And it rained...

The water level rose after the heavy rain, and the boat was listing towards the bank a little when we went to bed, and a fair bit more when we awoke on Friday morning. The mooring ropes had got too tight as the boat rose, and it was being tipped by them. Never mind. Our clothes were dry, the boat was warm, so we set off again under dull skies. It wasn't raining yet, but it was noticeably cooler than the day before.

Steam driven!

A veritable garden-boat

Promoting knitting

We ascended Seabrook Locks, then Marsworth Locks 37 and 38. 

I'd been warned by three boaters that the swing bridge 125 at Great Seabrook needed two people to operate it, because it jammed on the brickwork when it was open across the canal. One guy had had to get his wife to jump up and down on the far end of it as he tried to push it open! Fortunately for us, however, it didn't present us with a problem.

As we came up into Marsworth, it started to rain again, and it got progressively heavier. We were fortunate to have the assistance of a couple of volunteer lockies as we rose the last seven locks. They had waterproofs, i didn't. My cagoule was inside the boat, and I was outside and in my shirtsleeves, and, by the time Kantara and I got close enough for me to get the jacket, I was far too wet to benefit from it.

We had to stop at Bulbourne just above the top lock to fill up with water, then we moved on a mere couple of hundred yards to moor for the night. The rain continued as we warmed ourselves with hot chocolate and banana cake.

Later on, I wandered back up the towing path to take a look at The Grand Junction Arms, and booked a table for five for Sunday week, when we'll be back here, and meeting up with Jess, Steve and Naomi for a few hours.

It rained much of the night, and it was pouring when we woke up. We thought about the poor folk at the Crick Boat Show this weekend. It's 11:15am as I write, and it's not been raining for about half an hour. Grace is doing some washing. When she's finished, I think we'll move on to Berkhamsted.