Wednesday 27 August 2014

Hatton, Cape and Fosse Locks

Canal Today - Grand Union

We awoke to find ourselves with a better day - well at least it was until lunch time! However, no rain all day. We had an hour and a half level run to begin with before facing the effort of Hatton once again.

Hatton Top Lock
As we arrived at the top lock a boat was just preparing to enter and we were allowed to join them. As result we made good progress and although most of them were set against us we completed the flight in just under three hours.


The steerer on our companion boat was amused by Mike taking photos - he suggested that he should take just one and then copy it for all of the others. Just so that you, dear reader, can spot the differences, he is the next lock down.


And another, just for the view!


The boat was built at Stowe Hill for a couple who were astronomers - hence the Herschel and the observations!


Just one more to go - by now the sky had clouded over.


We opted to continue on the short distance to the two Cape Locks before having lunch as after that there is a long gap before another lock. Alongside the top lock is the popular Cape of Good Hope pub.

We needed to buy a new gas bottle and top up our diesel before long but Kate Boats had a Closed sign and so we called in at Delta Marine a little further on. Despite their large sign that they sell both they told us that they had no diesel and were not falling over themselves to sell us gas either. They were keener to suggest that we should have stopped at Kate Boats! Just as well that neither is that urgent.

After passing through Warwick we stopped at Morrisons in Leamington Spa - we called here on the way out.


We were again heading out into the countryside and, before the next locks spotted a couple of very young chicks. Sorry about the photo but it was a snatch shot! let's hope that the parents were not too surprised by the late arrivals.

We arrived at Radford Bottom Lock just as another boat was ready to enter and we accompanied them up three locks but we let them go ahead at Fosse Wharf as we wanted to stop at the water point.

Shortly after working up the final Fosse Lock on our own we moored up for the night.

14.1 miles - 27 locks

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