Tuesday 19 September 2017

Mistily to Great Haywood

We got going a bit before eight today as it’s around three hours from Burston to Great Haywood and we wanted to get there between ten and eleven, it being a popular mooring spot. Normally we’d just carry on round to Tixall and come back the next morning, but Sheila and Elanor had a cunning plan to visit Shugborough Hall, so didn't want the extra walk.

It was Sheila’s turn to steer. She started off in quite a thick mist with the tunnel and navigation lights on. Sandon Lock was not long in turning up – I worked us down whilst Elanor finished sorting out things down below. Gradually the mist lifted and the lights became unnecessary. Sheila was a bit concerned even so, as we were running another wash load and she’d hoped for fine weather to get it dry.

As it’s turned out, she needn't have worried. As we arrived at Haywood it all burnt off and it’s been a very pleasant afternoon, sunny with a bit of breeze. Arriving just after half ten, there were several spaces between the junction and the lock, so our timing had worked out just right. It was indeed very busy here during the morning, with boats appearing from all directions. Mostly, steerers show a bit of sense and there have been no contretemps, though the occasional hasty person seems to think that blowing your horn is an adequate substitute for waiting your turn.

No, sir, these are the English canals, not an Italian town centre…

The visit to Shugborough went off as planned, too. Sally and I stayed on anchor watch, getting in some inner eyelid inspection time as well as catching up with minor chores like the washing up and stowing the recycling.

We’ve just had a visit from Martin who’s moored Ice Breaker a couple of boats behind. He’s on his way back to London and will probably pass us tied at Handsacre tomorrow before he turns right at Fradley. It was good to have a last chance to catch up with him before next year.

Safe boating, Martin.

Tomorrow, as I say, we’ll put in another of our double days, not stopping at Brindley Bank or Taft Wharf but going on to Handsacre, calling at Tesco en route.



Location:Great Haywood

1 comment:

Jo said...

Breakfast in the Cafe tomorrow morning?? Go on, you know you'd like to ....