Sunday 25^th March

Left Hawksbury Jnc at 8.45 am much colder because of the hour change but lovely sunny weather.

No boats about until we reached the Ashby Jnc where we met 2 hire boats, why is it you always meet boats at tight places.

Passed some interesting gardens and a very unusual boatyard.

Moored up at Atherstone expecting it to be busy but there was only one other boat there.

Monday 26^th March

Awoke to a really cold morning, so frosty that there was ice on the metal surround of the Saloon Houdini hatch.

Took Carly a walk to the top of the golf course where there were fabulous views across the valley shrouded in mist.

Went shopping for provisions and some plastic fencing to stop Carly jumping off the boat as we go through bridges, she did it twice yesterday.

Left the mooring at 11am to start tackling the 11 locks in the Atherstone flight.

Everyone was against us but it was so warm and sunny that it did not seem to matter. After a few locks had to put our shorts on.

Ideal weather for this boat with its roof covered in Solar cells, apprently they cook by electric although the boat is diesl hydraulic.

Moored up just past bridge, 50 a lovely spot out in the open. June had a shower and we discovered that the waste pump was not working. After stripping it down and trying various things gave Mark a call to get some advice. Tried all the things he suggested but still no joy. Tried putting vaseline on flapper valves and it seemed to work ok so had shower, when it again stopped working. It seemed to only work when I put it on its side. Mark said he would meet us at Fazely with another pump tomorrow.