Leamington Spa (Can’t believe it’s a year since we last went somewhere new)

As forecast, it seemed to rain all Sunday night and it was still pouring when Karen left for work on Monday morning.  It really wasn’t the day for a cruise but I really needed to get a move on if we are to meet up with Mike and Aileen on Friday.  My plan for the day was to visit the Saltisford arm to get a pump out and then turn round, go back down the two Cape locks, take on water and then cruise to Leamington.

First though I had to get Buddy out for his morning walk and he was having none of it.  It was as if he knew it was pouring outside and it would be much easier to stay inside and just have his breakfast.

Even with his coat on he seemed to be saying, “You don’t expect me to go out in this”.

After breakfast I ummed and aahed for ages before finally deciding to set out for the Saltisford arm.  This was going to be the first new stretch of water we’d been on since the beginning of November last year when we went to Runcorn at the end of the Bridgewater canal.

Hardly an adventure as the arm is not very long but I suppose the pouring rain made it seem like an adventure

After our pump out we reversed out of the arm and headed back in the direction of Leamington.  As we reached the locks at the Cape of Good Hope, where we have been moored since last week, the rain stopped and Buddy was happy to get off the boat.

Rain stopped for 15 minutes but towpaths still pretty wet

As we came out of the bottom lock the rain started again

I moored up at the water point and as there wasn’t much chance of another boat wanting water, I stayed there for a couple of hours and did a couple of loads of washing and had lunch.  It did mean that we would have a full water tank even after doing the washing!

Another brief break in the rain whilst taking on water.  It's so funny how Buddy guards the boat when we take on water.

As we set off again the rain came down even heavier and Buddy, for the first time we have ever known, went into the boat on his own accord.  I carried on cruising on my own and when the rain eased a bit, as we were coming into Leamington, I opened the hatch.  Buddy was sitting on the steps wanting to come out after all.  I put his coat back on him and let him out.  We moored up outside Lidl and went for a walk.  A walk was definitely needed even though we were both extremely wet.  

Karen got home from work just before seven and we went straight out for our Monday bridge classes in Stratford.