Willington to Nottingham (day 3)
25 August 2013
23 miles - 10 locks - 8.5 hours
It was a disturbed night as a flail came down the adjacent railway track, smashing all the undergrowth which prompted some very deranged dreams till I woke and realised what was going on.
Great blackberries this year
We were on the move by 8.00 am and were soon into our first wide lock at Stenson, it seemed so big after months of the dinky midland's narrow canals. But before long we had a scare. At Swarkestone the stern step caught between two bricks and caused the boat to tilt alarmingly as the water drained only to right itself very suddenly which was a salutatory reminder of the dangers of locks.
Along the canal we heard reports of a boat stuck aground ahead of us and we finally discoverd the problem at Traviska. A boat was indeed hard aground almost in mid channel and had been stuck for nearly an hour. We hooked his from rope to the stern of WB and with a swift snatch she was free, much to the relief of the skipper.
Yarwood - but nobody home
We passed Yarwood at Derwent Mouth, but sadly Les and Joe were nowhere to be seen. We also saw Cygnet at Derwent Mouth, a little boat made out the the back end of an old BCN day boat very similar to Montgomery.
Cygnet - with those distinctive bows.
So it was out onto the Trent, our companion for the next few days. We fairly galloped down the sparkling river with Helen busy stoning the Greengages as we went, fruit in one bowl and stones in another for scattering on the bank to encourage new trees.
We were in and out the the cuts - Cranfleet followed by Beeston when were we joined the remaining section of the Nottingham Canalwhere we found a bank of huge blackberries - 5.5 kg's in about 20 minutes. Guess what Helen is making tomorrow?
We moored outside Castle Marina where we met with friends and family for a shared pizza - all very social.
As for the stern gland - its taken in about three pints in two days which is about how it used to be, maybe its not as damaged as I feared.
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