We had moored overnight at Union Wharf (or, to be precise, about 10 metres outside the basin) so that our first task today was to walk into town to do some shopping. We also wanted to seek a new ignition key which was our first objective and, after some head scratching, the chap in Timpsons came up with a solution, even if the head part is a different shape. At least it starts the engine!
The town has a number of old civic buildings that show the importance of the place on the old turnpike from Leicester. Its significance for trade was on of the reasons that the canal was brought to Market Harborough, even if the money ran out to take it further as originally hoped.
We also visited, Sainsbury, Wilko, the covered market and two bread shops. The first of the bread shops locally made stock but was rather limited although Christine did come away with one good loaf at a very reasonable price. The other, which we had spotted on the way in, was much more upmarket and over three times the price per loaf. However, we did buy one as well as a couple of special Eccles cakes.
Somewhat laden down we walked slowly back up the hill to the wharf where we quickly unloaded our new stock. Mike moved the boat back a few metres to the service facility on the opposite side. We only needed the disposal facilities as we made use of the water point alongside the mooring last night.
Then it was off back along the arm we came down last night. Strangely, there is little new to report! The day was overcast throughout but nevertheless pleasantly warm.
At the junction we returned to the main Leicester section (avoiding the day boats moored for lunch on the swing bridge landing, the water point and the trip boat reserved space!
Shortly afterwards we encountered the trip boat - worth a mention if only to point out that despite the locks here and at Watford all being narrow, the whole section was built to allow wide beam boats, as the size of the bridges shows.
We passed the entrance to Debdale Wharf where Christine and Andrew had such a hard time in the high winds. They were in much greater need of fuel then we are today so we decided to give it a miss this time. The entrance to the fuel position (the narrow inlet just inset to the left of the entrance) would have been even harder from this direction despite no wind.
Christine steered the whole way through Saddington Tunnel without touching the sides even once!
Mid afternoon we arrived at Kibworth Top lock - all down hill now to the Trent!
At the next lock we saw one of the crew from a CanalBoat out from Market Harborough who were some distance ahead of us through the tunnel. He wanted to run water down as their boat was aground at the next lock, but was not really sure what to do. Christine persuaded him to let us come down so that the short pound would have the benefit of at least a lockful of water.
It seems that they had not noticed a bottom paddle left up - meaning the the lock would not fill - until they had near drained the pound. No wonder that their boat was aground. (Sad to say, we had almost the same experience at the first lock where they had left a paddle just a little open but we did recognise what was happening fairly quickly)
With the extra water they were still very firmly stuck by the bow although their stern was moving freely. Mike offered to 'snatch' them off which he succeeded in at the second attempt. The manner in which the boat came free suggested that it had been caught on an underwater ledge of some sort. It clearly dropped as it came away.
As a result we shared the remaining locks in the flight.
Not long after we decided to call it a day and eventually managed to find a mooring at almost the same spot that Andrew and Christine moored last year, looking across the field at the ancient church of Wistow. Alongside, a mileplate that tells us just how far we have to go into Leicester!
12.7 Miles - 5 Locks - 2 Swing Bridges
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