Grand Union Canal:Bucky Top Lock (below)

No rain today, but cloudy.  Cold first thing but warming up.  Followed a boat in the distance through the tunnel then full ahead for the long cruise to the bottom of the Buckby Locks.  We passed quite a few opposite direction boats, but little to hold us up.  A Gayton hire boat was moving ahead of us very gingerly at Nether Heyford, but allowed us to pass.  Stopped for lunch in sight of the bottom Lock where nb Bluebell passed.  Bluebell was just sitting in the lock waiting when we set off again, so joined them in the lock and continued together.   About three locks up it appeared that a widebeam boat had slipped its moorings and was blocking the lock exit.  Bob managed to climb aboard from the offside lock landing and the boat was eventually secured.  This emphasises the fact that mooring in short lock pounds in extremely unwise.  Water levels rise and fall considerably even to te point of a dry pound.   A moored boat will be resting on its mooring pins in this situation and it was not surprise that the “safety pin” piling hook had been bent out of shape before slipping off.  Another reason not to moor in short pounds is that it sets the water levels out of balance by not passing it steadily down the hill with each lock cycle.   Bluebell and Nuggler continued to moor below the top lock.