Finally We Get Away

(Boat Chalice - posted by Alan)

Normally in the past the school Summer holidays would have triggered desperate attempts to get away for a period of intensive boating, if it were in any way possible.  It always had to be so, as our entire boating life had to fit around Cath's employment as a full time teacher.  If we didn't manage to make a big trip in Summer that was it for another year, because it was the only possible time to ever be out for more than two consecutive weeks.

Suddenly all that has changed, as Cath has just taken a slightly early retirement at the end of her Summer term.  To be honest, towards the end of her final few months, much of our focus has just been on getting to the point of her completing everything she needed to do for a smooth handover, but in fact a few additional things arose that made the final term a particularly exhausting one, and boating plans very much took a back seat as a result.

We had none-the-less intended to attend the canal festival at Linslade with both boats, but a sudden change of plan saw us going and looking at a boat that was for sale, and we therefore revised plans to only take "Sickle".  Sadly after a period of negotiation we lost the chance to buy this other boat.  I think it was only losing out on it that actually made us realise just how much we would like to have taken it on.

The end result though was that plans to set off for the Summer kept getting pushed back, particularly as we felt a period of consolidation was need to sort out domestic matters, also to do some much needed work on "Chalice".  Eventually though we felt we had reached the point where we would set off, albeit that no firm plans had yet been made about any itinerary.

We went late to the boat on Tuesday evening, but I was determined that if we could get off the mooring at all before nightfall that we should do so.  In fact we only went less than a mile, and a single lock, but at least that way we could really feel the trip had begun!

Cooks Wharf to middle of Seabrook Locks
Miles: 0.6 (Chalice), Locks: 1

Total Miles: 0.6, Locks: 1