My brother Nick lives in Los Angeles and is in the UK on holiday with my nephew Sebastian so we took them, along with Mum & Dad up the Napton flight today. Weather a bit iffy, but we had a great time, still getting to know the boat

James bringing her out of Napton bottom lock

We had the formal naming of the boat on Saturday, undertaken by my mother. Looking on are my Dad, Val and two of our sons, James and Matthew 

We're off!

Yesterday was the big day we took delivery of Maria Jessie. After a run through of all the equipment from Len from Colecraft we were off. Val was working so it was just James (our youngest son) and me to undertake the maiden voyage. Thirteen locks in the first hour and a half was a good baptism of fire and we got moored at Wigrams Turn five hours later. So she’s now on her home mooring and we are looking forward to the first real trip this weekend

The boat's first trip on the water from Stockton to Long Itchington for the final bits of work to be done. Len from Colecraft at the helm with Val watching on 

At last she gets into the water. Today was the big day- we weren't expecting the launch until tomorrow but we got a call this afternoon to say the transport company wanted to move her today. So here she is. Tomorrow she will make the maiden voyage to Long Itchington for the final bits to be sorted and hopefully early next week she will be all ours.