Crick to Top of Braunston Locks.

Hi Folks.

Crick to Braunston Top Lock, 8.5 miles, 7 locks, 2 tunnels in 3 hours 55 minutes.

I would post lots of lovely foggy photographs, but with a very poor GPRS signal there is no point, so you will just have to imagine the foggy start to my day. Mind you if it was foggy where you live you will know he scene. When I woke up, I had this leaning feeling, which did not bode well, so I opened the back cabin door to find that the water level had dropped further and that was why we were on the tilt. On opening the back cabin door I also noticed that it was a pea-souper outside. Walking Paddy in the fog was absolutely beautiful, with the sun trying so hard to burn through the fog  it made for some lovely photographs. Paddy was a star this morning as far as getting on and off of the boat despite the huge gap to the bank. Bless him he is not a gap lover and really does wimp out when it comes to jumping anything. But this morning he seemed to find a bit of bravery.

Once we had eaten breakfast, we got the boat ready to leave the mooring at 9.15am. We made our way through Crick Tunnel and onward to the top of Watford Locks, where we signed in with the two Terry's who were on lock keeper duties. We chatted about the water situation and what will be happening over the next few months, it is already thought that next seasons cruising will be under restrictions, because of the current water problems, so this does not bode well for any of us trying to continually cruise. Yesterday four people we know on boats have decided to go into marina's for 3 months this winter. So it looks like the marinas are going to be doing nicely this winter, so far it does not look like the towpath winter moorings have many takers from what I have seen. Whilst we came down the flight, the boat in front of us, managed to get his paddles round the wrong way, flooding the towpath and sending stone and gravel spilling into a pile below the lock, this did not please the lockie's, who were left with the cleaning up. Mind you this was also the boater who did not share the Buckby Locks and when asked why not he just said "I am a naughty boy, aren't I". People like this really annoy me, they have absolutely no concept that this is supposed to happen to help save water. Anyway we were soon down the flight and turning right at Norton Junction, with the sunshine streaming through the trees. Braunston Tunnel was soon ahead of us and it was time for me to climb down in to the engine room, put on my ear defenders and peer out of the engine room door. I love to look at the construction of tunnels. They are such a feat of engineering and all so different. We only met one other boat coming towards us and that was an ex viking afloat boat, who was travelling at a snails pace. Out of the tunnel into brilliant sunlight, we found the moorings above Braunston Top Lock completely empty, so I told Keith to take his pick. We are moored up near enough to the top lock, but not so close that we will get clobbered by boats going in or coming out of the lock. This is going to be our mooring for the weekend. Now I just need to check that we have a TV signal so I can watch "Dowton Abbey" on Sunday. As we moored up NB Do Lalli Ali came out of the lock, they apparently read the Hadar blog, so if your now reading mine as well "Hello". Chat soon xx