Monday, 19 May 2014

19th May. Day 17. Leicester => Birmingham Ring. Stockton to Oxford Canal Bridge 81 (near Barby)

Stockton Locks. An empty pound.

Turning left at Braunston Junction.


Set out at 7.50. Rachel went off and set the first 3 Stockton locks. We were pleased with our progress until a woman walking her dog said the pound between locks 5 and 6 was almost empty.  Rachel had commented she couldn't understand how all the locks seemed set up for us going up when yesterday evening they hadn't been. Yes indeed this pound was very empty. I tried seeing what one lock load of water from the lock above did. It actually made a significant difference. So we moved about 2 lock loads of water from the top lock into this pound and proceeded upwards and very slowly through the top 2 pounds. Anyway we finished this flight at 9.45.

We stopped for water at the top of Calcutt locks. The shop there looked closed for the season (empty shelves).

We turned left at Napton Junction and felt like we'd suddenly hit traffic. I think I've had more boats coming in the opposite direction than almost the rest of the trip after Napton Junction. We stopped for lunch at 12.30 between bridge 101 and 100.

We set off again at 13.15 and turned left at Braunston back onto the Oxford Canal where we'd been 2 weeks ago.

The plan was to moor for the night around bridge 81. In fact due to an oncoming boat I ploughed into the tow path bank just after bridge 81....so we stopped there anyway. Loads of boats in this area. Its good bank for mooring after a mile or 2 of bad bank.Perhaps that's the reason.

11.25 miles and  11 locks = 22.25 lock miles.


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