Through MK (Milton Keynes)

 

We pulled pins from our mooring at Grafton Regis at 07.45 and had ahead of us a cruise of about 6 hours to Fenny Stratford . Reaching Cosgrove and we were lucky to get a hand down the lock by a working party that were restoring the Buckingham arm.http://www.buckinghamcanal.org.uk/. Its no doubt a thankless task , but they are working their way to re opening the arm .

Crossing over the Cosgrove Aqueduct and my fear of heights kicks in again. What is going on with me ?. I have been over here so many times and never had a problem before.

Then at Target Turn after passing through Bradwell we met up with our friend Gary on his Coal/Diesel boat Ascot. We had 12 bag’s of Excel coal from him at the very reasonable price . We haven’t seen Gary for sometime ,so it was good to have a good old natter. Yet again we always try and use the coal/diesel boats in the area we are travelling through, they are there all year round and are always there to help us out in the Winter months when the going gets a bit more difficult due to bad Weather and stoppages.

Cruising through Milton Keynes and we passed this new piece of Art that we haven’t seen before.

We then came across this new seat on the towpath. How brilliant is that ?.

At Simpson we passed this boat with one of the best bow fenders we have ever seen.

After a good and most enjoyable 6 hour cruise we managed to pick up a mooring before the lock. Not 2 minutes after mooring and Carolyn had her backpack on and was off up the shops. Hour’s later she returned with a backpack full of bargains…………………………. Well that’s what she told me !!                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 Happy Days

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

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.. 

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Dunchurch ?

 

With Carolyn back down in Devon I’m left alone and the only thing to do whilst by myself is to catch up with all those jobs that I keep putting off. As the saying goes there’s always something to do on a boat, so I’m kept very busy with a list of jobs that she has left me.

After a few days away and with me being bored stiff without her (but don’t tell her that) Carolyn is back on board and the following morning we pulled pins from Hillmorton at 07.55 and headed off on the 3 or so hour cruise to Braunston.It’s been a while since we last came through here and we were surprised to see how much progress was being made at the new marina at Onley. We did mention that would it still be known as the Onley moorings or will it be known as Dunchurch once the marina is completed ?

The new marina is certainly starting to take shape and the latest I have heard is that it should be open in the Spring of next year. It has been designed by the Architects responsible for the Eden project in Cornwall.

It seems to consist of large lakes and there will be all the amenities on site associated with a large marina. A build cost of £15 million was mentioned so I would expect them to want to fill it with boats as soon as it opens. It will be interesting to see what the prices will be and if they will entice boats from other marina’s.

Arriving at Braunston and we stopped on the services for water and to empty our waste. It’s good to see that Canal and River Trust after many years of neglect have got around to improving the paths at this service station. But yet again the Elsan was out of order ,not to worry as there is another one around the corner which we can use in the morning.

We then moored up behind James and Doug on Nb Chance on the stretch before The Boathouse and had a chat with them before Carolyn trekked up to the village shop for a few essentials . We will have an early start in the morning and head up Braunston locks and through the tunnel and then on to Norton junction where we have arranged to meet up with friends.

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Lost rope found !

 

We pulled pins from All Oaks at 08.30 and soon passed this CRT guy doing some towpath upgrades just before Newbold tunnel. It looks like they are trying to put some sort of drainage system in. Great for walkers and cycists I suppose, but what about cutting back vegitation, lock repairs and general maintenance of the system ?.

It was then in to Newbold tunnel which should be lit up by ten groups of red,blue and green lights .British Waterways and the borough council funded the £195,000 scheme back in 2005. The tunnel, a quarter of a mile long, is more than 180-years-old. When we came through here a few years only half the lights were working, but you could imagine how good it would look if they were all working.

These are the lights today and now there are NONE working . A big fat zero !!!. After spending £195,000 of council and BW money surely there’s someone that can change a few light bulbs.

Reaching Brownsover and after mooring we were soon joined by friends Gary and Della from Nb Muleless. Needless to say it wasn’t long before we were off down the Steam Turbine for a bite to eat and a couple of drinks.

After a good couple of days catching up with each other it was soon time to go our separate ways. We said our goodbyes on the water point which they beat us too.So good to meet up again ,and roll on Braunston at the end of the year.

Cruising on towards Hillmorton and it seems that Clifton cruisers are having a shift around at their site. Just wish we could have stayed around to see how this lift went.

Passing a field at the bottom of Hillmorton and it had five trenches dug like the one above. With a new town being built here I was wondering if it’s some sort of archaeological dig.                                                                                                       

Reaching the bottom lock of the Hillmorton flight of three locks and we had a Volunteer Lockie to set the lock for us and lock us up.

Approaching the second lock and we came across this pair of hire boats racing out of the locks. Seeing me they put on their brakes (went in to reverse gear) to avoid a collision. In the end I ended up passing them on the wrong side.

After coming out of the top lock we came across this hire boat across the canal. It seems that he had somehow lost his stern mooring rope at the bottom of the lock and his crew had gone back with boat poles and were trying to recover it from the bottom of the pound. Luckily they eventually found the rope,not in the canal but down their weed hatch and around the propeller .You just have to laugh , luckily they found it funny as well. It’s all a part of boating.

We picked up a mooring just after Moor lane bridge where I will spend the next few days while Carolyn hops on a train and heads back down to Devon for our Granddaughter Curly’s birthday.

                                                                                                           Happy Days