20th July 2011 - Where has all the water gone?

A most leisurely 0830 start this morning. I plod in a generally Northwards direction, weather, yes you've guessed, same as! The canal is quite narrow in places, lots of reeds and stuff making it so. I see no boats at all until Saddington (880 yard) tunnel where I see one in front of me heading the same way and three coming towards me! Then it's peace and quiet again. I'm approaching Kibworth top lock when a BW man on a bicycle attracts my attention. He says "the canal is dry in the pound beyond bridge 75, I've phoned for help, will you wait at the lock, I'll get back to you" Hmmm! I get to the lock and it's being set by another single hander, so we lock down and tie up to await further information. This comes 10 or so minutes later when a BW engineer walks up the towpath, a dry pound he says, we're letting water down, please wait here until we get back to you, please tell any other boats that turn up to wait at the top of the lock. He opens paddles and down goes some water. He disappears, we have coffee, two boats show up, we impart the news, seems they're both in a hurry, but that's the way of things. We all chat and stuff, some people have lunch. After about an hour and a half, BW returns and gives us the ok to proceed. Myself and NB 'Cairo' work the next 11 locks together, some of them have water overflowing the gates, some have gates open (in our favour) when we get to them, they are all set for us, which is just as well for the two (in a hurry) boats behind us. I think we just managed not to hold them up. The canal is surprisingly pretty around Wistow. We get to lock 12 of the day, Bumblebee lock and I decide to call it a day, Cairo carries on to Kilby Bridge, as do the two boats behind, I shut the gates of the lock for them. I tie up at the end of the very long lock landing and realise that I haven't taken a single photo! So I take a shot Tyhorn Bridge and Bumblebee lock out of the side doors.

Tyhorn Bridge and Bumblebee Lock from the side doors:

I've been here 2 hours now and no further boats have passed me! What's that got to say about the Leicester Section?

Today:        9 miles -   12 locks -     5.5 hours
So Far: 537.5 miles - 423 locks - 271.5 hours