It’s great to have crossed the hills and left all those locks behind. Marsworth had several locks every mile but from Fenny Stratford there’s mile after mile of uninterrupted cruising.
It’s tempting to drive fast. Nearly came a cropper earlier when, while driving at speed, something caught in the propellor and the boat swung suddenly towards the towpath. It’s tricky to know what to do in that situation because boats don’t maneuvre well in reverse: do I rev up and try to swing the boat so she hits the towpath side on; or put her hard in reverse to minimise the crunch? I did both and got away with a slight bump. Not that a crash would damage a steel narrowboat boat, but the crockery might go flying.
The landscape is a bit repetitive around Milton Keynes. It’s nice enough, with trees lining the towpath and plenty of parkland, but it all gets a bit Groundhog Day after a while. Didn’t I already go under this bridge? Didn’t I pass those houses earlier? Still, Milton Keynes is great for shopping and I picked up a new leisure battery and an offcut of carpet that fits the lounge perfectly.
Leave a Reply