Coooh I bet the old isobars were close together today. We were feeling a bit complacent when we left Crick this morning. My three point turn against the wind paid off and then along the
Leicester arm towards Norton junction it was well sheltered. Kath steered us on our best ever transit of Braunston tunnel and things were looking good. Down the locks and then, as we rounded Braunston turn , Wham! The wind slammed into us like a sledge hammer.
Cor, it didn't half blow. I'm not sure what it would register on the Beaufort scale, but only idiots like us would go boating in it. At one point the wind was so strong I thought it was going to blow my specs off. We were running a bit late because of waits at the locks and needed to get to Napton to meet Rick and Marilyn. Tootling along at a slow speed didn't seem to be an option, the wind would just push us wherever it wanted, so instead I piled on the revs. So it was a great pity that when we came upon NB Yarwood we had to give just a wave and a toot rather than stopping for a chat. We have been following their adventures stuck on the Fens for some time and it would have been nice to make their acquaintance better. I think if we had stopped, we would probably been lee shored against the piling and might still be there now. Sorry Joe and Lesley, we'll see you another day. Just be grateful we didn't hit Yarwood.
The wind was amazingly steady, not the gusts we had expected, but a very strong push from the South West. There are two or three good S bends on the stretch between Braunston and. Napton and they were er, interesting to navigate.
Looking at the Pearsons Guide it looked as though when we got to Napton the wind might stop us getting in to moor, but when we arrived the moorings turned out to be a lot less windy than almost anywhere we had been today. Amazing what a decent hedgerow can do.
R&M arrived at the pointed hour and we dined in the warmth of the Folly, where landlord Mark showed us some of his collection of hats. He is very excited because he is getting a new bowler tomorrow. Whatever turns you on :-)
Well we didn't hit any boats or bridges, so I guess you might call it a good day.
HERBIE! Journeys on our narrowboat and the trials and tribulations of maintaining her.
2 comments:
You brave souls boating in that wind, I was being blown all over the place just walking the dogs!
Look forward to meeting another time.
Lesley
".........we then repaired to The Folly for beer and what a night that turned out to be. The landlord Mark welcomed us, having remembered us from the previous visit and then invited us to partake of his cheese board, which was more of a cheese table really. There were about 15 different types of cheese, plus bread, pate and biscuits, which was his Sunday night treat for his guests. The beer flowed and we ate like kings, with good conversation thrown in for good measure. I met Nigel, who had bought the famous lock keepers cottage and had done such a magnificent job of restoration."
http://nbstronghold.blogspot.co.uk/
There is more to tell, but that will have to wait until we meet up again Neil.
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