Firstly, some pictures from Crick Marina before we left.
The marina is now very much an important element in the Aquavista portfolio and the company have done quite a bit of work to align it with all the others. The staff we met were excellent - one even stood outside the office when he saw that we were leaving in order to wave us farewell. The only downside is that where we were the boats are packed closely together, just a few inches away from the next on another pontoon. That said, the marina is well maintained and the residents that we spoke to all seemed very positive about living there.
We set off just after 8.30, turning left and south from the entrance. Just after passing the end of Crick Marina and the road bridge into the village we also passed the smaller Crick Wharf Marina (we suspect that the two are oft confused!) As we mentioned on the way past in May, the wharf has closed down under its previous ownership and is in the process of re-inventing itself but we did not get a clear picture of what is their aim.
Soon we were entering the darkness of Crick Tunnel - the estimated transit time is given as 15 minutes - we took a couple minutes over that.
The tunnel is very straight and, given a good magnifier (digital or analogue) you can just see the dot.
As yesterday, the main other landmarks are the bridges - whilst all but 20th century ones are of a similar design, nature has taken hold and given each its own unique identity.
We arrived at the top of thew Watford flight but no lock keeper was in sight so whilst Christine went down the locks to find someone to book us in, Mike did some of the usual tasks - so far the disposals. Before he could start on filling the water tank, the lock keepers (three of them) came back with Christine and immediately ushered us into the top lock.
They took us down very efficiently but it left Mike - steering - with little to no time to take pictures. This one does perhaps give a sense of the depth of the staircase locks.
The bottom two locks, as with the top one, are individual and not connected as in the four lock staircase - here Christine walks down with one of the cheery volunteers.
We completed the flight in little over half and hour! Just below the bottom lock we stopped at the second water point to fill up - just as well as by now the washing machine had depleted what we had!
A little further we went under Bridge 5, an unspectacular name for the crossing of the canal by Watling Street, perhaps the most well-known of the Roman roads - now also known as the A5. We wonder what the legionnaires would have made of today's scene, with the close proximity of the canal, a major rail line and the M1.
Weltonfield now have two marinas, one (Haven) just with moorings and the other (Hythe) offering services to passing boaters as well as a small number of moorings. We have left our beat there as a short term visitor in the past.
Norton Junction is marked by a splendid little cottage right on the junction - we know what it looks like from previous cruises this way but it is now all but hidden by the huge weeping tree in front of it.
Just after the junction is a canal maintenance depot - the right hand of these two stonemason's cottages is for sale leasehold, asking price of £425K with three bedrooms.
And so the Buckby Top Lock, the first of 7 (now back to wide locks) Our plan was a little bit vague - would we stop part way where there are good moorings? Christine, now back as steerer, found that the water level in some pounds was low and she was getting stuck well out from the towpath. Hence we opted to soldier on.
In the first pound another cottage on the market - now STC on an asking price of £290k, two bedrooms with bathroom on the ground floor.
Progress down the flight was a bit slow as there was another boat immediately in front of us that failed to take the hint from several boaters coming up that they ought to think about lock sharing! They did not seem to feel that it was necessary, but it did leave Mike with a lot of extra work to do, especially as many of the gates were self-openers! And, of course, some of the intermediate pounds were distinctly short of water.
We caught them up at the penultimate lock where they were sitting in an almost empty lock and gates that would not open. Mike suggested to them that they would never get through as they were, just one paddle open and a significant overflow into the lock via the ground culvert, bubbling up just behind the steerer (who did not seem to understand what it was doing)
Eventually they graciously suggested that they would wait for us at the next lock (the last one). Mike was a little delayed in getting down to the next lock: just as he was closing up, a gentleman walking slowly with sticks, took a tumble into a bed of nettles on the slope down to the next level. With the help of a couple of walkers we were able to help him to his feet and to recover his composure enough to continue with his walk to the bottom lock.
All this effort and not a little frustration meant that Mike did not take many photos - so we will make do with this view of the cottages beside the bottom lock, the distant right hand one was at one time an important inn (Spotted Cow) serving refreshment to working boaters, before or after their exertions.
By now it was half past two and we agreed to moor for lunch just before the entrance to Whilton Marina. We really did intend to move on to a potentially quieter spot but by the time we had eaten we were too unkeen on the idea and pout up with staying put. As a concession, Mike did tie up the boat better as we were moving about too much from gusty wind and passing boats. The mooring bollards were exactly opposite our bow and stern cleats giving no resistance to forward or backward forces. Hence he fitted a spring to the bow which was enough to stabilise us for the rest of the day and night.
7.4 Miles - 14 Locks
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