Lapworth Link (Buddy not impressed with rain, sleet or snow for once)

Contrary to the forecast, Sunday dawned to snow falling.  It had only just started when we got up and wasn’t settling well as it was falling on very wet and slushy ground.

Our Sunday morning view

It was two weeks since we arrived at the marquee field in Lapworth so, under our licence conditions, we had to move on.  The plan was to go up the lock into the basin and then head down the Lapworth Link to join the Grand Union and carry on and moor at Rowington.  As there is a water point there I could get loads of washing done on the Monday, then fill up and move another four miles to Hatton station.  Karen went to set the lock whilst I cast off and headed towards it.

Karen coming back from closing up the lock

Once up the lock and into the basin, I pulled in at the services to fill up with water whilst Karen disposed of all the rubbish and recycling.  As it takes over an hour to take on water here, she then took Buddy for a walk round to where we wanted to moor at Rowington.  When they came back she told me that it was still iced up on the Grand Union so we decided to delay the move until another day.

Miserable weather at Lapworth basin (Buddy is hiding under the hedge 😉)

We turned right at the basin into Lapworth Link and I set about mooring up in the pouring rain.  Whilst getting the back secure I hadn’t noticed the wind had swung the front out across the cut.  Now, normally we leave the centre line on the towpath so that if the boat does start drifting it is easy to pull it back in.  As the towpath was so muddy I decided not to do that (stupid I know) and just left it coiled up on the roof.  That’s the second mistake; centre lines should always be run back along the roof to the rear, so they are easy to get hold of in an emergency.  

So, I had to walk along the gunwale to rescue the soaking wet rope and then walk back, leap onto the towpath and pull the boat in. Seems I’m never to old to stop making mistakes ☹

It really didn’t stop raining all day, so we spent the rest of it indoors.  Even Buddy was happy to be out of the rain. 

Our new mooring for a day or two in the Lapworth Link- no rain here on Monday morning