Grand Union Canal:Marsworth

We set off a little later than usual for some late additions to our shopping.  Waitrose opens at 07:30.  Prepping the first lock, a short boat appeared below and joined us continuing on as we stopped at the shopping mooring.   We caught up with him shortly after we had returned to continuing our journey and shared locks, with him running ahead as far as Bushes.  At Northchurch a descending boat intervened and we continued alone up to the top at Cowroast where he was moored for water and other services, so we continued together with him ahead into the long cutting.   There were some extremely slow boats ahead needing my boat out of gear to be slow enough. We overtook one, and the second moored up thankfully.   Thereafter our companion seemed very slow and there was a distinct smell of burning oil in his exhaust.  I accepted his offer to pass and then lost him at Bulbourne.   There were two lock keepers on the Marsworth flight who saw us all the way down in very quick time. There appeared to be a mooring space on the right after lock 39.   Only after I had shut the boat down did I realise that the mooring was the first of the resident boaters mooring.  Later that evening a neighbouring boater drew my attention to the notice and warned that his friend, the owner of the mooring would not be happy to find me there.  We took a chance and stayed, relieved when night fell.  We were planning to leave at 7:00 am.