Four hours later I had completed the descent and stopped for a coffee break, and to take on water (very slowly - hardly any pressure in the tap!) and by 10.25am was passing the junction at Napton and turning on to the Grand Union Canal (Oxford Canal Section).
The engine continued to behave impeccably until just before Braunston, when the trouble of yesterday started up again. I took some advice from the engine fitter at Union Canal Carriers at the bottom of Braunston Locks which basically boiled down to "it's one of those strange things that are almost impossible to fix until they finally conk out!" Very useful! No doubt the saga will continue later.
Just as I was about to start locking up at Braunston, another boat was coming towards the locks and we joined forces, the locks being wide enough for two craft side by side. It turned out that Tim & Sara (for that was their names) are also members of Boaters' Christian Fellowship and their boat Florella normally lives on the River Medway. They had spent the previous weekend at Parkhead Junction on Dudley No.1 Canal for the Gardner Engine Rally that is held there most years. Small world, eh?
We worked up the locks together but, after going through Braunston Tunnel, they were intending to stop for a day or so to meet friends, whilst I continued towards Norton Junction. I continued through the junction towards the locks at Watford (of Watford Gap variety) and it was just before reaching them that the engine started playing games again. It did keep going, and I got to the locks in time to book a passage up before they closed. It was then that the heavens opened, and what had been a cloudy but dry day became an exceedingly soggy one!
Having finished locking up there by just after 5.00pm I decided to moor up for the night and wring myself out.
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