Dopey Angler !

 

We decided on an early start for our trip up the Braunston flight of locks. After pulling ropes through rings at 07.40 we needed to empty our toilet cassette at the service point near the stop house. We arrived there only to find a ignorant boater moored on the water / Elsan point . With another boat moored next to the bridge there was no way we could get in. I did take a picture of the boat and was going to name and shame,but thought better of it . Of course we could always have moored onto his boat and walked over it. But in the end we just said sod it and as there is an Elsan at Norton junction and we would use that instead.

We then went up Braunston bottom lock and everything was going well until Carolyn shouted back that the next pound was empty. We then had to moor up Inca and go up the flight and let water down in to the pounds until there was enough to enable us to lock up. It ended up taking us over two and a half hours to get to the top.

Just loved these old signs on the bottom lock cottage .

It was then in to Braunston tunnel where luckily we only met one other boat coming in the opposite direction.

Halfway from the tunnel to Norton junction I heard a banging on the side of our hull. I looked down the side and was shocked to see we had picked up a fishing rod and reel which had it’s line wrapped around our bow. It seems that this Dopey Angler who didn’t speak very good English had put out half a dozen rods at intervals over about a 100 yards along the canal. It was baited with a dead fish’ so I take it he was trying to catch a pike or three ,no doubt for the pot. I managed to grab his tackle rod and reel while Carolyn steered ,although I should probably have just kept going and gained myself a new rod and reel I gave it back to him.

Arriving at Norton junction and picking up a mooring above the lock we were soon joined by friends Bob and Jan from Nb Small Dreams. After an afternoon catching up with what we had all been up to on Inca we retired to The New Inn for a most enjoyable evening. As always the food was excellent and we had a great evening with great company.

Tomorrow we will head off down the Buckby flight of locks and try to pick up a mooring at Whilton.. 

                                                                                                                Happy Days