Another lovely day

Yesterday morning we moved up to the start of the Clayden flight of 5 locks where we had to wait until they were unlocked at 10am.  There was time for breakfast and to bake a batch of cakes. Then we were off.

There were two boats ahead of us and at the middle lock we met the 1st one coming down. These locks are only open for 4 hours a day at the moment to save water.

Tacet coming under the bridge into the lock.

Some pink may blossom today.

At the top of the lock a swan family looking out for bread.

Three bridges, a concrete road bridge, iron turnover footbridge, and (difficult to see) a brick arched bridge, at the end of the Fenny Compton tunnel stretch. (now opened out)
There was not enough time to get across the summit to the locks at Marston Doles before they are locked at 2pm, so we made our way to another quiet, peaceful spot and tied up there for lunch. Then set about stripping the paint along the remaining gunwale and re-painting that. This kept us busy all afternoon.
So then this morning before breakfast we put on a layer of undercoat, it was already so warm, it was drying as soon as it hit the metal!
We were ready to set off now for the locks, they would be unlocked and ready for us to make our way down now and off to Napton.

I do love these bridges, although many of them have been sprayed with concrete to  keep them together, the brick ones look so much better.

On the way down the Napton flight with the windmill just showing, though in a few more years the trees may well be obscuring it.

A better view of the windmill from the bottom.
And on to Napton junction where we turned left onto the Grand Union Canal once more heading for Warwick.

Just the slight matter of a few locks ahead of us, 3 at Calcutt,

and 10 at Stockton, it was very hot but there were others going down so we travelled together, making these wide locks a bit easier.

Our companions chose to come down the last two locks backwards, a there is no winding hole for quite a distance and they will be making the return trip up the locks tomorrow.

Don't know if I'm coming or going!

A bit odd, but I think they have done that before, I suppose it works.
So a busy day, but with just time for another layer of undercoat on that gunwale just before we stop for the night.  Another quiet spot with the birds singing all round us.

Saturday
8 miles, 5 locks
Sunday
13 miles, 22 locks