Another sunny day! Our fellow owners of our shared boat now refer to "Street Boating weather" which tends to be warm and sunny :-)
Had a more leisurely start - just going round the corner to empty the toilet cassette. At times like this, I think a pump out loo is "a good thing". At Stenson we met up with a boat we had seen several times yesterday (can't remember the name) which is a hybrid powered and is also on it's way to the National - to run trips. We locked together for a couple of locks and the chat was good but we got separated when there was a single boat waiting at a lock. They went on and we worked another boat up by which time a canaltime had arrived and we locked down together. However. they arrived at the next lock and said they were mooring up so we went down on our own. Shortly after this we passed the boat which our first partners had locked with (still with me?) moored up. We put on a little more speed - Gamebird covers the ground very nicely with very little wash - and they were waiting for us at Shardlow. We locked together for a couple of locks then they pulled into Sawley where they are leaving the boat for a few days..We continued to Trent Lock where there was the usual Sunday afternoon mayhem with boats buzzing around all over the place. Got moored and walked up past the first lock of the Erewash to investigate the services. We will go back to Sawley lock in the morning to shower and empty the loo before heading to Redhill so that we arrive at the National sweet smelling. I know we will be there very early but Iain wants to help this year and who am I to discourage such enthusiasm? :-) Investigated the pubs here . The steamboat had VERY loud music and (fortunately) does not do food tonight. The Navigation does food so we will eat there. Probably our last food which I haven't to cook for a while :-(. Ann
