Braunston to Calcutt.
No Locks, But One Very Thick Homemade Fog!

I must mention here the treatment that we received from Braunston Marina on Saturday afternoon.

We wanted two washers, that's it, just two washers.

The man had just locked up, set the alarms and was on his way home for the weekend when D arrived.

We got the washers!!

He could not have been more helpful if he had tried. The workshops had to be unlocked, (this meant getting the keys from the office) alarms unset etc etc.

Many, many thanks to them.

It is quite rare nowadays to come across this sort of thing but in the long run, if we need work, we know exactly where we will be going.

Back to the boat.

We had a bit of a wander around on foot in the sunshine yesterday. (Sunday)

Yet another picture of Braunston church plus mill.

Off we mooched this morning (Monday) into a drizzly old day, we had to give the repairs a "road test" and also thought we might as well combine the trip with a visit to the BMC experts at Calcutt Marine. There I can pick up a few spares, fan belts, filters etc etc.

Passing "That 70's Boat" once again.

What a brilliant concept, for as soon as you see it in the distance you are saying its name.

We will be passing under that bridge ahead in the near future, but not before a fair bit of "meandering".





A sad sight to behold as we passed this sunken oldie. Like everything though, they don't last for ever.





Although this was a wet and seemingly grey day, the fields were verdant and almost lit up the area around them.







The fire went out as we were enjoying the day, so D went back in to relight it.

Things, then, went from bad to worse,

culminating in me having to pull over for a while as I couldn't see a thing in front of the boat.

A very damp log was blamed.

Until next time...........................

Braunston.
Still in for repairs.

I managed to fit the decoration to the engine today, but not without a little fuss, and quite a bit of adaptation. As with everything that you seem to buy nowadays, the new part is always different from the old one in some way or another.

A surprising thing that did emerge, was that the chandlers who supplied the cooler (one of the largest in the country) did not have any, and never stock any washers for the oil connections. The washers are not even type specific, any washer would do.

To try to put this into perspective, you can walk into this place and walk out again with a new gearbox under your arm, or a new inverter, or a new heating system, or a new stern tube, etc etc etc.......... but you cannot buy a washer!!

This to me is bad, what a way to let yourself down. Basics,.... basic they may be but without them the job is rubbish.

A lovely misty start to the day, and these intrepid boaters were well away.





The same picture a scant few hours later, what a difference.

How do they know where the bread is kept?

There's the Braunston turn in all its glory, viewed, very nicely, over the sacks of coal that are pressing our bow very low into the water.

A wander up to the village via a path which overlooks the herds of boats corralled into one half of the marina. You can't help thinking that if every boat from every marina set out at the same time they would completely choke the two thousand miles that make up the network.

Until next time..........................

Hillmorton To Braunston.
One Nice Bauble.




We awoke to a red sky this morning and a phone call from the chandlers to say that our cooler is in.

Best head off then.... says I.

Chug, chug, chug,

chug, chug, chug,

chug, chug, chug,





chug, chug, chug,






chug, chug, chug.






A few boats gathering for the winter broke the solitude mood.





Never mind, lots more came our way.

Until finally...................





We reached our goal,...... and here it is.
Resplendent in its gold, silver, red and black livery.
A lovely festive coloured bauble to hang on to the engine for the Christmas period.

The wallet is still crying after the surgery it has had to undergo, but, after all, it is Christmas time for the chandlers as well.




Until next time..........................