Chance meetings and dodging the weather.

On Friday we moved into Willington, mooring on the visitor moorings. I’d toddled across to Midland Chandlers at Mercia Marina for a can of paint first thing, moving into the village put us nearer the shops.
I was heading back after a visit to the Co-op when I spotted a familiar boat across on the water point. It was Dave and Dylis on Trundle. We knew they were out and about, we’d passed their empty mooring on The Soar a week or two ago.
There was space on the moorings for them so they came aboard Seyella for a brew and a catch-up, which developed into sharing a fish and chip supper from the local chippy. A good afternoon and evening.

In the morning we bade them farewell, work commitments meant that they needed to be back on their berth at the weekend, but I doubt they made it…

Cheers guys, lovely to see you again!


We pushed across to the services ourselves and there we met a couple looking for Mercia Marina. Neil and Jane were wanting to look at boats for sale and their Sat-Nav had taken them a bit adrift. Anyway, we started chatting, then ended up inviting them aboard for a coffee while we finished off the conversation. If you’re reading this, chaps, I hope you find what you’re looking for. Good luck!

After we saw our guests off we decided to push off, even though it was mid-afternoon.

Half and hour later we were tied up again just past Coach and Horses Bridge, were we stayed until today.

It was quiet on the water yesterday, the continuous rain putting folk off travelling.

This morning was a different story. Under blue skies but with rain forecast later boats were on the move early, we joined them about half-nine.

The reason I doubted whether Dave and Dylis made it back to the Soar? This was the Derwent just upstream of it’s confluence with the Trent as we crossed the aqueduct this morning…



We pulled in for a half-hour just past Bridge 29a so I could nip up to Stretton Co-op. I had an ebay delivery waiting there for collection. That done we carried on, up Dallow Lane Lock, and moored alongside Shobnall Fields on the offside.

Horninglow Basin, the limit of navigation for broad-beamed craft.

Just less than half a mile up is the first of the narrow locks, Dallow Lane.

Busy on the Shobnall Fields moorings, but we fitted snugly on this end.

With the river up the section of canal that uses it this side of Alrewas will be closed, so there’ll be several boats waiting on either side.

Before the rain came I had a couple of jobs to do. The other day we’d gained a scrape down the right-side from a branch lurking in some bushes on a narrow bit below Stenson.
An hour with my electric polisher and Mer and it’s almost impossible to see.

That done I climbed up onto the roof and scrubbed the next two panels due to be repainted. There’s a few bits to repair first but not as many as further forward.

The ebay purchase I’d collected earlier was a large rubber mat to protect the newly painted roof from damage when I carry logs and extra solid fuel. That’s now on the front panel of the roof.

I’d just got finished when it started to rain and it’s been steady ever since.

With more rain forecast tomorrow we’ll probably stay put. No rush to get on as we can only get as far as Barton Turns

Locks 1, miles 5¾