Rugby

Here I am Rune

Distance 3.0 miles

Total 2287 Locks  100 Tunnels

Running total mileage 3320.3 miles 

This was just a short hop into Rugby so that I am now even closer to the railway station for my trip home on Wednesday. Weather has now warmed up a bit but that means we now have rain coming down and the towpath turning to a quagmire.

Hilmorton

Here I am Rune

Distance 5.4 miles

Total 2284 Locks  100 Tunnels

Running total mileage 3317.3 miles 

A very cold trip today, it felt below freezing, and yet the canal remained unfrozen. We had a few patches of water on top of the top boxes and that was frozen and when I picked up the rope to step ashore to moor up that was also frozen (it was like trying to moor using a pole!) and yet the canal had no sign of freezing, most strange.

We’re now on the outskirts of Rugby and this is the area we will be remaining in for a little while since I need to catch the train back to Torquay next week for a hospital appointment.

Willoughby

Here I am Rune

Distance 1.6 miles

Total 2284 Locks  100 Tunnels

Running total mileage 3311.9 miles

After a week away from the boat, celebrating Grandson’s birthday, we are now back aboard and on the move again. Not very far as we had the usual domestic stuff to do before leaving Braunston, top up with water, dump rubbish and empty the Elsan cassette. After doing all that we have moved about a mile out of Braunston (we can still see the church). Once again we had to go through some ice on  the surface of the canal but it wasn’t too thick and had already been broken by another boat.

Once moored here I carried out a couple of jobs that needed doing, some kindling to be cut up, the kitchen sink tap needed repair and I fitted a new seal to the weed hatch. Tomorrow I intend to do a bit of servicing to the bike since it needs it.

Braunston

Here I am Rune

Distance 2.2 miles

Total 2284 Locks  100 Tunnels

Running total mileage 3310.3 miles

Today it was just a short hop into Braunston where we intend to remain for a few days. Although we had a short snow shower this morning, the dire weather that was forecast doesn’t seem to have materialised (well not around here anyway). From what I can see of the forecast over the next few days it is due to get warmer and wetter.

Willoughby

Here I am Rune

Distance 5.7 miles

Total 2284 Locks  100 Tunnels

Running total mileage 3308.1 miles 

 

Instead of being a mile out of Braunston, we moored up when we got a couple of miles out since by then I was getting bored with the cold and wet. Expecting some inclement weather to move in over the next few hours with the possibility of a frozen canal in the morning, provided the ice isn’t too thick I think we’ll still be able to get to Braunston in the morning.

Not much of any great significance in today’s trip, weather was rubbish and that was about it.

Clifton on Dunsmore

Here I am Rune

Distance 6.3 miles

Total 2281 Locks  100 Tunnels

Running total mileage 3302.4 miles 

We didn’t quite make it to Hilmorton  Locks today, but we are close enough (about 1 mile away). We held on at last night’s mooring until about 11.25am for the purpose of getting to the railway bridge under repair by midday when it is supposed to be open to canal traffic to then find that the works are now complete and there is no restriction on the canal at all, we could have set off at our normal time.

The other big milestone we passed today was the 100^th passage through a tunnel, it’s just a pity that the tunnel concerned, Newbold, wasn’t a bit more dramatic. At 206 yards I think that I might have gone under longer motorway bridges.

The plan now is to get about a mile out of Braunston tomorrow and then move into the town on Friday to moor up.