Prop Fishing

The mooting last night was very rural and quiet although Jan said she started to hear the early dog walkers around 6.30am when they came through the metal gate on the footpath to Fleckney.

It was a reasonably late start to the day as we delayed our departure from Waiouru to coincide with the opening of the factory shop at Yeoman Yarns.  Finding the factory proved rather easy having first looked on Google Earth.  It’s on the outskirts of Fleckney heading towards Saddington.

The shop is actually a room inside the factory which meant we had to pass through the administration offices to reach it.  Jan had a wander around whilst I asked the lady staffing the shop a few questions about the operation.

After reading the information on their website my assumption was the products were manufactured at the factory, but this isn’t the case.  All the yarn and wool is purchased in bulk from Italy and Spain.  The factory then breaks it down into smaller quantities for onward wholesale distribution.

Back at Waiouru we had a late morning tea before preparing to depart.  The Mio GPS was set up on the portside seat in a horizontal position so I could look down at it when steering.  It immediately became apparent this wouldn’t work as the sunlight (yes… there was sunshine today!) reflected on the screen.  It was then moved to the top of the sliding hatch cover in a vertical position.  This made it much easier to see.  The Mio proved to be very useful showing our position on Paul’s Memory-Map canal trace in real time and warning me when we were approaching locks.  I’m a convert!

We were joined at the first of today’s five locks by nb Flat Bottomed Girl and her crew worked with us through the locks until we stopped for a late lunch.

The batteries where showing 100% so we decided to stop for the day.  Another rural mooring all to ourselves!

Waiouru’s wake hasn’t been looking right for the last couple of days despite me placing it hard in reverse a couple of times.  So late in the afternoon I went prop fishing down the weed hatch catching an urban jellyfish and three skinny Birmingham eels.

The afternoon was actually quite warm and humid.  Has summer finally arrived?  Anyway, it was enough for me to change into shorts whilst Jan replaced her heavy slacks with a lighter pair.  After a nice dinner of roast chicken with new potatoes, carrots, leeks and zucchini I went for a walk down the towpath to look at the local Leicestershire countryside.  Jan decided she had already walked between five locks and decided she’s done enough exercise for the day.

Initially I thought this was a church but after looking at the Open Street Map I changed my mind thinking it might be Wistow Hall.  But after further searching on Google I’m back to it being Wistow Church.