We picked up our boat at lunchtime today and set off towards Bath. There is only one lock on this stretch of canal and there were so many kind Canal Trust volunteers standing by that we did not have to lift a finger (or a paddle).
As you can see the boat is called Poppy and is a little larger than those we have hired previously so when I smash into things it will probably make more damage however one plus, there is no signage from the hire company so other boaters think it is our own boat and don't mutter "bloody hirers" under their breath as we go past.
In a minute we will set off on a 30 minute walk to a highly recommended restaurant and then have difficulty finding our way back in the dark. Tomorrow we should be able to reach Bath so long as we can push the boat off it's mooring, the canal is very shallow here and we are stuck on something at the moment.