Stoke Bruerne

We left Braunston turn around 7:10 and on tick over, passed the dormant boats up to the first lock.   Because of moored boats and towpath works, approach to the lock was a little difficult.   Once through we settled in to our upgoing routine for a broad lock flight and had an unopposed trip through the kinky Braunston Tunnel.  At Buckby top locks we found a tiny cruiser going down in the lock ahead of us and so had to wait briefly.  In our turn, when leaving the lock, another boat came up behind, so we waited at the next lock.   There was a lot of water coming down the flight for some reason, possibly because the tiny cruiser had given up after two locks and was moored up, and the lower lock gates were very difficult to open due to the flow overtopping them.  The presence of an opposite direction hire boat at this point was fortunate as it needed four people to crack the bottom gate.   We continued on at the bottom, leaving our short lived companions to pump out their holding tank.   At Gayton Junction a major dredging operation had started and the canal was totally obstructed by a large excavator on a flat, working in the centre against mud hoppers on either side.   Just beyond, another land based excavator was scooping dredgings from another hopper and dumping the mud onto a mechanical griddle which separated the rocks, discharging the mud via a conveyor belt into the adjacent field.   Nearby, tiny in comparison, a BW dredger seemed to be standing by helplessly in the face of the massive competition (obviously a Land & Water contract from the name on the machinery).   We had to wait about 1/2 hour for a lull in the proceedings whilst the mud hoppers were exchanged, before we could pass.  I gather that this operation is due to continue up to the tunnel mouth.  Again, once on the way again, we had Blisworth Tunnel to ourselves and found a good mooring at Stoke Bruerne for the night.   Pork and Apple Casserole tonight!