Freedom of the Cut 2019 - 6.

Hanging About.

Wednesday 29^th May

It was to be a day of rest for me, or so I thought. I moved off the mooring late in the morning to go into the top pound. Another boater offered to do the gates and I offered my windlass. A volunteer was at the top lock and assisted me through, after which I made for the water point outside The Boat. As I put it into reverse the throttle cable broke, but by that time I was at the bank side and could stop the boat with a centre line. I watered up and then pulled further along, although technically I was still on the water point, but I had no alternative. Luckily I had another cable, but it was going to be a two hour job to change it and just to add to my trials, it began to rain! It had been exactly one year since it broke before, but I was lucky that it happened before going into Blisworth Tunnel.

Braunston Locks with no by-wash, so surplus water pours over the gates.

 Approaching Stoke Top Lock. So much for clear sight lines!

After mooring up, I walked to The Boat Inn and some of the same guys were there at the same time as last night, but also a man who passed the time of day as I was fixing the cable. Most of them were boaters, some recent and some from previous working boats. A few names cropped up in the conversation that I knew, or knew of. The one I had previously met was Trevor Morley and I asked him if Jean Blagrove was still living in the house, but she was now in care and he had bought the house. The craic was good, so I had another pint until everyone left.

Thursday 30^th May                                                                                                                                                                        

A late start today and no rush to get away. The internet connection is non-existent here and I did consider moving the boat back towards the village after the moorings were clear, but decided to move on instead of probably wasting my time.

Headlight and side lamp were now set up for Blisworth Tunnel and in I went. Fortunately I did not meet another boat in the one and three quarter mile length, so made good time. Through Blisworth and Gayton where many more boats were moored online than in previous years. I reckon the London rash is spreading far further than ever before. Reaching Weedon, there were no moorings to be had between the boatyard and Bridge 25, but there were spaces north of the bridge, albeit on a bend. Surprise - there were mooring rings hidden in the grass!

Shortly afterwards, a hire boat tried to negotiate the bend too slowly and ran alongside the boat behind me, which with the strong  blowing was easily done. In fact as I stopped here, I needed no lines out initially, because the wind was blowing me onto the bank. The Noddy boat crew did not know how to get off again, so the other guy on another boat and I assisted with muscle and advice until they finally made a break for it. It is one of the most difficult manoeuvres, being on the outside of a curve, with the wind blowing you back on.

Most excellent BT internet connection here and a good TV signal.

Friday 31^st May

The wind had calmed down by the morning, but I still had a problem getting off the mooring cleanly without getting too close to another moored boat – embarrassing to say the least. If it happens to me when moored up, I will go out and assist without complaining, instead of the raising of blood pressure as some owners do from inside their boats. Let’s face it, everyone makes mistakes at some point, it is the surest way to learn.

I previously asked a hire boat if they were going up Buckby Locks with their mob handed crew, so although I untied as quickly as possible, another boat came in between us, so I assumed that I would either be on my own, or have to wait for someone else. That was not the case however, because the second boat owner offered to let me go with the big crew as I was solo, which I appreciated very much. We did the flight in record time, with several boats coming down and setting the locks for us, as well as having four people opening paddles and gates.

Just north of Weedon I spotted a crane in an empty field with a frame and boat slings attached, which was unusual and it appeared that a boat had been lifted out there. Boats are normally craned into the water at marinas into deeper water and this place was on the offside, so would have been shallow. Further on there were several traditional boats moored up and boats high on the bank being worked on. I suspected nb Tadworth was there and this was confirmed by a guy on the bank, who also said that Andrew was coming at the weekend to work on it, but I had a schedule to keep and was not coming back down Buckby just to see the boat.

Mysterious crane with boat sling.

For the first time in many years, I passed the New Inn at Top Lock without going in, wishing to keep up with the Noddy boat through Braunston Tunnel and down the locks. I continued and eventually moored up just north of Butcher’s Bridge, which seems to be my usual spot.

I walked up to The Admiral Nelson later to find out for myself what it was like after being taken over by Everard’s Brewery. I can’t say I was impressed with the menu, which was the usual pub fare and nothing like the interesting dishes that were on offer a year ago. To confirm this there were only two groups eating there on a Friday evening. Under the previous owner it would have been full! There was nothing wrong with the beer, but then I do like Everard’s. All the cookery books were missing also, which was something I enjoyed browsing through.

Saturday 1^st June

 A warm and sunny day is forecast, which turned out to be cloudy, but very warm. I let go at 09.35 and stopped at Midland Swindlers to get another control cable, but the lady there offered me a 10’ stop cable with one bare end and no fittings, which was not what I wanted so decided it must be bought elsewhere. However the manager appeared and said that it was not a control cable, but a stop cable and found the appropriate one for me, so all was well.

Having dumped my rubbish at the service point (no spare washing machines this time), an hour had gone by, so it was now 10.35 and I wondered how long it would take to get to Napton. In fact it was just less than three hours, with no stops on the way. I was hot and hungry when I arrived, so had a well deserved pint in The Folly. Stronghold had been winded and reversed onto a mooring and there was loads of space at that time of the day. There is a strong BT wi-fi connection here and limited TV too.

As usual it was a splendid repast in The Folly with my daughter and fiancé and the chips were triple cooked as before. I think we all chose the same meals from the menu as last year. We had a bit of a fright before the meal, when we were told that the fuse for the kitchen had blown and had to be closed, because the landlord was out and the fusebox was in the flat upstairs. Shortly after that, someone found an extension lead, so all was well and we got our food.

The Folly at Napton, once a farmhouse
and previously opened by the farmer as a pub.

So far I have not explained the sub-title of this post ‘Hanging About’. The reason is that I have an appointment on Thursday at Calcutt Boats to have four core plugs replaced on the engine. One was leaking slightly when I bought Stronghold, but the others are very rusty and not the sort of thing that I want to fail at a crucial moment, especially on a river. Calcutt are BMC engine specialists.