We set off quite early from lock 15. We needed to. If we didn't make the big Tuel lock by about 4pm, we would be stuck for another night on the canal with the car in spitting distance. The night had been the coldest so far and the little wood burner was called into action for only the second time. As we left our mooring, a spooky mist sat on the water and as we cut through it, the sun was already up. You could be in shade and in the cold mist one minute, and then we came out into an opening, the sun hit us and the warmth was very pleasing the next. An uneventful trip down the canal was only slowed down by a boat in front of us who had just gone through lock 5. We would catch them up at the big Tuel lock and descend the final 3 locks together. Helped through by CART staff, it was a bit of an anti-climax and all we had to do was sit on the back of our boats and chat to the lockie.
We finally exited lock 1 and our mooring for the next 5 weeks was just on the left at Shire Cruisers. We were back! We reversed into our birth, tied up and turned off the engine. What an adventure!! Would I do it again? Yes, but only when we are retired with a lot more time on our hands. But it had been good fun and we proved to ourselves that we could survive on a boat for at least 3 weeks and more.
We just sat for a while and thought about where we had been. Wow!!
All we had to do now was tidy up and pack things into the car. We would soon hit the motorway. What a contrast and we already longed to be back on the canal.
My next blog piece will be our final return to Boroughbridge in North Yorkshire and the real journey's end.
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