Lapworth in the rain

Lapworth in the rain
August 2015

Sorry, still no photos. Today my excuse is precipitation and cameras being uncomfortable bedfellows.

The forecast was for an improvement from 1.00pm but the absence of rain didn't really arrive till gone 4.00pm, by which time we were well down the Lapworth flight of locks.

And so we got soaked, with the rain veering from misty to hard and back again, penetrating our clothes and making the descent less that thrilling.

Most of the locks were in our favour but along the way we stocked up on Crab Apples, Cookers and some Damsons, but left the Blackberries for a dryer day. All the rain had an impact on the canal and the by washes soon became raging torrents, slewing the boats around and generally making control of the pair very difficult.

Helen undertook the steering duties whilst I sloshed up and down the locks, my normal youthful spring in my step evaporating after the first 10, followed by a heavy trudge with wet trousers clinging to my legs.

The stern gland is still running bone dry, which is a plus, but the studs / nuts in the Centreflex coupling are loosening themselves after 3 days running and I can see a work bench fix (or replacement) being needed this winter. For now its a case of keeping an eye on them and tightening periodically.

In the end we simply descended the flight and moored in the little arm between the Stratford and the Grand Union, indulging ourselves with a hearty meal in the Navigation Inn - washed down with a couple of points of rather excellent Purity IPA.

Tomorrow we return to the South Stratford and hopefully some better weather for our run into Shakespeare's town on Wednesday.