I had a weekend in hand, so I thought I would have a run up the Leicester Arm. Originally I had wanted to do the run to Welford but a disturbed night meant I was late setting off. I drove to Buckby since I was going to end up there again on Sunday.
Last Monday Vicky of the narrowboat trust had moored Nuneaton alongside Victoria since there was little room. When I arrived on Saturday both trust boats were moored just behind Victoria. Soon after I arrived, and got the stove going Vicky arrived to do some work on Nuneaton getting her ready for the Ellesmere Port run. By the time we have had a cup of tea on Victoria, and then a photo call with Victoria alongside Brighton and Nuneaton it was midday. It was slow going to Watford locks, but after a tiring jog up and back down the locks I was straight in with all locks in my favour. I started to think that I would curtail my journey, but as I headed down the summit level I started talking myself in to getting to Welford. All was going well until bridge 25. A boat was coming the other way, seen me late and then let me through. Fine normally, but this guy didn't know what he was doing. He started to reverse back but he was still in the middle. I continued through expecting him to go forward and head around me - he didn't. I tried to get around him, but it suddenly became shallow and since I was going slowly didn't have enough umph to pull round. How I managed to miss his windows I don't know, but I put two short scrapes half way up his cabin side. We exchanged insurance details, him after about 5 minutes of trying to moor up - stop under the bridge, I said, so you can get off. All I could do was sit across the canal with my stern about 2 foot from the bank. I continued down the canal, at a wide range of different speeds dependent on the depth, but managed to top 5 mph on the embankment before the junction. The lock was worked in the fading light, and arrived at the end in the dark. It was here that I realised too late that the winding hole was already passed. There is a wide spot right at the end, and a kind boater moored in the wide bit offered to move so that I can turn. We decided to leave it till tomorrow morning when it will be light, and hopefully windless. Anyone know if you can turn 71.5 ft here? Cheers, Mike
