Nether Heyford to Norton Junction, 6.75 miles, 7 locks
So it was with great anticipation that I unlocked the engine room this morning, hoping that a disaster hadn't befallen me during the night and all my precious electricity had drained away, but there was nothing to worry about and the engine started immediately. We were already in high spirits, what with the weather being overcast but dry and having had eggy bread for breakfast, and we were soon on our way.
Job number one was to get a new water pump or a least a pressure switch for the current one. The first boatyard I stopped at, which Nicholson's claimed had an extensive Chandlery, didn't have one at all and the man I chatted to suggested Wilton Marina as being the only place nearby. A quick call to them confirmed that they had exactly the kind of pump I needed and that they'd still be open when we got there.
Wilton Marina advertise extensively in the canal mags and you get the impression that it's some kind of canalways wonderland, with a chandlery, café, mooring facilities, pump out, diesel and gas. It certainly is an extensive marina and lives up to the hype, with the Chandlery being full of everything you could possibly want and lots you probably don't. I bought my pump, a cork keyring to go on the GPS (handy if it falls in the canal, as it almost did during the episode in Blisworth tunnel, where I was so jumpy that I knocked it to the floor), a new blue stern rope, two wooden thingamajigs for dangling fenders off of and a gangplank/ladder. This latter item is basically a 6ft aluminium ladder, but added to one end is a wide cross bar to provide a stable footing. Also supplied is a piece of decking that fits inside the stiles, which is held in place by two rubber door stoppers and gravity. It's all a bit crude, but may prove essential if there's a lock without ladders or I have to moor on an uneven piece of bank. After spending lots of money at Wilton, I did grizzle a bit at them charging me £2.5o to empty the loo, but I guess they're a business. Funny how things like that niggle.
After fitting the new pump--which looks to be a huge success--we set off up the flight of seven locks to Norton Junction and the mysteries of the Leicester Branch. Paul volunteered to do the locks--from a position of complete ignorance--and as I was trying to show him what a windlass is, which gates are what, and that paddles are not just for smacking bottoms, another boat turned up. This was Larry, a tiddler of a boat in comparison to Oothoon, and as we were cycling the first lock I struck up a conversation with the captain. Turns out that he was solo and going to the top of the flight as well. I asked whether he fancied breasting up the two boats, to make it easier for everyone, and he readily agreed. As we were already halfway through the lock, we simply tied Larry to Oothoon using centre ropes and drove together into the next lock as a team. While Paul and Larry's captain (never did find out his name) did the next lock, I tied Larry's prow and stern to Oothoon, and in the third lock I lashed Larry's tiller so that it was always pointing straight ahead and Oothoon was doing the steering. We went through the rest of the locks like that, nice and straightforward even when there were boats coming the other way. At the last lock I untied everything, we said our goodbyes, and Larry headed off towards the Oxford canal, leaving us to turn right onto the Leicester Branch.
After a nap and a shower (oh the joy of reliable water!) Paul and I had dinner at The New Inn, Long Buckby Wharf. This is the pub that's next to the top lock and it had a really nice feel to it--very "pubby" in comparison to last night's luxyness. The food was good, prices were good and the bar staff had loads of personality.
On the way back, I got an opportunity to try my "everlasting torch", which you shake for 30 seconds to give 10 minutes of light. It works by having a coil of wire around the body of the torch and a magnet that travels up and down along its length. Waving the torch too and fro (I won't tell you how Paul described it) moves the magnet through the coil, generating electricity. It's marvellous, but suffers from being translucent: it's great that you can see the workings, but it also means that the whole torch lights up when you're using it, making it difficult to see where you're going. Holding it at my side helped enormously.
Tomorrow we've been promised typhoons, so we might not go anywhere, but that would be a shame, because there should be exciting lock action tomorrow, and the promise of a visit to Watford Gap motorway services!
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