Gayton Junction, Grand Union – Monday 1 October 2012
Yet another 08:00 start in sunshine with no wind (all the wind generators seen were turned off).  An easy run through the tunnel as I was following a hire boat which turned up the Leicester arm at Norton junction.  At the top lock there was a boat moored on the lock bollards, the lock-keeper thought I was trying to open the gates with the boat until I reversed to tie up!  On the way to lock 8 (Grand Union numbers start at Braunston) there was a working pair (boat and butty) travelling breasted up, and they had a problem in the bridge, at one stage it looked like they were jammed, but managed to move on.  Another breasted-up pair were just coming out of lock 9, and a friendly lock-keeper went ahead to ask another single boat to wait for me, which they did.  I then completed 10 to 13 with ‘Geya’, the lock-keeper walking ahead of us and setting the locks.  I then stopped to check the café and chandlery at Whilton marina.
There has been a steady stream of working boats as there was a Stoke Bruerne at war festival.  After the locks they were not breasted up but tied together on ‘snubbers’ with the engine boat towing the un-powered butty. 
Fun with boat names today has included ‘Tree Frog’ moored opposite ‘Lying Toad’ and the working boat ‘Ultima’ with its butty ‘Thule’ (what else could it be?).  I have also seen ‘Sanity?’ who knew all about the two Braidbars ‘Sanity’ and ‘Sanity again’.  Others boats seen included ‘Loie Fuller’ still at Stowe Hill Wharf, and one whose name I couldn’t see but was ‘Robson Family – Lord Vernon’s Wharf’
Today has been another 20 lock-miles with cloud patches but mainly sun until I moored when they sky went black and it started raining.  Tomorrow it is on to Stoke Bruerne.