Chapter 3: Jayne and Lewis’s First Full Day Afloat.

The following morning Lewis woke up to the lovely smell of cooking bacon. The door to the galley was open and he could see Jayne still in her night clothes moving around. He got out of his sleeping bag and went to the bathroom for a wee. Partly because he needed one but mainly because he didn’t want to go into the kitchen with Jayne with his early morning, ‘I need a wee,’ hard on.

Returning, he rolled up his sleeping bag and pushed it into the cupboard. Going into the galley he stood at the door watching her. She had moved the tabletop over to the other side and was cooking bacon, eggs and fried bread.

Suddenly realising he was there, she turned, gave him a smile and said, ‘Hello sleeping beauty.’ She gave him a hug and kissed his cheek then returned to her cooking. Lewis took the tabletop through and set it up, then laid the table.

Soon they were sitting down tucking in. ‘This is a lovely start to the day,’ Lewis said. They cleared away then Lewis said, ‘I’ll wash up if you want a shower. I suggest you leave your bed set up, if we want to sit in the bow, we can either climb over it or go along the tow path.’

When he had washed up, he heard her go into the bedroom, so he went and had a quick shower. Putting clean shorts and T shirt on, he started the engine, then undid the mooring ropes, pulled the poles out and putting the engine in gear, pulled away from the bank.

Soon after Jayne popped her head out and asked if he’d like a coffee. ‘That’s something you never need to ask,’ he told her with a grin, ‘But we’re coming up to a lock, so perhaps after we’ve passed through it.’

As she sat down the other side of the tiller, Lewis said, ‘This time I want you to drop me off before the lock then drive the boat into the lock and stay with it. Don’t worry if it bumps against the sides whilst the water comes in, that’s quite normal.’

As they approached, the gates were open. Jayne pulled into the side so Lewis could jump off, then steered into the lock. She managed to almost stop at the far end and only hit the gate with the slightest of bumps. Lewis closed the doors and the paddles. Then waving down to Jayne, he went to the far gates. Opening the paddles, he checked to see Jayne was ok with the inrush of water. Giving her another wave and a thumbs up, he stood and watched as she floated up towards him.

Once the lock was full, he closed the paddles then opened the gates. Walking back along the lock side, he jumped on board as Jayne put the boat in gear and sailed out of the lock and on along the canal. ‘Well done Lewis complimented her, that’s teamwork. How did you feel down in the lock?’ ‘It was a bit scary at first,’ Jayne said, ‘Especially when the boat moved back and bumped into the other gate. But it was fine after that.’

Lewis gave her a hug, ‘Well you did well,’ he said. ‘You carry on and I’ll go and make us a coffee.’ Returning with a mug of coffee each, Lewis spotted a boat behind them going back the way they had just come. ‘Passing boats on your own as well,’ he said grinning at her, ‘Is there no end to your talents.’

Whilst they had their coffee Lewis texted his mum to let her know he was ok, then Ron to report on progress. ‘Ok I’ll take the tiller for now,’ he said, ‘You ring your mum and let her know you’re ok.’

‘Hi mum,’ she said when she got through. ‘I’m having a wonderful time.’ she told her, ‘Lewis is lovely. Yesterday we moored for the night near a town. We went in and had our meal in a cafe attached to a chip shop, it was lovely. Then Lewis took me to the theatre.’

‘After telling her all about it, Jayne finished off with, then we returned to the boat. Lewis put the board up for me, so I had the whole width of the boat to move around in. Being in a sleeping bag the covers travelled with me, I think I must have turned in a circle several times in the night. I know when I woke up my head was where my feet had been.’

‘Poor Lewis just had the bench seat in the dining area. He didn’t bother putting the tabletop in place, but I didn’t hear any bumps in the night, so I don’t think he fell off. I cooked breakfast this morning, then I drove the boat through a lock. Oh, and I passed another moving boat whilst Lewis was down below making us a coffee. I’m getting quite a dab hand at it now.’

‘We’re heading towards a village now where we’ll get some fresh milk and stuff, then by nightfall we’ll be way out in the countryside, so we’ll dine on board tonight. How are you and dad?’ There was some more general chit chat then telling her she loved her, Jayne hung up.

Jayne put her phone away then went and sat alongside Lewis. He kept his hand on the tiller and put his other arm around her shoulders. She snuggled up to his side saying, ‘That feels nice.’

They sailed for a couple of hours, taking turns with the tiller then moored alongside the village. Going into the shops they picked up milk, cream, another bottle of wine and various other perishables. Spotting a butchers Lewis went in and got a couple of steaks. Returning to the boat they had a snack to keep them going then set sail once more.

Not far past the village they went through two locks half a mile apart, both of which took them down to a lower level. Then they sailed across the bottom of a wide valley before coming to three locks in quick succession which lifted them up the far side. From there they went through a half mile long tunnel in the hill side.

Jayne found the tunnel a bit scary, no tow path, only a foot each side of the boat and the roof only six inches above their heads if they stood up. She cuddled up to Lewis’s side and held him tight the whole way through. She refused his suggestion that she go below saying, ‘You have to stay to steer the boat so I’m staying with you.’ Halfway through something ghostly flew over their head making Jayne scream.

Lewis kissed her head. ‘Don’t worry,’ he said, ‘It’s just someone having a joke, it was only a plastic bag on a coat hanger someone has hung from the tunnel roof.’

Even so, she was very pleased to see the light at the end of the tunnel (Yes, that is where the expression came from!) getting gradually bigger. Then they emerged into daylight once more. Now out amongst fields stretching for miles into the distance, Lewis looked at his canal map. ‘No more locks or tunnels today he said, just one lift up bridge.’

It was now half past five, all the locks having slowed them down. ‘We’ll sail on until six, then moor up and have dinner.’ Lewis said. At five to six they spotted the lift up bridge ahead. It carried a farmer’s lane over the canal and presumably wasn’t used much as it had been left up. That meant they could just sail on past it without stopping to open or close it.

As six o’clock came, they could see up ahead a long straight section of canal and towpath. Pulling in halfway along, they found they had a lovely view of a valley to the side with several villages in. Lewis jumped ashore, knocked two pegs in and tied the boat up.

‘We’ll have pate for starter and steak for main.’ Lewis said. ‘Ok I’ll do the starter and set the table whilst you have a rest,’ Jayne told him. ‘Then you can do mains.’ Soon they were sitting at the table eating their pate on thin crispy toast and sipping a glass of white wine.

Lewis then cooked the steak and made some chips to go with it. Jayne sat on the steps from the deck to chat to him as he worked. Soon they were tucking into steak and chips with a glass of wine. After a break they had a cream cake picked up that morning, then after washing up between them, they took a coffee along the canal bank, climbing into the bow section.