It was time to carry on again today. Keith came round before we left to show us the main TV news bulletin from New Zealand that he'd recorded on his i-pad. His wife Bronwyn was being interviewed about the latest earthquake and the effect the devastation and uncertainty of more quakes was having on the public. She’s decided she’s definitely had enough and is trying to get a flight over here as soon as possible. Hopefully they’ll be able to join us at Stratford-on-Avon at the beginning of July.
This video will give you some idea of what they're coping with in Christchurch at the moment. You can watch it HERE , you'll need sound.
We had to bite the bullet and fill the diesel tank today……OUCH!!! 231 litres came to £228 and that will last us about 6 weeks. Boating certainly isn’t the cheap lifestyle option it used to be a few years ago.
Just after Crick Marina is Crick Tunnel which is 1528 yards long. This must be one of the wettest tunnels on the system and you definitely need to wear a hat and coat. Charlie had his waterproof coat on but by the time we came out the other end his head was soaking, Chico stayed nice and dry on the engine room step.
Watford Locks were fairly quiet when we arrived at about 4pm with only 1 hire boat waiting in front of us, but even so we had a 40 minute wait while 3 boats came up the flight. The volunteer lock-keeper was very friendly and well organised and told me he’d had around 30 other boats moving through the locks already today. Sunday had been a busy day with 45 boats passing through.
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| waiting for the locks, the bridge in the background is the M1 |
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| The 'book-swap' and lock-keepers rest room |
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| one of the many floral displays at Watford Locks |
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| that jet of water shoots out about 10ft so if you're not careful you get wet! |
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| passing from one lock into another on the 'stair-case' |
We cruised past Watford Gap Services with the roar of the M1 in the background. There’s a gap in the hedge where you can moor up to nip into the services for shopping but as we’d stocked up at Crick we didn’t stop. The Services must be used to boaters stopping there as they’ve even put a rubbish bin right beside the gap.
We’re now moored just before Weltonfield Marina on a very overgrown stretch of the canal with no TV, radio, phone or internet. I’ll post this blog tomorrow, or whenever I next get internet access.
(Thursday morning the internet miraculously returned full strength. There must have been a cell down)
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