Wide beam ?

 

We pulled ropes through rings at 09.40 from our mooring at Norton junction and we were joined on the flight by a single hander boater. Fortunately he was one of the better one’s and was more than happy to get off his boat and muck in.

Reaching the bottom of the flight at Whilton we met the crew of this hire boat as they got to their first ever lock. To say they were clueless was an understatement. They had hired the boat at Gayton where it seemed what tuition they had was a waste of time.Luckily for them Carolyn spent a good bit of time with them and explained the whole process and made sure they understood how a lock works. It makes you wonder how hire companies can send out clients with such little understanding of how a lock operates.

With a few hours to to kill and after a walk around the local Garden centre we decided to have a look at what boats Whilton marina had for sale. We have talked about getting a wide beam once we have done most of the inland waterways system,so thought we would have a look at the one they had for sale.

Needless to say that Carolyn was well impressed with the space compared to a Narrowboat.

At 60 foot long and 12 feet wide it’s completely different to Inca and is almost like a small flat instead of a boat. We have been on a few widebeams before ,notably George and Carols superb boat Still Rockin   http://wbstillrockin.blogspot.co.uk/ . Unfortunately this boat was nothing like theirs as it had in our opinion a very poor build quality and fit out. Even so it was food for thought and you never know in a few years time before retiring to dry land we could spend a few years living on a Fatboat widebeam boat ..

The following morning we pulled ropes over bollards at Whilton and headed towards Stoke Bruerne. We have just found out that we were successful in our application for a mooring at Rembrandt Gardens in London, so while the weather is good we intend to put in a few long days and get as close to London as we can. Yet again Carolyn is over the Moon at having a week or two in London. As for me ? I guess if she is happy then I have to be as well !!!! (That was a bit of cutting wit)

Just can’t pass this guy without taking a picture at Bedazzled ,even though Carolyn say’s that he reminds her of me.

I didn’t read this ,I just took a picture , But I bet you read it !!.

After a good cruise we made it to Blisworth tunnel which is usually very wet. Today it was not that bad although when there are torrents of water coming down on us we have a bloody good laugh as we pass through.

It’s then onto the Stoke Bruerne flight of locks and this is the second lock down. A couple of months ago a drunken couple of boaters cilledand sank their boat at this lock. The picture showing the boat cilled showed a whisky bottle and glass on the stern of the boat.The crew were arrested by the Police, but I have heard nothing since.

After a good and most enjoyable seven hour cruise we were lucky to pick up what is probably are most favourite mooring in the whole wide World at Grafton Regis. The view from our starboard front room window is just amazing.

Then there’s the view from our Port front room window,just how lucky are we. We will spend the night here and then in the morning the plan is to get all the way through Milton Keynes and then pick up a mooring at Fenny Stratford as Carolyn wants to hit the shops at Bletchley.                                                                                                                                                                                                               

                                                                                                                Happy Days