Great Haywood marina to Tixall Wide and back. 2 miles, 0 locks, 3 bridges, 1 hour cruising.
Left Bransgore at 0815 in sunshine. Brief stop on the M40 (Starbucks filter is better than Costa Americano). Got to GH at around 1220. Unloaded equipment: bedding and memory foam topper, crockery and kitchen tools. Decided to have lunch and then have our first cruise. So we bought a couple of mooring hooks, fired up the engine about 1330, and cruised from the marina to Tixall Wide. Lots of moored craft around the junction of the T&M and the S&W, but not much movement on the water. Moored at the Wide for coffee and cake, accompanied by mallard, coot, great crested grebe and Canada geese. For about half an hour we were the only ones there, then some other boats began to tie up. Started back at 1515 as the promised drizzle began to arrive. About 30 minutes each way. Moored bows in this time. Steering was fine, but there seemed to be an unevenness not associated with the engine itself, so I'll need to check that there is nothing caught round the screw before we go out again.
Found the master gas stopcock, so got out the new kettle and made a cuppa. Jobs on the boat: emery papered the end of the swan neck, and used silicone lubricant on the tiller bar. They went together a treat. Re-fixed the metal strip to the front seat cover, but that is rotten along the edge and ought to be replaced. Piles of interior cleaning – we had the Dyson. Got out the memory foam topper, which will need time to uncompress itself. Left the newly cleaned curtains, but brought the duvets home again. Measured the space for the washing machine – the Candy will fit, but the Zanussi would be too tight back to front.
Journey home, in the rain, without stopping - just under 3 hours.
