Wed 25th July 2007, Bridge 34/35 Loughborough.
Lorimar called to say they’d spotted a weather window and gone through Bishops Meadow on the Soar towards the river Trent.
We’re having second thoughts about cruising north on the rivers and now considering sticking to canals and taking the Trent & Mersey towards Stoke. If we make good progress then we could even get to Wakefield and see relatives before our dash back down south in time for dry dock.

A lovely surprise, we get an offer of the use of a car from Mike on Sarah-Kate. There’s just one thing we need and it’s at Wharfhouse chandlery – a mozzy zapper. The kind hearted fella only went and fetched us one didn’t he and we did our best to repay him with a curry.

What a gem these boaters are. We’re glad we’ve fallen in with a good crowd. Makes us very humble.

Thursday 26th
Call from Lorimar, Mark and Lorain are stuck at Kegworth – Trent opened for an hour and closed again, Soar is closed now. We thought we saw a couple of new boats go through this way, any new boats going past see our faces glued to the windows, sad aren’t we?

Caught one small moth in the fly zapper – limited satisfaction, and one less for the wardrobe. But can’t afford to spend any more time sitting on the bed watching it, there’s no work getting done. Shall have to open the windows tonight in the hope that the mozzies find us and decorate the wires.

Wish we had a solution to the earwigs, they’re still finding their way in and exploring the nooks and crannies. Still, at least it isn’t mice, yet.

Had a small panic this evening. There was a sudden deluge of water from the roof, over the TV and cupboards. Must have been the way we were listing because the water collected on the stern hatch rails and crept inside. Chances of it ever happening again are slim and I decided against destroying the steelwork with my drill.

The tele’ paints horrible pictures of floods and boat strandings, very glad we came off the river when we did. No one is making noises about our wonderful waterways now, perhaps one could say – No need to visit the Waterways, let them come to you.

Friday 27th
Left our country estate for our place in the town. We stopped at Chain Bridge and wandered towards the shops. I’m getting to like Loughborough, it’s a smallish, friendly place, with little market stalls and shops enough for the likes of us. Got distracted and checked out the cinema during the afternoon and sat through a Harry Potter film. Apart from the quiet spells (!) which were punctuated by the builders next door jack-hammering the foundations, I found it too loud. Sign of getting old I’m told. Popcorn in the ears doesn’t work. And doesn’t that stuff get everywhere, found some later while getting undressed for bed.

Back at the boat having a quiet cup of tea we encountered a group of foreigners on a walk along the canal. Two guys climbed over the taff rail onto the stern and posed while a woman took their photo. I’m afraid I spoiled the shot by appearing through the stern doors and insisting they return to land or else. By the time I was back inside they were standing on the gunwales posing again. Understandably cross at seeing the backs of trouser legs outside our portholes I was through the door like a shot with my explanation of visitor’s rules. Whatever next?

It tried raining in the evening but it came to nothing, seems we mostly get light rain or drizzle in these parts. But rain or shine the weeds seem to love it, the brambles are a mass of berries, some ripening already.

Called Lorimar and they had nothing to report downstream, everyone’s holding tight at Kegworth.

Sat 28th
Called BW for news on the Trent and lower Soar, no answer, of course it’s Saturday.
Called Lorimar and Lorain told us they hadn’t moved, the Soar was still too high and there were boats sheltering in the locks so the way down is blocked.

After V’s short shop in town (avoiding the sticky pavement patches – normal in a student town after Friday and Saturday nights) we set sail through the town’s suburbs to our retreat in the countryside. It’s beginning to feel like we own this stretch of canal, there’s just us and a couple of others (nb.Otter with its hanging baskets and nb.Ark Wright trying to get home).

Popped into Pillings marina for water and to see construction’s progress. Piling for the building foundations has started and bank side boats have moved onto a row of “island” pontoons. There are three people working on site, must be the busy season.

On our way out we checked the upstream Soar – still 10” into the ‘danger zone’ so we can’t go south even for a change of scenery.

A little bit of excitement on the way back along the canal, a huge floating raft of pennywort blocked a bridge hole. Decided to ram it at full speed, cut the engine and drift through. Managed it one handed (on the phone) without touching the sides.
There are a couple of bridge holes in these parts with disused flood gates. One has broken its restraining chain and although it stays open when no one’s there, it shuts as boats go through. The canal gets its fun in its own little way.

We tied up on “our” bollards with no boats and no one else around apart from passing dog walkers.

This place suits us because the ground under the hedge is soft and easy to dig, for worms and other reasons.

The evening brought more rain but the forecast is looking good for the days ahead.

Sunday 29th July 2007
A sunny start and it’s good seeing blue sky again. But everyone else saw the forecast and the towpath filled quickly with anglers carrying the contents of their sheds on their backs. Half expected to see them on the stern when I opened the doors before breakfast.

Put a hot pan on the stove in the hope that we would get a few fish chucked at us but by ten I was famished and started good old bacon and eggs.
I’m a little fed up with adjusting the cooker legs just so I can get the fried egg to stay in the centre of the pan, can’t someone invent self levelling cookers for boats?

Waving to passengers aboard the trip boat “Symphony” twice a day is becoming compulsive as she cruises from her base at the Peter Le Marchant charity a few hundred yards from here.
The expressions on their faces range from dead scared to total delight as they steam up to the river Soar and back and become accustomed to canal cruising.

Sitting next to the open side door one marvels at the watery scene outside. This bit of canal is so much like a river, it flows like a river and the banks have tiny reeds with water lilies stretching across to the middle.
The bushes beside us are filled with flowers and insects are busy in the warm January, oops sorry, July sunshine.

So few boats are using this canal because of the flooded rivers above and below us that the water visibility is almost to the bottom and it’s easy to spot shoals of fish nibbling food that slips beneath the surface. The steam train whistles in the distance and damsel flies flit from leaf to leaf as they give ‘rides’ to their friends. I can see why some boaters settle down, there’s so much pleasure in watching nature at work in the peace and quiet away from town. The winter was fun, even though we had to sit indoors with a roaring fire but this is fun too especially after a prolonged wet spell. Should we rest a while longer in this little Garden of Eden?

Turned on the tele to get some reality - a high pressure system is on its way – hooray. We may cruise again. Enough of this, watch out you northwest canals, we’re looking your way, surely the river will open tomorrow and we shall burn water.

Monday 16th July 2007 - Loughborough
Called British Waterways base at Newark for news of restrictions on the rivers Trent and Soar. “Trent is closed, I’ll send a man out to check the Soar and call you back”.
An hour later she called with the news “The river Soar is closed at Redhill and Sawley Marina is closed at both ends. Nothing is moving on the Trent”.
Oh well, we’ll sit tight and wait I guess.
Made the mistake of cleaning the brasses again, that will be another week of rain. So it’s all my fault.
The rain returned, heavy stuff that gets everywhere. Even the towpath was covered for a while.
Nb.Bohemian shared our moorings, they’re trying to get down the Soar too and waiting for the river to settle.
Walked, yes walked to the next bridge and wandered to the railway station.
Open for steam engine trips down to Leicester and back, they offer meals at £38 a head, up to £50+ at Christmas. Took photos and returned to the boat. Glad we don’t have to live on a train at those prices.

The first blackberries are ripening on the bushes, but there’s not enough to make a pie yet. Seen other berries on trees but I’ve no idea what they are and can’t get a volunteer to try them.

V decided to do a couple of rounds with ‘Enery last night. An intsy-wintsy mozzy got her in the hand and now she’s threatening not to do the ironing. Being a ‘lefty’ that's not much of an excuse.

Tuesday 17th
Cleaned and painted the chimney and stored it for the summer.
Sileby boat hirers ply back and forth, their cruising restricted by the Trent. Peter Le Marchant cruisers keep to a timetable and they pass just after 10o’clock and again at 3.

Wed 18th
Showers on and off through the day. If it looked dry for an hour then I would grab the paint pot and cover the worst scratches. News came in that Ter and Claire had arrived back from Switzerland, with photos we hoped, and maybe something wrapped. Can’t wait.

Thurs 19th
Found nb.Seyella in front of us, she’d sneaked through Cranfleet and Redhill locks last night heading south up the Soar. Last saw this couple at Raynsway Marina earlier in the year.

Looks like a nice day so we set off toward Loughborough.
Passing the backs of houses along the way I spot a wheely-bin floating above the trollies. Stopping to haul it out I get hailed by this couple who tell me about their adopted family of swans, ducks and a fox. Looking into the canal I asked “a fox like that floating one?” That was it, tears, howls and a distraught couple slope off home. Big mistake. I should have poked it with my sharp stick, let the air out and let it sink to the bottom. What was worse, she thought its head was missing. I wasn’t going to prove it either way, I revved up and we headed off towards the shops.
Other boats had the same idea and I saw Shiraz’s owners between cold meats and pet foods.
I must have lurked in the wine section too long because the supervisor sent three shelf stackers to keep an eye on me. Hung around ‘cereals’ just to show them I was really a good guy.

Looked for Reggae-Reggae sauce but there was no sign of it, just a shelf full of records with Levi Roots’ smiling face on them advertising the missing product. I thought Dragon’s Den ought to hear about this but decided to give Sainsburys another chance.

Stopped for the night outside the Albion pub where T&C met us sporting a suntan and Kirsch from jolly ol’ Swizzerlund. Yummy, tar, thanks, when are you going again?

It was a quiet night until a blackbird woke the budgies in the aviary and someone started the dogs barking in the kennels somewhere behind the pub.

Friday 20th
A cloudy day gave way to drizzle and rain. Andy and Sue from Bomo on the sarf coast are coming up for the weekend. 15 miles of heavy metal on the M40 due to rain delayed their arrival and we speculated over the likely flooding this will bring to the river Cherwell and the Thames.

While we hung around the Boat Inn we bumped into Steve Cropper the BW fella. He was trying to get an answer from the unlicensed cruiser lurking alongside the pub. I asked and he kindly explained the reason Loughborough’s central water point, at the Boat Inn, was dead.

An agreement years ago meant the landlord piped water to the outside tap in the hope of attracting boaters. The latest landlord had other ideas and has turned off the supply. BW’s written apology still hangs on the tap. We have amended our Nicholson’s Guide.

Collected our packages (Andy and Sue) and motored to Pillings Lock Marina to stay the night. Rain and wind, wind and rain. This place is still very much under development but John makes us feel welcome and we pitched on a piece of pontoon. It’s not the weather for bothering people so we leave nb.Lorimar alone for now. Anyone needing to visit this place will find it with Tom-Tom at postcode LE12 8EN but don’t think it’s going to be easy if you don’t have GPS. John offers overnight stays along with a diesel and lavender barge.

Saturday 21st
It must be bad down south, we’re getting phone calls from people thinking we’re trapped on the rivers. Yes we’ve had rain but not as much as seen on TV. Our bit of canal hasn’t changed more than an inch all week. One of us walked to the flood lock and came back reporting the water level was in the red so the Soar is out of bounds. Turning left we trickled down to town and did some more shopping. Found a huge Wilkinsons and saved a few bob on hose fittings, sandpaper and distilled water.
Plenty of space outside the Albion again so we tied up for the night.
An evening in, catching up on news with Andy and Sue and watching old videos kept us occupied for the evening.

It was quiet, boat-wise and apart from the gang of pensioners outside the pub puffing ciggies under umbrellas and talking too loud we weren’t disturbed. Overnight, while other counties suffered with the wet we had nothing to complain about. But we knew it was raining – the empty warehouse opposite was dropping its rainwater from a truncated downpipe and dreams of going over Niagara Falls punctuated my dreams.

Sunday 22nd
Back to the Boat Inn. We get around don’t we?
Too early, wait ten minutes and then all four of us rushed the bar at 12. Bumped into one of the Peter Le Marchant cruiser skippers and he comments on the hard life we lead. He’s obviously noticed we travel two miles each way, every day for the past week and mostly seen us moored outside pubs. It’s just a coincidence, really.

Two fellas came out of the unlicensed cruiser and walked off with a nasty dog. Rumours abound about the kind of business they’re into. Say no more. Now I know why the landlord disconnected the water tap outside the pub.

Trying to improve our image with cruise boats we leave and head north. Tied up behind Bohemian and Ark Wright. Like us they’re stuck on this stretch. No new boat names seen these last few days, must be the river Soar.

V, Andy and Sue walked to the flood lock and brought back pictures of the river Soar flooding over the weir. Nothing compared with the Thames but the river is still 2 feet over the ‘red’ line.

Monday 23rd
Travelling to our canal limits we cruised under four bridges to Pillings Lock. There’s only inches difference from yesterday so the water has us beaten again. Reversing to the marina we check out the drinking water and leave our guests Andy and Sue to find their way home.

Hooray, Mark and Lorain are home. We visit Lorimar and find Peter and his missus from Plan B sitting out in the hazy sunshine. Poor old Mark, he’d planned a cruise but he’s stuck on the same mile of canal as us.

Drink tea, tour of Balmaha and it’s time for us to go, back to our home with Ark Wright and Bohemian before the heavens open. We’re both dabbing stuff on mozzy bites, funny how they itch every hour on the hour. Drives you potty.

Starting to miss Andy and Sue, they’re so easy to get on with and lovely company.

Tuesday 24th July 2007
No change in our cruising pattern although it’s a fine day today with a north wind and plenty of sunshine. Shorts and Tee shirt on again, maybe a BBQ tonight?

Plan B and Lorimar are out of the marina, cruising will be mostly to Loughborough centre and back. Mark called later to say the lights were still red at Bishops Meadow and BW told him not to attempt the Soar or Trent.

It’s earwig season again. They crawl upside down from the crack in the side doors and drop onto the worktop by the bread bin.
On a less serious note, baby spiders have appeared in the corners, high up and doing their best to catch the gnats. We don’t mind them, it’s the bigguns that race across the floor at night that bother me.

Gnat carcasses litter the boat sides after crawling from the canal at night as larvae and depart their skins as they fly off into the night.

Mosquitoes and gnats are finding their way in during the evening and make their presence known just as my head hits the pillow. V is especially vulnerable and when bitten on hands and feet her joints swell up like hot water bottles.

Calls have come in from family and friends all over the country wondering how we are doing after seeing the extensive flooding on the TV. We’re quite spoilt really with water, diesel and pump-out available in Pillings Lock Marina and Loughborough shops a short cruise away.

Our only excitement is watching the weir beside Pillings Lock. What is normally a couple of inches of water over a few feet drop has become a canoeists paradise with scary white water rapids (flowing from right to left).

Thanks for all your calls, we’re probably better off than you people in houses. Floods mean closed locks and that means no traffic and that means peace, plenty of it. Lovely, it’s what we signed up for.

At last we’ve finished with the Leicester Ring. From now on we’re travelling up country as far as the inland waterways will take us.
The books say at 60 feet we’re too long for the locks of the Ripon Canal (57 foot by 14ft 3inches) but we’re going to invoke Pythagoras’ theory, squeeze in on the diagonal and hope they left a margin for error when the books were printed.

Wednesday 11th July 2007
We’re not the only ones in the Kilby Bridge waiting rooms, a line of boats pointing at Leicester tell a sad story of would-be explorers waiting for the floods to abate.
News comes in, Cranfleet flood gates are open and the Trent is accessible again. Early morning sees a scramble for the water taps on the other side of the canal and one by one boats head off towards the river Soar through Leicester.

The three lads and a lass that camped out last night on the side of Kilby lock had a rude awakening this morning as the paddle mechanisms clonked up and down. The sound of rushing water must have driven their bladders mad.

V made her point by collecting scattered food wrappers and drinks cans and deposited them with an announcement at the tent door. A feeble thank you was heard from the occupants before we left the lock, which gave some satisfaction.

A couple of anglers “greeted” us as we pulled in to Crow Mills Bridge for a supermarket shop
and two locks later we were docked at Glen Parva.

It was good to see our neighbours Paul and Dawn this evening and our turn to treat them to dinner aboard Balmaha. Not a lot has changed in the street since last here but we covered most topics to do with who, when and how.

Thursday 12th
A half day in Blaby for shopping and my eye test. Nothing to worry about, better than 20:20 vision she said from somewhere across the darkened room as she wrote the ‘prescription’. I think she knew there was no point in asking me to look at their specs as I’d already told her I was using 1.5s from the £1 shop for reading.

Couldn’t leave town without bumping into friends from church and caught up on more news, particularly Richard’s trip to India.

We moved on as the skies darkened and our journey finished just round the corner at Kings Lock. Unfortunately Tony and Julie are away until the 15th so there’ll be no coffee and cake at the Kings Lock Café tomorrow morning.
A spot of fishing brought one roach out of the water but I made the mistake of putting him back in the same place and he told his mates. Good job we don’t have to live off what I catch.

Friday 13th
It’s a wet start as we depart Kings Lock. It’s also a Friday so we shall clear Leicester without stopping.

Kings Lock is the beginning of the River Soar and we haven’t gone far before we meet the dreaded floating pennywort.

Lining the river banks this menace will block our way if it isn’t removed, it chokes the life out of the water, stopping fish, other plants and worst still our propeller.

Since our last cruise through here one month ago this weed has moved up river from the Walker Stadium to above the gas works, not far from Aylestone Mill. Further on below town it has spread like wild fire and lines the river in places for hundreds of yards without a break. And yet it was almost completely unknown a year ago, we only knew it from pictures in books.

We feel so bad about pennywort that it’s driven us to wrote poems.

Poem by V –
Pennywort on river spread, is really doing in my head.
Poem by M -
Months ago we saw the pennywort, they should have cleared it then we thought.
Instead they only hit it half hearted, consequently its growth re-started.
A few grand then it would have cost, but the opportunity to remove it lost,
Means we will have a ten times bill, robbing resources this weed to kill.
Foresee our wallets will be hurtin’, a consequent rise in licence certain.
Meanwhile this summer cruise is fraught with dodging rafts of pennywort.

We stopped to check the water tap at Memory Lane wharf. It works but access isn’t the easiest with BW’s barges crowding the place. Rumours are that this area is up for regeneration (I call it BW selling off public assets) and proper facilities should be made available for boats passing through Leicester. We look forward to seeing that.

The engine died just below Limekiln Lock and we couldn’t get any power to the prop which left us drifting downstream. Found a light blue, felt backed Wilton carpet wrapped around the propeller which wouldn’t come up through the weed hatch so I’m afraid it’s gone back down into the canal where it awaits the next unfortunate blighter. I thought we had a body down there because an Indian sari came up through the hole first. That’s become my souvenir.
This has to be the worst stretch of canal in Leicester, it’s black, oily, smelly and continually bubbling from the canal bed.

Visited the watery dungeon again after picking up a ton of polythene and brown tights in Belgrave Lock. What is it about Leicester ladies that they have to chuck their tights into the canal?

Back on the river again, passing Birstall, we enjoyed our cruise through Watermead with its local and migratory birds and the meeting of two old fellas paddling canoes who greeted us most enthusiastically. At least I think it was a greeting, we were all on a tight bend at the time.

Called in at Raynsway Marina and toured Dave and Dil’s new boat (nb.Trundle), “a limited edition” narrowboat, as Dave would say, with some of the best looking woodwork I’ve ever seen.

Out of Raynsway we accompanied a grey painted sailaway (Sabrina?) from Liverpool Boats down as far as Junction Lock where we moored for the night, opposite a ton of town rubbish that came down with the floods and stuck on the weir. If supermarkets are made to collect their trollies then why shouldn’t Macdonalds and Burger King be encouraged to collect their burger wrappers?

Saturday 14th July
Had company at Junction Lock – enough floating rubbish to fill a skip. Rescued three footballs but they always look better in the water than out and I got a soggy foot kicking them out of the lock. Picked up a piece of 2 x ½ which will come in handy if I have to make a mast for nav lights on the Trent. Thoughts of fitting LED lights inside small coloured jam jars popped into my head.

Onwards towards the outskirts of Loughborough we encountered ‘plastic’ heading upstream. Dads in cruisers of all shapes and sizes, often too wide to share locks, burbled their way upstream on their Saturday cruise with family and friends.

Mount Sorrel saw us waving at Beryl (RBOA chairman) on Wasp, fighting a sticky lock paddle and answering the inevitable questions that rained down from a wedding party on their way to the church via the Waterside Inn.

A sad sight greeted us at Barrow. The line of boats on garden end moorings was broken by a submerged cruiser resting on the river bottom.

Approaching Barrow Deep Lock we thought this can’t be right. Either someone isn’t thinking or the fence panels arrived before the safety lights and signs could be moved.

Water levels on the Soar must still be above normal because we found the Pilling flood lock in operation. Going through the lock, leaving the river to take its course around Loughborough, we turned sharp left into Pillings Marina. Just 20 or so boats in here at the moment with another 280 to come, apparently.

We cruised around making the most of the empty space before boat pontoons get installed and homed in on the left of the “island” at the water point. Narrowboat Lorimar lies peacefully against the earth bank but the absence of Mark and Lorain means we get no coffee and cakes here today.

Back onto the canal we go the short distance to bridge 34 and a load of bollards.
Beating nb.Shiraz by five minutes we get the concrete section to ourselves and begin to relax like it was a sunny weekend.
Called Flan for news of Hilda to find she’s at home at last after her awful ordeal in Bristol’s BRI. Here’s wishing you a speedy recovery Hilda.

Andy called and we arranged to meet somewhere on the Trent next weekend. We had to leave it loose because more heavy rain is forecast and the flood watch is in operation yet again. At this rate we’ll either be cutting short our journey to the north by whiling away the weeks in a safe marina somewhere or exceeding all expectations and passing Hull and Grimsby on our way out to the North Sea.

Sunday 15th July 2007
Not as bad as they predicted but we do have showers, on and off. Too wet to go out to play so we sit inside and find things to do. Looking out through the side window we admire those who braved it and cruised come what may. News from Tezzer has arrived saying he and Claire are at the top of the Mattahorn in Switzerland and they’ve found a chip shop up there. Not sure if he’s joking.
Got a call from Pam who’s wishing she and Terry were out here somewhere in their own boat. We remember what that’s like.
Today we have found something we can to do together in the boat – scratch. Both of us got bitten by a mozzy last night. We weren’t warned about this when we signed up. Can’t wait to get our hands on one of those fly electrocutors. Grrrr, scratch, scratch, scratch !!

Monday 2nd July 2007 North of Norton Junction.
It’s worse than yesterday, overcast at best, solid rain at worst. The water level on the canal varies by as much as 12” which means someone has to go out and slacken the spring line or put up with a starboard list.
So it’s another stay-indoors-day and perfect timing for the water meter to play up. Readings are wandering up and down the scale, hovering here and there. Reported it to the makers and they’ve sent a replacement on ahead, that’s really good service. Apparently one type of sensor doesn’t like the scavenging effect of our plumbing arrangement. There’s a different sensor for us and we’ll have no problems in the future.

Spotted nb.Director's Cut heading down to Norton Junction with a boatload of bodies gathered on the stern. Looks like she's found a new owner.

Got a call from Barry, ex work colleague and very good friend from years ago. He and Svet’ were touring way up north, somewhere over the border (did you get to see Balmaha on Loch Lomond?). He said he’d heard we were close to the M1 so he made sure they travelled down the west coast on the M6, very funny.

Tues 3rd
A much better day today, weather wise, and we’re off up through Watford Locks. Specialists were busy near the top surveying the cills and side ponds with a view to dredging. They use fancy stuff these days, not just a dumpy level and staff like when I used to do it in the 60s and 70s.

Chatting to the lockie we discovered he and his missus are still looking for a replacement wood burning stove for their boat. One we’d spotted at Newton Harcourt was the built in type and wouldn’t suit a narrowboat.

Rivers Soar and Trent are still closed and there’s no hurry to get to Leicester so we moored above the locks where the M1 isn’t so in your face. Spotted a nuthatch working its way along the branches of a dead tree in the hedgerows. Boasted of our find to brother Ter who replied he had an eagle on his fist.

Wed 4th
Moving on, we call at Crick for provisions and after a twinge of conscience shoved my head down the bilges to see how things were. Discovered our bilge pump has no automatic setting. Visions passed before me of leaving the boat for a few days and losing it to Davy Jones. I’ll have to rig up something so that I can sleep at night.
Cruised to distraction and finished up above Foxton Locks before tea. That’s dinner for people born after the 1950s.
Wandered down to see the Matts and collected my replacement water gauge sensor. See, I told you it was a brilliant service from those MSC people.
A completely separate ongoing situation with a ‘noise’ from the engine/gearbox sent me in the direction of Sam, to pick his brains. We’ll talk more tomorrow, he said, as he showed me a picture of a boat sunk in the river. Thankfully our problems aren’t that bad.
As it got dark I looked west towards the States but didn’t see any fireworks.

Thurs 5th
The weather is improving all the time and we shuffled off down the Foxton flight. Got to the centre pond and decided to test another theory for getting across without clouting the opposite side. Crept out of the upper lock nice and slow and sure enough we drifted way over to the left as expected.
Thought we were going to mount the lock wall and take the pathway down to the bottom so shoved the stick in reverse but suddenly the bow shot off to the right.
Too late by the time I’d got some forward movement again, the bow was pointing at the right lock wall. Nothing for it but to reverse and correct it.
Two lockies stood there waving me forward but I shouted “not on your Nelly, I’m not going in there until I’ve straightened up”.
Little did I know, there is room to spin a sixty footer in the centre pond and by holding back from the lock entrance the whirlpool effect had grabbed the boat and was turning us around to face the other way.
At this rate I’ll be going down the locks backwards so I chickened out and hit the girly button and raced for the lock opening, fortunately getting inside without walloping the concrete. Do it this way, I was told, or do it that way, and you’ll be alright. Do you ever hit the side, I asked him, oh yes every time, the lock keeper said. I hadn’t seen this guy before, it wasn’t Bill our usual lockie.

Meeting Sam at Foxton Boat Services we arranged boat trials and set off straight away for a fast cruise to Saddington Tunnel and back. Lifting the engine covers we pondered the ‘noise’ and I get the OK to re-plumb the gearbox oil cooler.

Friday 6th
An hour’s cruising placed us in Market Harborough and our chance to shop, me for plumbing bits, V to Tesco and the baker’s.

There is something new on the Harbro’ Arm since our last visit, there’s been a clean up on the canal bank next to bridge 13.

A work boat a little further back was stacked with rubbish including a three seater bench seat from a transit van. But I fear it’s all in vain, rubbish has already started to appear over the fence, adjacent to the caravans.

Poor old V has a bad leg, did it in on the Foxton flight though she can’t remember how or where. It’s serious enough for me to stop calling her peg-leg and show a little sympathy.

Sat 7th
Fitted the new water gauge sender unit. Makes a difference not having to guess our water reserves after using the washing machine.

Boat trials begin again as we listen for the elusive ‘noise’. We must have looked strange going up and down the same section of canal because we got odd looks from walkers.

New thoughts on the gearbox/engine noise makes me drain the calorifier into the bath to cool the gearbox down (don’t ask, just accept it) but the improvements weren’t as expected. However, the benefits didn’t go unnoticed and V was quick to take advantage of full immersion in a bath of hot water.
I was short handed until the soaking, washing, drying and pampering stages were complete as only then could we tackle the swing bridge at Foxton village.

Thought I’d fixed the noise problem with the new plumbing but maybe I haven’t, results are officially inconclusive.

But all’s well that ends well and as the sun burst out from its hiding place we spread ourselves across the stern deck and sacrificed meat on the barby.

Sunday 8th
A special day today, we are invited by Mike and Jo (nb.Sarah-Kate) to a proper barbeque.
Collected from Blackhorse Bridge we were driven to a secret location and treated to all we could eat and drink.
It was a super day as we sat outside under blue and white skies with the sun turned up full.
This is the first serious sunshine for a while and you could feel the vitamins forming under the skin.
Excellent eating with excellent company, thanks you guys. We could even have a bath, take our washing and ironing if we wanted, what lovely people. Must have been completely distracted or over-awed because I didn’t take a single photograph but here they are at a Christmas social.

Monday 9th
Today we’re mostly moving towards Leicester in readiness for the river Soar’s return to normal water levels.
We waltzed in Foxton boat basin with another boat as we took turns at the water and services points. Used the Elsan point for the first time at the far end of the fancy new building in the lower car park.
Don’t know what the holiday makers thought of a bloke walking through the car park with a potty full of unmentionables, dribbling a watery trail between the cars to the fenced enclosure round the corner. I’m sure I could think of a better route for accessing the facilities.

Gave in and booked an eye test, not because of nasty comments from other boaters or the result of excessive contact with lock gates but because I haven’t been checked for years and there is noticeable deterioration in eyesight – can’t see straight ahead. It can’t be all that bad because most animals in the fields look out to the side and it doesn’t stop them eating and walking in a straight line.

Debdale Wharf beckoned us in, 215 litres of red at 47p/ltr plus gas and pump-out cleared my wallet. A few hours of cruising later we joined the crowd at Kilby Bridge waiting for a green light on the Soar.
Took the opportunity to treat Claire and Ter to a “paupers meal” at The Navigation after listening to Ter’s new Moody Blues CD during pre meal drinks on Balmaha.

Tuesday 10th July 2007 Kilby Bridge
The sun is out again but not for long, there’s just time to slap on some paint, boat paint not make-up. The Brush-Mate that Mike and Pat gave us has kept the brushes from the previous paint session soft and ready to go with the remains of the old paint still on them. A brilliant invention, no need to clean brushes ever again.

Every boat that passes going south gets interrogated by a line of skippers pointing north. “What’s the river levels like mate?” A bit hairy but manageable isn’t quite the news we want so it’s all eyes back to the tele’ for the weather forecasts.

Here’s a boat we’ve seen before, this time with four lads who tied up, carried rubbish to the skip and headed off in the direction of the pub.

Now don’t get confused by the crane mounted on the foredeck, it isn’t, it’s BW’s wharf crane. And if you look really carefully you can see the ‘no mooring’ sign on the crane’s leftmost leg.
So it seems I’m not the only one with poor eyesight.

Tuesday 26th June 2007
Spotted Dave from Raynsway Marina on his new boat nb.Trundle. Sorry there wasn’t an inch of mooring Dave, we’ll have to postpone our boat tour until later. Lovely shine on the paintwork.

We’ve just heard - Sue, Vic, Chas and Ann on No Problem and Moore2Life are heading our way. There’s a chance we’ll all be at Braunston this weekend and we’re quite excited because we haven’t seen them since summer’s end 2006.

Just got time for repairs – fitted an extra ring of packing in the stern gland and the trickle of water has completely vanished. A new mail delivery by Ter and Claire on Sunday meant we could now replace the last dozen 20 watt interior lights with new MR16 compatible LED lights.

Wednesday 27th
It’s time to go, we’re heading back south after a services visit to Stretton Stop.
The canal is so busy after the canal blockage yesterday that the wharf outside Roses’s was jammed with boaters taking water, waiting for water, trying to wind and fighting for turns with the nose to tail boats going both ways through the junction.
I’m afraid the girly-button got used again when it was our turn to wind. No comments and nobody laughed this time because they wanted us out of their way in double quick time.

Stopped at Rugby (yes, Tesco again) and completed our journey outside Braunston at bridge 87. Went especially slowly under bridge 80 as BW have started work and, like many repairs, it gets worse before it gets better.

Lit a fire to dry out the boat, what with the rain and the washing machine we had high humidity and a wood fire did the trick (thanks Roger and Babs for supplies).

Thursday 28th
Pulled into Braunston to find plenty of room which is a first. As the sun was shining (shhh) we walked to the Wharfhouse to see what was new and got them to order some of those mosquito zappers. At around £17 for a 12 volt version I thought they weren’t a bad price and if no one else grabs them before we pass this way again we’ll have one for this summer’s flies and wasps. Tried to get Marine 16 diesel conditioner (water remover and bug killer) on the shelves too but we’ll have to ask a few more times before we can convince them it’s better than the two alternatives.

Met nb.Hector’s new owner (Mrs) at Wharfhouse n/bs and got the low-down on the pink tug at Brinklow. We’ve noticed Hector a few times in these parts after seeing her for sale earlier in the year.

Popped in to Midland Chandlers and got the low down on staff changes, I was right, the old team have quit.

Friday 29thThe rumours were true, the afternoon heralded the arrival of nbs Moore2Life and No Problem and just in time, they took the last two spaces.

A tour of the new NP with coffee and bickies gave us time to catch up on the last six months.
This 67 foot monster of a boat has been completely renewed with luxury new flooring, opened out saloon, spacious new galley and a workshop / utility room to kill for. Well done all of you, now take a holiday before it ruins your health.

The day wouldn’t have been the same without catch-up on Balmaha with “refreshments”.
Six of us and two dogs squeezed into the dinette and saloon as cans hissed, bottles popped and nibbles crunched.
We caught up with news of the canals and rivers down south and compared our winter experiences. Stories of NP’s new owners getting used to a 67 footer were confirmed when Chas showed me this picture taken on the journey north from the K&A.

Not sure what Sue is doing here, she could be trying to bag their dinner with her new norfolk duck gun or maybe she’s practicing her punting skills after their Oxford visit.
Meanwhile, Vic and Lucy play chase around the gunwales.
Try as I might I couldn’t convince them to return to the northern canals this summer so we’ve no idea where the next party will be.

Saturday 30th
It’s a special day for one of us, actually for three of us. I’m a year older and it’s a wedding anniversary for Chas and Ann. The cake has just arrived and no, I haven’t swapped wives, Ann just happened to be first in the queue for a slice, that was all. Anyway, Chas (over Ann’s left shoulder) was keeping an eye on us.

Solid presents, those that aren’t liquid, were mostly wearable and suitable for summer weather, but I didn’t care. Liquids ones are perfect for any weather and I was knocked out by Sue and Vic’s present of a box of wine, spoilt or what, am I?
Tar to those lovely people V, K&D, C&T, Mil and family for the cards and prezzies, a wonderful day was had by me.

Message for Pat, put your cake in the freezer, it will be weeks before we’re anywhere near Skipton.

But all good things come to an end and we had to be on our way up country. Squeezing out of the solid moorings we headed off to Braunston locks, passing NP and M2L.

Vic was either exaggerating the effects of Balmaha’s wash on moored boats or pointing out scratches above Balmaha’s waterline. Yer, any scratches will have to wait until the summer.

We expected competition for the locks and tunnel with working boats heading off after last weekend’s show but it never happened.
Met a boater on his first time in a tunnel with another boat. “So boats can pass in here” he said, as we missed each other in Braunston tunnel.

Left at Norton Junction we left the Weltons behind and pulled into our usual layby south of Watford Services. The rain made so much noise we couldn’t hear the motorway – bliss.

Sunday 1st July 2007
A new month but another day like the last, rain more on than off and wind picking up. Had to loosen the ropes this morning, the canal had risen six inches (that’s 20 Celcius in metric) and we were listing to starboard.
Apart from a couple of towpath walkers with dogs and the occasional flurry of boats from Watford locks we are having a quiet day.
Had to grab the Eye-Spy book after lunch as I caught sight of a new boat “nb.Greyshells” (Graham and Michelle) No. 515656, out for a cruise up to the locks and back.

News is in from Mike and Pat (Hyperion) that Jo and Alan on nb.Valhalla are stuck on the river Avon and running out of everything.
Jo seems to have it all worked out, it’s Alan who gets to go outside and dive under the waves to check the mooring ropes as the waters rise. Typical Alan, any water about and he’s got to get in it and he’s not even a navy type.