Day 2 – Gayton Junction to Crick

After the heat of yesterday a dull cloudy and cool morning was quite welcome. Steady progress northwards along the Grand Union, we’d both done this stretch many times, me as a novice boater Bob as a well-worn experienced boater. We reminisce. His memories; ‘I’ve had a few good sessions in that pub’, mine; ‘I’ve crashed into that bridge more than once.’

        Then it’s the seven locks of the Buckby flight where we meet up with the couple who followed us down the Arm yesterday. Deep locks, stiff paddles, unyielding gates. I have to be helped regularly by my fellow lock worker to get the gates moved. My bingo wings are getting plenty of exercise and I’m coated in oil from the paddles on the gates. Bob looks longingly at my tee-shirt, he can see it’s potential as an oily rag and Bob can never have too many oily rags.
         By the Watford flight the sun has come out and it is a lovely late afternoon. With plenty of help from the volunteer it is an easy passage up the seven locks. Through the Crick tunnel. I go inside the boat for the duration of the passage and when I emerge to be re-united with my glass of wine I find all the drips from the tunnel roof has watered it down. I hate tunnels.