We had a little time out over the last few days to go to Braunston for the annual historic boat gathering on Saturday and Sunday 24th/25th June. this involved a couple of days leisurely cruising up the Grand Union in time to get to Top Lock at Braunston by Friday evening, and an equally leisurely return leaving on Sunday morning.
We left in 33 degree heat on wednesday evening, and decided not to even attempt the Stoke Bruerne locks in that heat, so walked up to the Boat Inn for dinner and beer
, before coming up the locks the next morning and transiting Blisworth Tunnel (1.75 miles/2.8km) and then travelling at our usual sedate 3mph to Whilton. we moored overnight, then climbed the seven locks towards Norton Junction, and Braunston Tunnel (1.2miles/1.9km) before mooring just above the locks that take you down to Braunston.
All told, we travelled a total of 50 miles, (of which nearly six were in tunnels
) and negotiated 28 locks. I didn't note how much beer was consumed, but it was substantially more than our diesel consumption
We also had a bit of an unexpected drama; our exhaust pipe split, leaking fumes into the engine bay and potentially the rest of the boat. I spotted (and heard) the problem immediately I started the engine, so we stopped it again, and investigated. The split was in part of the 'flexi' between the exhaust manifold and the silencer so could be repaired......bring on the empty can of custard from the night before, a Sprite can, six jubilee slips and some exhaust heat bandage and a tube of high heat silicon kept for (mostly) just this kind of thing
The split
custard tin
the repair
And this is our elderly engine, a Sabb 2HG 18hp (although I think at least a couple of the horses have gone to the knackers
) made, according to Sabb in Norway circa 1950