Leaving Braunston

After a few good days in Braunston we pulled pins at 08.30 and after using the services we met up with friends Rich and Sharon ( nb Oakapple ) to cruise together towards Rugby. With the weather doing us no favours we cruised through the Mizzle for most of the four hour cruise.

We passed a boat on the way displaying this sign. There’s plenty of tunnels with the end light switched off.

Now that makes a change . Usually Canal and River Trust use miles and miles of that horrible red plastic fencing around the ever increasing failing towpaths along the system. Although not perfect this green plastic fencing is a lot less intrusive on the eye and the countryside.

Passing Onley and I just had to jump off at the bridge to check on the progress at The Dunchurch super marina. They now seem to be getting the roads put in and you can see through the hedge that they are starting to dig out the entrance. As I have heard nothing different I take it that the marina is still on target to open in the Spring of this year.

Arriving at Hillmorton and we were greeted with this sight. The top pound of the three lock flight was completley empty. There was a couple of boaters moored just back from the top lock who told us that someone had left the paddles open and that they had called Canal and River Trust to come out and fill the pound. Why they called out CRT God only knows . With no sign of CRT Carolyn and Sharon went on ahead to close the paddles and check the locks below where OK.

With Carolyn and Sharon finding out that everything was OK on the two locks below myself and Rich started filling the empty pounds.

In the end it took us about 45 minutes to fill the pound and get on our way again .Just as we had the pound full and the situation under control the CRT operative turned up and thanked us for our efforts . It’s sometimes a bit of a pain when things like this happen ,but it’s all a part of boating.

Here we go again passing Clifton cruisers. It seems like they are a law unto themselves and even after several boaters putting in a complaint a few months ago to Canal and River Trust they still restrict navigation past their wharf. It wouldn’t be so bad if they tied the boats in tightly ,but they drift out and smash in to any passing boats.
We have now picked up a mooring on the Parkside at Brownsover where Carolyn can get a bit of retail therapy and we will spend the next few days here before continuing our journey North.
                                                               Happy Days