( An illustrated account of that holiday. )
Thursday 22nd August. Time - 9.25 hours Locks 17 Miles 15
Stuck
with the breakdown so a leisurely get up. Engineer arrived as promised at
9.30 a.m., and confirmed the diagnosis of a broken cable which he then proceeded
to replace watched by me and David as Angela and Carys explored the village.
10.15 a.m. Finally moved off, but almost immediately came upon the long delays at the next lock which we did not leave until 11.30 a.m. The problems being very slow lock working by some unsure boaters.
The delays were not too bad then, speed slowly picked up Finally out of Claydon top lock at 1.15 p.m.
We then tried to moor after a bit on the summit for lunch but found it far too shallow. Through Fenny Compton Tunnel bridge which the plaque confirmed had been built in September 2002!!
2.30 p.m. We finally managed to moor for lunch just after the bridge.
3.30 p.m. Moved on again.
6.30 p.m. Arrived top of Napton Locks and went straight down, following a Napton hire boat which was very fast with a teenage lock wheeler out, and followed by a slightly slower Challenger, which moored for the night half way down. We all worked the locks well.
8.30 p.m. Out of bottom lock, Children went to bed while I did the rubbish and filled up with water, as then dark and nothing on the move I decided to stay on the water moorings for the night.