Done with Doubles

Friday 19 August. 9 miles,15 locks, 1 2000yd tunnel.

We wake to a rainy day so motivation to move is not high. Mid morning it is looking better so off we trot. A couple of miles along we are following a familiar boat so it is looking good for pairing up on the locks ahead. There is a bit of light drizzle but not unpleasant to be standing on the back steering. It is quite noisy with trains close by to the left and the M1 to the right. A little further on the noise reduces as there are roadworks on the M1and I smile to myself as of the three forms of transport we are the second fastest. We join the other boat in the first lock. We have not traveled with them before but first talked to them on the Thames before we did the tidal bit. Since then we have criss crossed with them several times. So up we go and at lock 2 the drizzle turns to persistent rain and continues all the way up. At the last lock they didn't arrive so we went up by ourselves and stopped for lunch. Now we are inside eating the rain stops. About an hour later they come past, they had stopped at a wee shop beside the canal. We follow them as we turn left towards Braunston. This completes our new canals for this year. By now the rain has stopped and, surprisingly, there was no dripping water in the tunnel. Out the other side and down the last 6 locks, This went quickly as there were a number of boats coming up so the locks were full. As we approach Braunston around 5pm we are not optimistic about finding a good mooring but luck was with us. I spy a small gap, that I'm not sure we will fit into, but as there are people on an adjacent boat I am prepared to ask them to move forward to give me room. They must have read my thoughts as he appears and says that we will fit as a 60 footer has just moved on. From when we left the River Thames, 12 days ago, we have done 100 double locks and now we are back onto narrow canals. Quite looking forward to only 51 locks left and 3 1/2 weeks to do it in. Although we have been pushing it along we have enjoyed the canal and there is nowhere really that we feel we missed out on.