intrepid pony: Watford staircase locks

Heron flying away

We had a lazy breakfast but still cast off at 8.50. We cruised under overcast skies but the views were still lovely. A couple of light showers touched us but it was a light mist that soon cleared. By mid morning the sun had cleared the clouds away. Our boat annoyed a heron who flew off in a huff.

Carved tree near Welford

I steered through Husbands Bosworth tunnel. I have steered through tunnels before but always handed back to the Captain in wide tunnels when boats approach as there is only a few inches clearance when boats pass. This time I stayed at the helm and passed two oncoming boats without connecting with them, hurray. The going was slow as the canal was shallow with accumulated silt but the rural views made the slow going worthwhile. That’s what boating is about.

During our lunch break the Captain decided to see if we could get down the Watford staircase tonight and promptly set off again. In places the canal narrowed to the width of one boat but we were fortunate not to meet anything at these parts.

Watford staircase locks

At one point an adder swam across the canal right in front of the boat. He wriggled his body from side to side exactly as if he were on land holding his head a few inches clear of the water. He slithered up the far bank slowly as if he had enjoyed the dip.

We passed good moorings a few miles from Watford locks even though it was past four o clock knowing that if there was a long queue we might have to wait until morning. At 4.50 I found the lock keeper who nodded casually.

“When this one comes up you can go down,” he said, pointing to a boat in the lock below. After a wait of just seven minutes we passed into the lock – amazing after yesterday’s three hours and ten minutes wait. Again we appeared to be the last boat through as nothing appeared while we descended the staircase and three single locks. At the bottom of the flight we filled with water and brewed tea but the canal was deserted. We moored not far from the bottom of the flight with a view through a narrow belt of trees. Nothing passed us all evening.