Lyra's Travels

Monday 13th August 2012
After a lovely quiet night out in middle of nowhere we set off this morning heading for Buckby Locks.
As we cruised along we found that we were the last in a convoy of 3 boats. This meant that we would probably be once again going through double locks alone as the first two would pair up leaving us behind.
Approaching the bottom lock both of the boats ahead of us turned off into a marina. Ah well, looks like we are still alone. But what's this coming? Another boat, and it's going up, hooray, we're paired.
There are 7 locks on the flight and the first 3 went smoothly, but in the pound for the 4th there was a single boat waiting in the lock so once again we lost our pair. The next lock we did alone, the one after that we had the assistance of a C&RT volunteer. In the next one we met the boat that had shared the first 3 with us. The boat they'd joined had done the same thing to them and gone ahead when meeting another single in a lock, so we were paired for the last two.
Just after the top lock the canal splits, one way goes to Braunston and eventually Birmingham. We turned right, taking the Leicester Arm, heading for the famous Foxton Locks and the River Soar.
Presently we're moored up just below Watford Locks for the night. Once again the M1 motorway isn't too far away, but the noise is reasonably subdued. 
While here I've done an oil change and topped up the fuel tank from our drum storage. It's amazing my ability to lose useful tools. The oil filter on this engine isn't easy to get at and I have bought a filter wrench to make the job easy. Can I find it now? NO! I can find two others that I have, neither of them any good for this job, the other has vanished. It'll no doubt turn up the minute I buy something to replace it.