Hot cruising

Canal near Burton upon Trent

It was already hot when we set off at 8.50, so perhaps global warming does exist after all. A hire boater sprinted past as I set off for the lock walking Lottie. The boat slammed into the piling and one crew member jumped off and wrestled it over with a rope while the rest of the crew watched. After he had tied it up the crew sauntered to the lock. It was interesting watching them work the lock, although they had 5 crew on the job they hung around until the captain of the boat bawled orders from his sanctuary on the stern. Third Time Lucky appeared as they opened the bottom gates. At the sight of an approaching boat the crew scampered onto the boat leaving the paddles raised.

Heron fishing  by the tail of a lock

I helped the single hander up but like most solo boaters he worked the lock slickly. After a hot cruise through Burton upon Trent Paul worked the next lock while I waited in the shade. After that I relaxed in the shade of a parasol while Paul drove. This part of the canal boasted many water birds from lanky herons to petite Moor hens with their tiny chicks. They hid along the reeds and overgrown banks, the young cheeping black bundles of black fluff on stilts. Mid day we moored in shade at Willington until the heat died down, but wandered into the village for an ice cream.

Duck with unusual golden chick

We moved off with the day still hot and arrived at our first double lock as a single hander opened it. I told him he could get back on his boat and I’d work the gates not realising this lock was super deep at over 12 foot. The gates were massive but as I wondered how I would open it a passing walker stopped to help. A true English gentleman responding to my distress, and it took the 2 of us to move it. I let Paul work the next lock and then we moored up in the shade.

canal side carved bench

The only other boat there was a hire boat, and the occupants were on an extended holiday from California. They were strangely suffering from the heat. California may be hotter than England but they were used to having air conditioning blasting out. Hire boats don’t have that facility though if you moor right you can get a breeze blowing through the front doors and out the back of the boat. Unfortunately their boat didn’t have any doors or opening at the front so it must have been cooking inside.