A first shakedown cruise of the year (Crick to Welford-on-Avon and back) had been achieved, mostly successfully. (https://www.boatwif.co.uk/boat-update/false-starts )

With other boat systems still to be checked out, a second short jaunt was called for. Tunnel lights must be operational (Crick and Braunston Tunnels are close by.) Had the back cabin radiator’s sluggishness now been cured? Would the studio-sized washing machine leap obediently into life, to run a first wash load since last September …?

Before leaving the marina there were chores to be done, the cratch covers were folded back over the bow to make access to the gas locker easier, the water tank was filled with water, then slowly, using a length of rope to act as a pulley, the Captain eased the empty gas cylinder out of the locker…

READY. Cleddau was backed away from her mooring and edged across the marina to the service wharf.

Dipstick time. The ancient piece of wood the Captain has used for years to calibrate the depth of diesel in the fuel tank was put to use. “Need about 70 litres,” the Captain then announced. Slowly the gauge on the wharf-side diesel dispenser ticked upwards, stopping FULL at 69.5 litres. The Captain’s dipstick reading had provided a good guesstimate!

Then there was the business of exchanging one empty 13 Kg gas cylinder for one full one. Down the slope the full cylinder was wheeled and with a bit of heaving and not too much hassle the pair of gas cylinders was settled back into the gas locker in the right order… (Not too many years ago a boat surveyor had commented that Cleddau’s gas locker was one of the most awkward he had ever come across…)

READY again, ready to sally across the marina,

turn right and cruise again below the lovely Crack’s Hill (can you see the iron beacon used for celebrations straight above the gate?)

Onwards, northbound again, all but blinded by the dazzling white of the blackthorn blossom.

Then a new colour came into view, the yellow heads of rape. Ten days ago these fields were green, now large swathes of West Northamptonshire is dressed in spring-time yellow!

Onward, past the towpath giant wooden toadstool – or is it a boater’s coffee table…?

Not too far, not close enough to hear the road traffic on the A14… Perfect, a 90 minute afternoon cruise to a favourite overnight mooring spot just beyond Bridge 27 and near Living Milestone 13. (That’s 13 miles as measured from Foxton, each mile marked with a young tree planted in the 1980s.)

Away next morning, passing the Adult Glamping site (no hot tub users),

under the A14,

and a couple of hours later the familiar signs at Welford Junction came into view.

A left was taken for Foxton (and the route on towards Leicester and the River Soar). After miles and miles of hedges and greenery, blossom and rape,

the activity at North Kilworth Wharf comes as a shock. Boats are jammed together wharf-side,

Merryweather among them,

more boats against the towpath, electric drills being worked inside several of them, a fierce flowing hose pipe being directed at the underside of a boat out of water.

A narrowboat approached from the opposite direction, but Cleddau was eased and squeezed through the congestion.

There’s a bridge just beyond the wharf – and a patch of shallow water. Severe reverse thrust was deployed, Cleddau avoided, just, a nose into the bushes moment…

Husbands Bosworth Tunnel was ahead, the first tunnel transit in seven months. The small LED light attached to the front cabin worked well, but connectors on the large cratch board light had become corroded, repaired since by The Captain. (Tick)

The tunnel, according to the 2018 edition of the Pearson’s Guide, marks the watershed for two of England’s rivers. Behind, to the west, is the Avon which first appears at Welford, flows down to Stratford, and ultimately via Tewkesbury and the River Severn it joins the Severn Estuary and the sea, whereas down in the valley to the east, is the River Welland which courses through Northamptonshire and Lincolnshire to end up in the Wash.

Beyond the tunnel the countryside is breathtakingly pastoral. In April the cows are out in the fields

while young lambs follow their mothers

or gambol with their mates…

Onwards, past the a boaty settlement near Bridge 51,

past two grass eating swans in a field

and views of yellow gorse on the Laughton Hills.

13 or so miles after starting out Cleddau was moored above Foxton Locks.

This was was the evening view of the horse and boy sculpture from the front cabin window.

“Testing – testing”… Day 3 would test human systems again on the Foxton narrow locks and there’d also be a test run of the (dearly beloved) washing machine.

The 10 Foxton Locks (opened in 1814) were constructed as two staircase flights of 5 locks each.

Any boaters intending to use the Foxton Locks must first book in with a duty lock keeper. At about 10am there was no lock keeper in sight and all the lock chambers were empty of water. Boatwif walked down the hill where at Bottom Lock a cluster of 4 lock keepers were urging a boater into the chamber. Back up the hill went Boatwif, accompanied now by a lock keeper to start off Cleddau’s descent.

The lock keepers communicate by radio: there were more arrivals at the bottom, so at the midpoint passing place Cleddau was pulled aside

to wait while not one, not two, but three boats ascended and passed before Cleddau could continue her downward journey.

Helm and locking duties were swapped (part of the testing process) and by about midday Cleddau was 75 feet lower than the Leicester Summit and making a wide right turn onto the Market Harborough Arm.

At the Foxton swing bridge the Captain was joined by Tim, the owner of nb Nice Butt, reminiscences exchanged about the boats travelling together in May ’22 (mentioned here: https://www.boatwif.co.uk/boat-update/Leicester).

Human systems gained a Tick for partnership work on the locks and another for the Captain’s efforts on the 2 swing bridges. Tick.

What about the washing machine? Would the petite Zanussi for Electrolux white box fill, wash, rinse and spin? Apparently, yes! The water filling sound, music to Boatwif’s ears, indicated a Quick Wash program successfully under way. Another Tick!

By early afternoon Cleddau had crept up to Union Wharf in Market Harborough, by then the washing cycle finished.

There was one last “test”: CRT (Canal and River Trust, the waterways charity) have indicated that all customer service facilities with waste disposal sites will now have bins for Dry Recyclables (paper, card, metal and plastics), Glass, Food Waste and General Waste https://canalrivertrust.org.uk/boating/go-boating/boat-facilities-and-services/rubbish-and-recycling. Currently there is NO provision for Dry Recyclables at the tidy Union Wharf although there is a bin for Food Waste… No Tick for CRT’s waste policy here then …

Cleddau and crew had made it to South Leicestershire’s affluent market town, all the way in jolly sunny, somewhat breezy, pretty merry weather.

Just need to set off downhill now in search of a post box and some bananas…

Seen en route: