A good start

Day 1 - Stretton Wharf to beyond Baswich Bridge
10 hours, 23 miles and 12 locks

A very good start to the day, in fact, because we winded at Stretton in about five minutes, which smashes the previous record. And a good start to the trip, because we haven't got stuck on the bottom once, and have got a lot further than we have on any previous Day One.

The hold has been cleared out ready for the brass band, and we are taking advantage of the extra space by establishing a camp in here, with table, chairs and Beatrice stove. This all started because I had the idea of bringing the Beatrice stove in here to make tea as we go along. I wouldn't fancy lighting the Primus on a moving boat, but the Beatrice is so stable that the worst that could happen is the water falling off the top and going into the bilges. And it hasn't happened yet. The tea has been pretty horrid, which I don't know whether to attribute to the ancient water in the tanks, the previous uses of the teapot we boiled it in, or the fact that the Beatrice doesn't quite get the water hot enough.