OK – so we have been here for an extra 2 weeks since CRT re-instated the 14 days.. and those 14 days run out tomorrow – so were moving on.
We need to firstly turn around – so its back down to the locks to the winding hole.. winding.. Yea.. wind is right! It’s not the best day to be moving, it’s raining occasionally, and the wind is rather blustery. Turning at the winding hole was extremely difficult. We managed to get the nose in, and the boat turned half way round – but without the bow thruster, and with the wind having other ideas about allowing us to complete the turn – we ended up pinned side on to the boats moored in the winding hole – with no way to get the boat moving, as I need stern space to swing the stern in – to point the bow out to clear the bank of the turning point.
In the end.. Anna had to walk down the side of the boat and push the bow out away from the boats – just enough for me to push forward, and the stern in close to those boats, and give us just enough to clear the bank and get moving again! But.. bad luck is still not finished.. just as we cleared the bank, the tiller arm handle snapped! It’s been getting a bit dodgy for a few weeks now, and with the arm on our boat fixed – it cant be removed and brought into the boat.. so its been out in the good and bad weather for years – and the wood finally gave up. So that’s something else on the shopping list now!
With that turn done – for the last time for a while – it’s northward back through Rugby.
That was not the only difficult point of the day – we had already come down through past Clifton Cruisers without incident.. going back – our luck had run out. With them having all the hire boats still at the base there is only enough space for one boat to get though. When travelling north – there is a bridge, after that a willow tree that’s overhanging most of the canal, then the boats round the corner and finally the canal opens up with room. Just as we got through the bridge, and next to the tree – a boat coming the other way.. so we had to reverse, brush under the willow tree to allow them past and pull out again.
Unfortunately, the tree decided to pull the black medic, along with ratty who holds it off the boat and into the canal! Thankfully, ratty managed to keep hold of the planet and stay afloat long enough for us to retrieve both of them!
Right.. that’s two bad things.. ( technically three.. but who’s counting ) what else today!!!
Well – the rain has eased.. and this family look to be thankful of that!
Back past Rugby and our “lockdown location” and onward to Newbold.
I seem to have my boat pixie back again…
Passing by another family on the bank..
The weather report is still showing more rain… 😉
Through the last bridge and onto the Newbold straight. Now.. looking down the row, it seems that there is no room at the other end of the residential area where we normally stop.. There was a space we just went past near the bridge which may be the best option – as we want to stay here tonight and get a Chippy dinner from Fishsmith’s tonight.
So, try to reverse in this wind, which was a total faf! Trying to reverse, without a bow thruster to correct the drift, and unable to correct it by much with forward gear – didn’t help and again.. we ended up on the offside. After loosing it and stropping out.. time for the barge pole.. in reverse, push the stern out with the pole.. worked trice.. until on the third attempt it snapped – leaving half of it buried in the canal bed!
OK.. Were moored – under a tree, with more rain.. and very little sun – but – we have a chippy dinner. That’s it play time is over for today!