Goodbye Bugbrooke

Monday 8th April

Well, we've gone and done it! We've reversed out of Bugbrooke Marina for the last time. 

If you know where to look you can just see Peter, affectionately known as the harbour master, who helped us out on to the cut. It's always been tight getting in and out with me stepping off the back of the boat to push it round. Narrowboats are good at going backwards and forwards but don't like going sideways, unless there's a strong wind and loads of people watching!

So we set off past the Wharf Inn and along the cut to Heyford Fields Marina where the swans are already setting up home.

We poodled along past all our old haunts, waved to Robert at Stowe Hill Workshop.

And then through Weedon, all the time recalling events over the past 10 years in this area. 

Eventually we arrived at Buckby Locks just after lunchtime, hoping to buddy up with another boat to help us through. No such luck. 

Ah well, off we go.

That's one benefit of locking, you do get a break while the lock's filling. Most of the time I get a break just standing on the back of the boat but, hey ho, that's life. Anyway, Brigid doesn't like navigating the big locks whereas I'm quite happy to get the boat in the lock and then climb a ladder, rope in hand, and help with opening the gates. By which time, the boat has risen to my level and I just hop back on board. 

Having said 'no luck' sharing the locks, we were fortunate to have the help of a volunteer lockkeeper early on and there were plenty of boats coming down the flight. So, most of the locks were set in our favour and we cleared the whole flight in record time. 

We had planned to stop just below the top lock but, as the New Inn doesn't open Mondays, we decided to push on a little further.

That's it, top lock nearly there.

We motored on up the Leicester section of the Grand Union Canal and found a sheltered place to moor just past Weltonfield Narrowboats. 

Snug for the night, fire alight and let's see what the wind does in the morning.

Off to pastures new

We actually came up to the boat last Wednesday but Storm Kathleen put us off from setting off too soon. There were strong winds forecast for Saturday and Sunday so we decided to stay in the marina until it blew itself out. Mind you, the forecast for Tuesday isn't that great either! 

Over the few days available to us we managed to stock the pantry and do those odd jobs that usually get neglected until the end of the holiday. 

A last picture of our mooring and of the marina.

Why's that? Because we're moving, after 10 years at Bugbrooke, up to North Kilworth near Market Harborough. We will miss being at Bugbrooke, however, we won't miss the Buckby Locks which seem to be getting heavier and heavier each year. 

One of the jobs I did was to sand down and oil the seats at the back of the boat. They take quite a beating from sun, rain, etc. But don't they look good now!

On a visit to Aldi (other stores are available and we do visit them) I purchased a very useful tool.

A table vice. And it only cost £9. It's marvellous, it swivels, it's got rubber faced jaws and it held the seats while I was sanding them down. I'm like a pig in muck, I'm so happy.

Anyway, enough for now, I'll be back tomorrow to let you know how we got on with our first day on the cut again.

All good

I did think that I would get plenty of photos of the work that Robert and his team had done for us but it decided to rain constantly for our trip back to Bugbrooke.

Here, at least, is a picture of the roof and, what's that, Bold Betty is afloat again.

She's a fairly old boat but doesn't look any the worse for her swim the other week.

Sorry to say that it was a quick trip back to the marina, a bite of lunch at The Wharf, a quick tidy up and then back home. 

Quite a tiring day with, in total, 5 hours driving in the rain. 

Hopefully another trip for us in September - watch this space!

Roof repaint

We've been back home for a couple of weeks now but the last thing we did at the end of the holiday was to drop off the boat at Stowe Hill for a roof repaint.

Last look at the marina as we set off.

Oh no! Bold Betty has capsized. She was OK when we came past the other day but, obviously, something has gone wrong.

And here we are in Stowe Hill workshop ready for a refresher on the roof. Also, Robert is going to sort out the chimney on the stove and replace a bit of boarding in the engine room. 

The next post will show off the new works.