Hawkesbury to Braunston Top Lock

 

What an epic day. Lots of lovely rain, but despite it all, it was hard a spit in the ocean compared to what we need. It has taken us 10½ hours to get to Braunston top lock. We had originally intended to at least get through Hillmorton locks, but there was no mooring space there, so we carried  on to Braunston, where again there were no moorings, so we carried on to the locks. There were 2 boats in front of us, so no one to share the locks with there. Of course we waited in the lock for someone to share, but a boat came down so we carried on up on our own. Halfway up the flight I noticed a boat behind us, they must have pulled out from the moorings below The Admiral Nelson. I called back that we would wait for them at the next lock. I now wish I hadn’t.  I should have realised when one of the crew started to open the bottom paddles with one top gate still open and a boat coming down towards the lock. So we waited in the next lock, and waited, and waited. To make matters worse the 2 boats in front decided to whip a bottom paddle up for us at the next lock. Unfortunately they had also left a top paddle up as well! Whilst this was all going on the boats waiting to come were queuing up, and we still waited and we still waited!!!

Eventually they arrived, and by now it was quite obvious they didn’t have a clue what they were doing. All of this and we hadn’t even had lunch yet, which we have now had, having moored up above Braunston top lock, which we did at 4:25pm.

We are both hungry, and Jo has just made some bacon butties, which have gone down rather nicely.

It makes me wonder if some people are worth waiting for, I will in future seriously consider not bothering.

Keith.