and we turned right into Market Harborough. We turned up on the day many boats were leaving their winter moorings, and we managed to hook up in the marina for two nights (£12 per night). It's a lovely basin, and the pub's food and drink went down well too. Tesco delivered us a months supply of food while we were there.
At Kilby Bridge (where Matty advised we stop if the Sour was flooded), we had to hold up for about 5 days. (Fancy us not checking for maintenance stoppages!) We had to wait while Locks 33. 34, and 35 were open after being maintained.
At the bottom of Birstall lock we stopped for milk, eggs, fruit and veg and stuff, stopping overnight. It's a great place to run our dog.
The next day we had a short trip, stopping a little beyond Johnsons Bridge #17. What a fabulous place, either side of our mooring were two fabulous pleasure lakes.
The glorious Easter Weekend weather made our 3 night stop over just perfect! It was a lovely spot, we were on our own (except for a few walkers), we were amongst mother nature in full Spring mode.
Easter Monday we pulled our moorings, to enjoy the cruising weather. At the bottom of Sileby Lock it was a bit of battle with the weir in my attempt to hookup to a workboat for diesel (John was on lock duty so he walked to the workboat). The marina looks a real friendly place!
Onward to Mount Sorrel, and what an experience that was! We weren't expecting all the pedalos and row boats that were out and about. There were hundreds on the river for the bank holiday Monday.
Some drunken eejit and his friend, showing off to two nervous girls in their rowing boat, stood up in the boat, rocking it, making the girls scream. We hooted for them to get out of the way, John desperately slamming the boat into reverse. Think the eejit was playing chicken, how we missed them, I'll never know. Apart from these eejits it was lovely to see so many people enjoying themselves on the river.
We moored at the top of Deep Lock for the night, leaving our mooring after a visit for fresh provisions from the village.
At the short Loughborough Arm, we moored for a couple of hours while we took turns to visit Sports Direct for a pair of new trainers each. Somehow we didn't feel safe to leave the boat unattended, maybe we were wrong, but decided to err on the side of caution. After a bite to eat, we were off again.
We were soon turning left onto the Trent, giving the boat a bit of treat, she just loves the deep water.
A lockie helped us through Sawley lock, where we moored for the night.
In the morning the weather wasn't too great, with a thunderstorm being threatened, and with a high wind, we took off from our mooring. It was a struggle to get away from side as the wind kept blowing the boat back against the wall. John reversed out with as much gumph as was safe..... until we heard a grinding noise like we'd grounded.
Cautiously in forward gear he managed to turn the boat into the centre of the water, until there was a loud bang from under the boat, and the the engine stalled! He tried to restart the engine, it stalled again!
Panic.... John couldn't move the rudder, obviously there was something tangled up on the prop, wedging the rudder.
We were in the middle of that huge channel, without propulsion, with a hard wind, and all these posh plastic boats about.
As luck would have it, we drifted quite close to Sawley Marina, where my shouts of help was answered by a lovely guy from the marina, and another boater. They managed to grab the bow rope, and the guy from the marina walked along our gunnel to grab our centre line. Phew! Once the boat was secured, John went down the engine 'ole to the weed hatch.... there was nothing there! He was also now able to waggle the rudder freely! Obviously, whatever we'd picked up had fallen off! He started the engine, it ran beautifully. After 'profusely' thanking the guys for their help, we were off!
At Western Lock on the Trent & Mersey there was another 'situation'! We cruised up to the bottom of the lock, and noticed the lock was being emptied. Centre line was wrapped around a bollard, while John went up to the lock to help. Then all of a sudden it looked like a wall of water was let out of the lock! I could't hold on to the centre line as our boat was pushed sideways across the canal! Won't do that again at that lock!
One of the boats coming down was Fearn Fenders - they came along side our now firmly secured boat while we bought a new back button from them!
When we were at the top of the lock, the heavens opened, we were in the middle of a huge thunderstorm. So we sat still for half an hour while the thunder and lightening passed over. We moored as soon as we could to enjoy a well deserved whiskey!
Yesterday we climbed Swarkstone Lock, where we were now on familiar territory. Then onto the lock I was somehow dreading, Stenson Lock. Stenson Lock turned out to be easy, thanks to the lockie!
We cruised on, passing through Willington. Here we saw a boat we knew from this forum! Think they were off the boat as we did give a quick toot as we went passed! Sorry we missed you!
We stopped by Shobnall Fields. Sadly there's several tents of homeless people here, there were one here last November. There's a young kid who's been asking for food (we gave him food and water), he only had a damp blanket over his t-shirt to protect him from yesterday/last night's weather. It's difficult to know how to help. We did phone Outreach, who are in the YMCA. They said there's a bed and clothing for him there if he would make his way there. When I mentioned this to him this morning, he didn't seem to understand - I'm not sure what nationality he is, possibly he's Romanian.
Sorry this is so long... we thoroughly enjoy the trip! It might be our last trip though because of the double locks, as it has been rather hard on our 'old bones'! Pleased we've done it! ??
