The weather forecast warned us that today would be horrid and they were not wrong, it was pissing down! Many people who hire boats plan their trip carefully before they leave trying to fit in a nice route around pubs etc returning the boat on the correct day after a week or fortnights cruising in the sunshine. What they don’t realise is that
a) Whilst the boat hire companies say you can do 4mph you are lucky if you manage to average 2mph so the schedule becomes stretched.
b) Crew, that is teenage children and wives, become rebellious after the 10th lock and sit in the boat reading or playing with their phones. This is even more of an issue when it rains.
c) There is no shelter on a canal boat for the driver.
d) Managing locks in the rain is at best unpleasant and can be dangerous.
So this morning there were a great many unhappy holidaymakers going past who were all planning next years holiday in Spain despite the risk of the virus.
Being wise old hands we try to leave a bit of slack in the schedule so one or two wet days can be ignored, a whole week however would be a disaster.
So this morning we had a lie in, I walked to the local shop for a paper (getting a little damp) and we then sat and read most of the morning, I even started to write the holiday book. We did try to move on but the heavens opened again so we moored outside a nice warm pub for lunch.
Coming out of the pub into sunlight raised our hopes a little and we got going only to be soaked in the next downpour!.
Fortunately the forecast for the rest of the week is dryish so fingers crossed we will get back to Wolverhampton next Friday night.