Posting from the mailbox

Very long day 9.30 to 4.45 with a brief stop at Cadbury's (I was too long for the gap and as there was a burnt out boat at the other end felt that to leave the pointy end past the gates was asking for trouble - so I had a pee and carried on).

They say in the book that the Stratford and Avon canal is pretty - not the bit I was on and it was a sunny day what it must be like in the rain I dread to think.  I think the Worcester and Birmingham canal into Gas Street Basin was much nicer - PLUS I was not asked by a snotty kid if I wanted to give him a b... j..  (Like I was on the S and A!)  Lovely ...

Far too small

That was what I thought when I saw my first single lock on the Stratford Canal after turning off the Grand Union.  To be fair it was at an angle and I could only actually see one gate!

So 19 single locks today and for five of them I bribed a small girl with a ride or two from lock to lock and her father operated gates etc until he could finally drag her away.  I will stoop at nothing to get help!  Be warned.

Two lock free days to look forward to and the joys of Birmingham here we come.

Made it !

With thanks to the kind boater who had cycled down the flight to help a friend with his engine but as his friend was not there decided to take over my windlass from Lock 5 up to Lock 42 (where his boat was).  He made the journey easy with lots of chat and laughter.  As he had been drinking his tinnies (at 10am) I felt a bottle of wine would go down well and it did.

Never judge a book by it's cover.

Thanks Paul you are a star and a true gentleman.

ooh er

It is the big one tomorrow.  Hope I get a locking partner or it is going to be hell.

Coming down into Warwick was relatively easy.  First 13 I tagged onto the coattails of a hireboat and their crew.  Next 4 there was a volunteer lockkeeper and as I was the only boat in his first hour he did everything for me.

Next 6 I was on my own and although I met 3 locks worth of boats coming up (one single two double followed by another single) I was unlucky in that I basically met them at the one lock.  What bad planning on their part!  I also had to turn them all bar that one.  I do not like these hydraulic lock paddles so not looking forward to the Hatton Flight one little bit.

Boaters

So today I have met the Manly Ferry folk.  Thanks for the help onto the water point.

I have also had chats with people who had their boat signwritten by the same artist.  (Jon Leeson)  They had seen my boat and he said 'I did that!'.  Small world etc.

The new look

Ain't she perty.

Rob Bryan's handiwork

Detail of signwriting by Jon Leeson

Not keen

on this cleaning lark.  Exhausted I am.

I wonder how long before someone collides with the lovely new paintwork as I am on a corner and hundreds of boats are leaving Shacklestone.  Have had one near miss already but it was someone I had met last year at Atherstone and I think they lost concentration wondering if I was the same boat and then got their back end stuck on the mud with the bows toying with hitting me at various points!

Still we had a chat while everything got sorted.