Shirt off shortly.

We were woken at 0600 when we heard engine noises. When I got up to see what it was (I needed to visit the loo anyway) there was the bow of the Humber Princess out side the window!  I had checked with the volunteer keeper yesterday and he told me it was due any day now and here it was. It is always good to see the canals still in use for what they were intended plus I used to see them working up and down the rivers and some of them were used as bunker barges and came alongside when we anchored of Killingholme in the Humber.

Having just cleared Sykehouse Lock there was no surprise that she was only going slowly.

I understood even better when I looked ahead and saw that her bow was barely visible as a fog bank rolled over the canal. It was soon gone, as was the Humber Princess.

As we were up early to see the barge pass, even Helen was up and watching as it passed and it takes a lot to get her out of bed before 0700, we got away earlier than normal too. The weather was fantastic and as we went down the New Junction Canal I even had my shirt off for the first time this year. The New Junction was opened in 1905 to link the Aire and Calder and the Stainforth and Keadby Canals circumventing the River Don that was unpredictable. Today we had two lift bridges and a swing bridge before arriving at the River Don Aqueduct.

The Aqueduct as guillotine gates at each end as occasionally the river rises higher than the canal trough and it would then flood the area as the canal banks aren't as high those of the river.

We met an Ashby Boat Company boat this morning so unless it has been hired long term it must have been sold as it is a long way from the Ashby Canal where their base is. Similarly at Thorne we met a hire boat from Stone that is also far from home unless it has been sold.

After the wide turn into the Stainforth and Keadby Canal we were soon at Bramwith Lock. We only used the small lock. The full length of boat here could be much bigger but it is only 61 ft at Thorne.

Once through the lock we were soon at the services by the swing bridge. Somebody had decided to moor up on the landing but there was enough room for us ahead of them as we need to take on water. We managed a cup of tea and a piece of Amy's beautiful mincemeat crumble before the water finished. Rubbish dumped we headed off again.

It wasn't long before we arrived at the next, and last, lock of the day. Thorne Lock is mechanised but has a manual swing bridge at the top end of the lock. It is best to set the lock before opening the bridge so as to cause minimum delay. Just above the lock is Staniland's long established marina. It had recently closed but has been bought by the owners of Boroughbridge Marina on the Ripon Canal and there was evidence of them starting to repaint the place and spruce the yard up.

We were soon on the visitor moorings in Thorne and after lunch we went into town to stock up for the next few days that are largely civilisation free. We also needed cat litter as Macy is now aboard. She is still in home mode where she goes out at night and sleeps all day. Onboard she has to sleep all night and be busy all day. In effect she sleeps all the time but eventually becomes more active in the day. I hope so as she is pacing about and meowing all night otherwise.