Voyages of Gabriel: Leighton Buzzard to Blisworth

Leighton Buzzard to Blisworth

Thu 4^th May Globe to Cosgrove

We found our boat covered in willow catkins. It could have been worse! We said farewell to Sue from A Narrow Escape as we left the Globe. Roger and Elaine on Two Ducks were not up and about.

We were pleased to see volunteers at Three Locks as we were on our own. There was a very low pound after this, and we discovered that a bottom gate had been left open at Hammond Lock. The leakage through the top gate was more than the back pumping could deliver.

We didn’t have to swing the swing bridge at Fenny Stratford, as volunteers were painting it. We were also able to leave the gates open as another boat was coming up. Soon after this we saw Out 'n About, but there was no sign of Tudor or Flo.

We came up behind Beverley and Ascot tied abreast and going very very slowly. He let us pass just before we reached Kairos at Woolstone, so we didn’t stop to chat with Sally, or we would have been behind them again.

We spotted Ayup at Campbell Park but no Ken

At Giffard Park we paused to empty a cassette and dispose of rubbish. Hazel went to the Tesco Express shop. As we left, the boat in front also pulled out – Fantastica. Thankfully, they were going at about the same speed as us, so we ended up sharing Cosgrove Lock with them, before mooring on rings in Cosgrove after following them for two hours. No sign of Two Ducks.

Things drop from trees

Farewell to Sue Theobald

A Narrow Escape behind Two Ducks at the Globe

Bridge 110 Old Linslade

Three Locks

Volunteers at Three Locks

Tree surgeons

Shallow pound at Stoke Hammond

The poplars get bigger

Site of Water Eaton missions

Out 'n About

Behind Beverley and Ascot

Passing Sally on Kairos

New pub at Campbell Park Marina

Ayup

Sculpture

Sharing Cosgrove Lock with Fantastica

Moored in Cosgrove

Wildlife sightings today included a sandpiper, miraculously captured with a quick camera snap. Also, some new families – moorhens, swans, ducks and Canada geese. And a heron flypast.

Sandpiper

Heron

Ducklings

Moorhen family

Canada goose family

Heron flypast

6 locks 17 miles 2 aqueducts. Dep 0905, arr Giffard Park 1405. Dep 1430, arr 1635 Cosgrove.

Fri 5^th May Cosgrove to Blisworth

We left the hood up as rain was forecast, and it takes an hour and 45 minutes to go from Cosgrove to the bottom of the Stoke Bruerne flight. We filled the water tank there, and James put the hood down as it had brightened up. We had escaped the showers.

When we were ready, a boat came down through the bottom lock, and a Wyvern hire boat arrived to share with us. Perfect timing! They were Aussies from Bunbury, Western Australia, where we visited in 2000.

We briefly paused to say hello to Kathryn at the top lock, but we couldn’t stay as we wanted to get through the tunnel to Blisworth.

James put the tunnel light up and connected it, but it failed to work. we changed the fuse, but still no joy. Our hire boat Aussie friends on Juniper came past, and we followed them through the tunnel, using two torches instead of our tunnel light. The torches were very bright. The tunnel was very wet as usual.

At Blisworth, there were some short mooring gaps, but not big enough for us. We moored at the very end of the line, partly tied to a railing by an overflow weir. We put up the hood once more.

Mark came to visit us in his professional capacity and helped us set up something complicated online. While he was with us a sudden rain storm took place.

No wildlife photos today, but we did see some lapwings in a field.