Leaks in locks are called ?

We left Grafton on Friday morning pulling pins at about 09.30 and headed to the locks at Stoke Bruerne.

 

                  This is the spillway below the lock flight. There is still loads of water around even though it has not rained for a few days

          At the bottom of the locks we met this Aluminium built boat called Bright Water. So with sharing the work we locked up a lot quicker.

Just after Stoke Bruerne comes Blissworth tunnel. We had been told it was wet inside but had never seen it so bad. There was a waterfall coming from the last airshaft on the Blissworth end and there was nothing we could do to avoid it and we got absolutely drowned…… But its all good fun.

                                                                                                                       I don't like tunnels anymore !!!!!!!!

We then spent the next couple of days at Nether Heyford. On the first night there this boat came drifting by at about 10 o'clock at night. We managed to grab it and moored it up behind us. It looked as if it had been untied as all the mooring ropes where on the boat and not dangling in the water.

                                                                         On Sunday we woke to minus 3 deg and the canal frozen.

After a couple of days of sitting around it was time to move again and on Monday we headed for Norton junction which is above the Buckby flight of locks.Half way up the locks we came across a struggling Canal and River Trust man.

What are you doing Mr ???? asks Carolyn….. Some one has thrown this piece of railway track in the canal was the reply. I Pulled over and tied up Inca then went back to see if i could help . But even with 2 of us it wouldn't budge so he got on his phone and arranged for his mate to come with a winch.

We then spent a couple of days at Norton junction and while we where there we arranged a Tesco delivery. Its an ideal place as the van can get right next to the boat.

On Thursday we pulled pins at 09.00 and with the sun out and the temperature at 3 deg it was perfect cruising weather. We decided to turn right and head up the Leicester arm of the Grand union. It was not long before we arrived at the staircase locks at Watford. Todays lock keeper was Maurice who guided us up the flight.

                               There are several leaks like this in the locks. Apparently the old boatmen used to call them Pi**er’s for obvious reasons.

After 5 hours cruising we finally moored up at Yelvertoft .The furthest we had been before on the Leicester branch was Crick so this is all new to us We will have a day or 2 to explore here then move on again.

 

                                                   Happy Days