Polgara to the rescue

Another warm start to the day.

Early visit from the Swan family looking for their breakfast. Talking of breakfast, managed to drop one plate of egg and bacon on the floor. And I only asked for sunny side up!

Look at that blue sky. And, we're at it again, we've now cleaned the windows on the other side of the boat and lifted the floorboards to check on the batteries.

We had help with both locks from volunteer lock keepers. It was a training day for one of them so we went through smoothly. Then the tunnel.

The tunnel always takes a while to get used to. Firstly, it's pitch black in there. (Obviously) Secondly, the reactor light glasses are still dark from the sunlight. Thirdly, the walls are black, the water's black and, even though you've got a headlamp there's very little to be seen and, lastly, it's very disorientating. Don't be put off, it does get better, but not immediately. Still, we got through and managed to pass another boat without hitting them.

As we emerged into the sunlight again we came across a hire boat at the side of the canal with the weed hatch open. Always a sign of trouble. They obviously had something wrapped around the prop. We backed up and came alongside to see if we could help at all. While the captain secured the two boats together I took a look down the hole to see what I could find. What I found was a whole tangle of thick net. The prop was jammed solid and the net was too thick to be cut easily. We decided to tow them back to the tunnel entrance so that they could get on and off the boat easily and also to make it easier for the hire boat mechanic to find them.

We did see them again about 4 hours later so we know that everything got sorted out.

Just after Gayton Junction is this turnover bridge built so that the horses did not have to cast off the tow line when changing from one side of the canal to the other. The canal path changes sides frequently so that the horses didn't develop sores from just towing on the one side.

A little further on is a lovely offside mooring for 6 or so boats.

The only trouble is that you need a rowboat to get across.

You always know it's sunny when the captain is steering.

And here we are, the last bridge before our mooring for a hot afternoon and for the night. We were planning for a barbecue later but at about 6 o'clock clouds came across accompanied by a light shower of rain. 

Moved inside and wrote the blog. Sausages in cider tonight instead - can't be bad.