Flore to Stoke Bruerne.

Hi Folks.

Flore to Stoke Bruerne 9.6 miles in 4 hrs 25 minutes.

Awake early, I got up and made us a cuppa and lit the back cabin stove, because it was on the chilly side and then climbed back into bed. We were then up, dressed not long afterwards. With breakfast done, Paddy walked and Mog and Dog fed it was time to set off from our overnight mooring, so at 8.45am we left Flore, on what was a bright but chilly start to the day.

Flore Wharf Bridge has a lovely Willow over hanging it, which always looks beautiful.

Beside the bridge is some wonderful topiary, of what looks like a foot ready to push the boat away from the bank. There is also something which looks like a rabbit. It never fails to make me smile.

We stopped at High House Wharf and pulled alongside our friends Elaine and David on NB Patience, who invited us in for a coffee and of course a catch up on all the news. There was so much to chat about that we will be calling in again on the way back to finish all the news. Whilst at the wharf Keith went and spoke to Colin and Kevin of Spiderworx who do boat painting and sign writing. Keith was hoping they may be able to put the gauging number back on the side of the boat. It had been painted out when we changed the blue. Colin gave Keith a quick quote and we agreed to let Colin do the work, but it meant winding the boat into a better position and to achieve this I needed to pole the bow into position, whilst Keith reversed the boat to the bank. Once I had got the bow in, I then was close enough to throw the bow rope over a dolly on a boat moored in the wharf, which then meant I did not have to hang on to the pole. Whilst all this was going on, Jules on Towcester came along side to drop off coal etc to people at the Wharf. It was nice to see her again and to hear she is keeping busy, we will see her again at The Village at War Weekend. Colin got on with the sign writing job on port side, we then winded the boat again and then pulled in behind his paint shed for the starboard side to be done.

From this.

To this, which looks great. It means Keith does not have to do it himself. I think it is always best to let a professional do the work.By the time we had drunk coffee with our friends and got the sign writing done it was 11.20am, so we said our goodbyes and set off for Gayton Junction and the sanitary station.

My favourite sign at Bugbrooke.

When we arrived at Gayton Junction sanitary station, there was already a boat there, so we pulled in front of them and waited for them to finish filling their tank with water. Once they left, we pulled Hadar into a better position, I got the hose out and set it up to fill the tank, whilst Keith emptied the toilet cassette and got rid of rubbish, all of this was done whilst chatting to a gentleman from the boat yard.

Jobs all done, so we set off for Stoke Bruerne. Blisworth was very quiet with only a couple of boats moored up. One thing I had noticed was there were a lot of boats on the move today and that became more evident in Blisworth Tunnel where we met four boats coming towards us. Why is it that people try to talk to us when we are in the tunnel as we pass? Don’t they realise we have ear plugs in and can’t hear them! LMAO so funny.

We emerged from the tunnel and had just started to wind in the winding ole, when Mike appeared on the trip boat Charlie, so Keith abandoned the turn and pulled back alongside the towpath until he had completed his trip into the tunnel mouth, reversed out, and turned to return to the Museum for more passengers. Once clear we completed the winding and reversed into a mooring.

In fact we are moored in the same place we were last year when we attended the Village at War Weekend.

If you know this bit of canal we are opposite the narrow bit, where they can’t moor the historic pairs, so we are nicely out the way. I have really enjoyed today, it has been great fun.

I once again have dinner to cook, Fish cakes are cooking in the back cabin stove at the moment. I am now off to peel potatoes and sort some veg, so chat again soon I hope xx