Minor Crisis

Not a drama. The gear shift cable came loose at the top of the Lapworth flight of locks. We lost forward drive and the gear box was stuck in reverse. We pulled Syncopation to the side and after half an hour I managed to find the problem. We'd lost a split pin and the cable outer had come away from the gear change lever. After some rooting around in the bilge I found the pin and put it back in and bent it to stop it falling out again. The whole thing took an hour and a half because I had to dismantle some of the woodwork under the deck boards to get the cocoon off the top of the engine. We carried on down the Lapworth flight, turning on to the Grand Union canal at Kingswood junction,

leaving the Stratford canal with its distinctive lock keepers cottages:

I can tell we have left the Birmingham Canals as the water has returned to what I think of as a more normal green colour.

Moored near Rowington. Hatton flight tomorrow.