9th June 2011
An overcast morning for a change, but as the last three beautiful mornings had led to overcast and showery afternoons I had hopes for a reversal to a sunny afternoon. This was good boating weather.
We were confronted by the seven lock Buckby flight which commenced immediately in front of our overnight mooring spot. But before we could set off, there was the need to call out RCR (the waterways AA) to help solve a fuel supply problem. After a fair wait the engineer arrived and fixed the problem quickly so we were able to set off down the locks with the two boats breasted up.
After an uneventful trip down the flight, interrupted only by a little engine overheating and the arrival of additional crew member/chauffeur Michael (who had walked all the way from Weedon along the towpath to meet us), we reached Whilton marina at about 1:15pm. Lunch was taken on the move.
We made good time to Nether Hayford, Bugbrooke and Gayton Junction, though there was considerably more traffic on the cut than on previous days. We reached the mouth of Blisworth Tunnel at 5:35pm and completed the extremely wet 3057 yards underground journey in 35 minutes.
From almost the tunnel mouth to Stoke Bruerne, historic boats with well known names lined the banks, double moored in many cases. Growing fear of the likely need to reverse back almost to the tunnel to get a mooring space gripped us until I spotted a gap between two boats into which I knew I could just slip Python. Hoping that this could be our mooring slot for the weekend we put in a temporary centre mooring rope whilst I sought out the Harbourmaster who happily confirmed that we were OK to moor in the placed we had found.
Then we moored up properly, packed our bags, fixed the covers and set off homeward by car, pausing only to catch a snatch of a performance of a costume drama being put on in a marquee by the Mikron Theatre Group and have a drink and meal at the Boat Inn opposite the Waterways Museum.
Python was now back at Stoke Bruerne, near the spot when I moored her for the Festival celebrations on my trip bringing her north to Shireoaks from Adelaide Dock in London almost exactly two years ago. Quite an eventful couple of years for the old lady!
Written by: Arthur Naylor