A very active day with about 17 locks and 11 miles covered. We have a very effective team when it comes to the locks so it's a very coordinated process.
Unfortunately when coming out of a lock there was the dreaded clunking sound. Basically it means we've picked up something around the propeller. So we quickly moored up and Ian got down to rummaging around the propeller to discover what treasures we had picked up this time.
At this point the heavens opened so I had a large brolly over Ian to stop him getting wet but in the process was getting a very wet back as I didn't have a coat on! Amy came to the rescue with my anorak and then thankfully the rain eased off.
This time it was a moveable fender - a plastic hook with a rope and then a solid fender on the end. Ian managed to unravel it so we could probably use it.
Today we seem to have spotted quite a lot of bird life. Loads of heron, a kingfisher (no photo as you see a flash of bright blue skimming over the water so don't stand a chance of getting your camera out!), ducks, swans and geese with their young and a gannet or cormorant that kept bobbing about in front of us.
Normally the heron fly off as the boat approached, but this one stayed put.
Our well oiled team - occasionally we need to hold the boat if the lock takes a long time to fill before we go in. Then there's a bit of a tag team passing the lock keys so that the next lock can be prepared as we come out of the one before.
Anyway, despite a few showers we had a good journey down to Stratford upon Avon. We're moored up just outside the town centre basin where it's quieter and away from the main hub of the town.
We plan to have a morning exploring and will see how it goes as we can moor for 48 hours before having to move on.
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