Got off to sleep really quickly last night but woke up at 2 am and just spun round and round in bed until Susan got up at about 6.
I was up a couple of minutes later to assist with turning the gas on so coffee could be made and we could start our day.
Checked out the weed hatch and pumped some grease into the stern gland and settled down to enjoy my tea.. then I noticed the lock which was about 100 m away was in our favour so we upped sticks and set off, just in time as there was another boat just about to start coming down.
We were through in record time as I managed to get the ladder aligned with the boat so easyish to climb out and start to proceedings. It quite a process when you are doing it alone back and forward across opening paddles then the gates, the shutting everything down again.
Just round the next corner was the start of the Bilsworth tunnel almost 3 km long and absolutely dead straight we could see the exit as we entered, I thought it was a boat coming towards us but thankfully we got through without meeting anything. Supposedly you can fit two boats in but not likely with me hogging the middle, I did not expect it to be raining quite so much in the tunnel so was ill prepared dressed in just shorts and a T shirt (yesterdays “crusing” attire)
When we exited the morning was quite pleasant, sunny skies and plain sailing with little traffic, we even managed to re fuel. Unfortunately, two boats pulled out in front of us so when we got to the first of 9 locks I was third in line which is not a good place to be as they sailed into the lock filled it up and sailed off. I then had the task of emptying it so I could motor in then filling it so I could motor out TOUGH for 9 locks.
Just to make matters even worse at the top lock the bottom gate was leaking so badly it was pouring out the bottom as quickly as I could fill it from the top. I had to open the gates again to sort it out. By this time it was very wet so we moored up outside the New Inn where we had dinner
As we made our way to the bar I was pleased to see another boat not able to get through the lock because of the leakage and there were 4 of them.. Susan persuaded me to give them a hand which I did and they got through.
Not many pictures this afternoon as it was too wet and cold for Susan to do the usual photography