Well goodbye home comforts! We charged the devices, did a final laundry run, changed the Elsan, filled the water tank and did some housework. Phew, then sat down exhausted and we hadn’t even gone anywhere! Not true – I’d nipped to Sainsbury’s to pick up a few essentials as that may be our last close superstore for a while. We shared a calzone from Calzone for lunch – we couldn’t resist one last pizza when they tasted so good and were literally on our doorstep. I even went back to the hairdresser to ascertain the hair products she’d used on my hair, so pleased was I with the silky softness! Couldn’t understand her behind her mask, something about L’Oréal, which really narrows the field!
The weather was kind as we started the engine and getting the boat out from the Marina was a deal easier than going in! Still had a few boats to avoid as I turned on a sixpence but all was good and we were off. Two locks in close succession I lined the boat up beautifully for R to jump aboard but he declined thinking the next lock was around the corner. So I took off only to have him wave me down – a chap on the towpath said it was a long walk before the next lock and best R got on the boat. Now this is the trouble with last minute changes – you get in a tangle. I wasn’t at the right angle to pull into the side so R had to choose his moment when the bow was close enough for him to jump on. An advantage of long legs! Usually long legs mean tall body which is not advantageous for living on a narrowboat as R has been finding to his cost. A few bangs on the head and knocking things off the side seem a regular occurance! And then the tricky part of steering the boat back on course, avoiding the moored expensive looking boats tied up along the towpath. He was quite beat from tussling with the previous lock gate which proved very recalcitrant, probably because the water level was so high for some reason.
Coming up to the next lock we passed Jules Fuels who looked like they were bedding down for the night. Such a useful and helpful addition to the canals, having floating supplies of essentials. I had already thought we’d be bedding down for the night in the previous lock so slow was it to empty out (we’re descending) due to only one paddle operating and such leaky gates that it seemed as though there was as much water flowing into the lock as fast as we were trying to empty it. Let me tell you the thought of being stuck in a lock all night is a bit like lowering a coffin in the ground. All very dark and claustrophobic. A note of reassurance here for those of you who are canal virgins – every lock does have a greasy and muddy ladder so you can climb out!
We had arrived at Kings Langley, not exactly a village but smaller than a town and highly recommended as a stopover. So we moored up behind a boat that looks familiar – not unsurprising as we are all on the same stretch of water and settled in for the night. I had ascertained that we had a good 4G signal so that I could partake in my regular Friday afternoon Zoom. Always a joy to feel connected with friends and family.
Later in the evening I stepped outside the boat and soaked in the atmosphere of a still, slightly foggy night, where there was an eeriness in the air and a slight chill. It was beautiful and I wish I could have captured it on camera. Set me up well for watching another murder mystery as you felt anything could happen!
NarrowboatTLC 