Foxton locks. Less people this morning.
Site of incline plane boat lift operating 1900-1911. Must have been very impressive.
Market Harborough basin.
Passing train next to....
Where we moored for night after ...
bridge 79....
much better to moor before it!
Despite only using lights last night (ie no central heating or TV- not that we can get any reception) the battery is close to flat and the fridge warning light is flashing and the freezer not good. Not only that but at engine check this morning the water coolant tank needed 1700mls to top it up. So we called the hire company and I spoke to an engineer who said he would come out. This rather spoiled the cycling into Market Harborough plan. Well in the end it delayed it until 12.00 when the engineer had fitted 3 new batteries and let air out of the coolant tank.
Lovely cycle along the towpath to the terminal basin at Market Harborough (took about half an hour) then short cycle on road to Sainsburies (Aldi, Lidl and Waitrose also in same shopping area). Careful shop so as not to overfill our 2 backpacks and the fridge back at Grendal.
I decided we'd cycle back on the road. It was hard work and not noticeably quicker. I'd go back on the towpath next time!
Had lunch and set off at 14.45. Fairly quickly came to a sign saying the canal was a "Site of Special Scientific Interest" and that we should stick to the middle and not plough into the banks. That is indeed what I'm trying to do when steering. We actually only came across one other boat coming in the opposite direction which luckily happened on a corner with a piled inner bank.
It started to rain and got heavier and heavier as we approached Saddington Tunnel. There is a straight section approaching and I could see a light on an oncoming boat the whole time...it didn't appear to move any closer. I entered the tunnel and it still seemed a long way off. I hugged my side quite effectively I thought, while the oncoming boat seemed to be in the middle when I got closer! Anyway we passed without touching. I said "Hello". The other helm said "I thought you might wait as we were so near the end" Not enough time to say anything:-
"You didn't seem to be moving very fast."
"Its raining outside."
"And you could have moved over a little more."
"Its hard to tell how far away someone is in a tunnel."
"This is my 3rd tunnel and the shortest...is it your first?"
"Do you want me to reverse out?"
"Happened to me yesterday with a boat even closer to the entrance."
Take your pick but silence was the correct answer.
The Kilworth flight of 5 locks is not well maintained. They are double locks but there was no one aboutfor us to join so we went down alone. In general we have seen very few boats today. Having descended the first lock we met 2 coming in the opposite direction. Having exited the lock I moved over to the left and a nice piled bank to let them pass, the second helm warning me to stick to the middle as this pound was very shallow. It was rather too late already as I was aground.He kindly came back to push me off once he'd got his boat in the lock.
The 4th lock down called Pywell's lock was very leaky around its top gate paddle and I wonder if this is the reason for the low level in the pound I talked about. One of the ground paddles for the bottom lock was the stiffest Rachel has come across.
I wanted to put us near a road in case we still have battery or coolant water problems and we ended up stopping short of bridge 80 on a corner which we rapidly discovered was right next to railway line. I suggest you stop a couple of hundred yards before bridge 79 with lovely views over Wistow church and a little less railway noise.
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