26th August. Braunston to Norton Junction.

After a day in Braunston doing odd jobs and lazing around avoiding the rain, we finally set off again on Wednesday morning. Our plan was to get water on the way but both taps were in use and there was no mooring space to wait so we pressed on to the locks. We went up the 6 Braunston locks with a hire boat. They had 5 adults, 2 teenagers and a primary age child on board, which, as one of the party confided was a bit too many and they might not do it again. Despite this they all seemed remarkably cheerful and we got through the locks with no problems. We stopped at the top for lunch and a Scooby walk before heading through the tunnel.

The entrance to Braunston tunnel.

 

 

Just as we were about to enter the tunnel we spotted another boat about to come out. It had no headlight but a bloke standing at the front with his mobile phone. Presumably his strategy had been to us his phone torch to light the way - but it's quite a long tunnel and it had stopped working by the time they got through. We were lucky to avoid a collision!  

 

After the tunnel we passed another boat whose crew told us that one of the Buckby flight of locks to which we were heading was out of order and the flight was closed. We pulled in a short distance before Napton Junction and the locks and were further informed by those also moored there that a lock gate had failed and it would be at least 2 days before a repair could be made. So after dawdling along for days we now find ourselves stuck and without a huge amount of water. At least we have WiFi, phone signal and TV reception, so it could be worse!