London-bound: Day 1

Time to escape from Crick, and we needed other boats to move first before we could get out as we were breasted up and on the inside. So Mei Long turned in the marina entrance and set off, then Kingdom Of Rust let it’s bow swing out so we could slip out.

Lots of boats had already left with only a couple left down by the tunnel. It was lovely and cool in the tunnel and I didn’t even mind all the cold water dripping on me in the northern half of it. Out the other side it’s a really pretty section of canal.

It’s been hot for days, particularly last night, so I was a,axed to pass a boat with its fire alight.

When we got to the top of Watford Locks, there was a boat just pulling off the water point to go down, then Mei Long and another boat before us. Adrian went to check in with the lock keeper, and it turned out there was no-one coming up so we could follow the other boats down.

I took a windlass to help the boats ahead and it was probably half an hour or so before it was out turn to enter the top lock. Considering how the queues can get, this was exceptionally good going.

There was a lockie setting the top of the staircase, and then we steadily made our way down. Adrian frequently had to be as far forward as possible to avoid getting wet from all the water coming through the gates behind him.

The turn from the bottom of the staircase locks to the next single one is tricky because of the change of angle, but Adrian did it in one — using the slowness you can get from electric propulsion to get round.

Both the bottom single locks had a volunteer resetting them, so we were down all seven in about 40 minutes. We stayed on electric propulsion for the rest of the journey. When we got to Norton Junction the water point was free so we stopped to fill the tank which was down to about 40 per cent.

We had lunch while the tank filled, and also tried to get Macc to drink more and generally keep cool. He’s not really enjoying this heatwave. When we were ready to go again, Adrian walked down to Buckby Top Lock while I brought the boat through the junction.

The lock was full as a hire boat had just come up. Once in the lock we disposed of rubbish and recycling, then waited while a Calcutt hire boat approached. They made no indication of what they were doing, so I walked back and asked if they were coming down. They said they were, then appeared to change their mind, so we went down alone. The moorings below the first lock were pretty busy, but we slotted into a space. There’s no shade but we hope there will be this evening. We have my cousin Catherine and her husband Nigel coming to see us, and they’re bringing fish and chips from their local chippy —possibly not the ideal heatwave food, but we’ll pretend we’re by the seaside.

5 miles, 8 locks.