Map reference ST
89926 61042
Distance 9.5 miles
Total 211 Locks 7 Tunnels
Running total mileage 212.5 miles
Having called in at The Boatyard Chandlery at Hilperton for
a variety of necessities (Gas, Kindling,Coal,etc) we are now back at Semington
at the point at which the new Wilts and Berks canal is due to join the Kennet
& Avon once it has been renovated. This is pretty much the same place that
we were moored on 13th October but since the Winter Stoppage season
is now upon us it is likely that we will be revisiting a number of places
before March when we can leave the canal.
Fairly heavy downpour of rain last night will undoubtedly
mean that the River Avon will remain closed due to high water levels so our
progress towards Bristol will continue to be delayed.
One particular joy on this section of canal is the number of
Kingfishers that we have seen. Over a number of years of holidaying on narrow
boats the only place I had previously ever seen a Kingfisher was in the middle
of Stoke on Trent but there seems to be quite a number of them on this canal.
If the camera hadn’t failed me I would have been able to post a close up
picture of one that was sitting on a branch just over the canal from where we
were moored.
One slight drag on this section of canal is the number of
moored boats which means that we have to travel at tick-over speed. I’m not in
any great rush to get anywhere but the mechanic in me feels that these engines
do not benefit from travelling at tick-over for hour after hour. This is
evidenced by the fact that it begins to smoke a bit because (according to the
manual) that is what happens when the engine is run on very light loading. As
we travel back towards Bath (and another attempt to get to Bristol) I will try
to count the number of moored boats, I think it will be in the hundreds!!
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