Day 17 - Monday 10th July 2006 Two boats passing in our direction just as I was getting ready to set off, typical! Another came, and managed to get in front of them. There was a long queue at the top lock, as we all piled onto the moorings. I went down to help with the locks, while Dad and Julie finally got out bed.
We had to wait a long while as the boat coming up stopped at the end of the lock moorings, and then waited for the boat in front to pass, before setting off slowly up to the lock. The lady from the boat behind helped us through, and said "see you at the next lock". "Hopefully not", I thought. We still caught up with the boat in front however at the next lock, and started filling as soon as he closed the gates. We were through, and around the corner before they had reached the lock, and they didn't have to wait for a boat before turning the lock around either! We caught up to the boat in front by Hindford, but the canal was so shallow much more speed could not be got anyway. They pulled in just before the junction with the Monty. There was a good queue of boats waiting for the locks, and Bascote with butty Gosport came up the staircase, slowing things down a little. We finally got through just before 14:00, and made fair progress down the locks, and the canal. It's a bit of a strange canal, as from the windiness of the main line, it suddenly becomes straight. In fact, the Montgomery Canal is the continuation of the main line, and the bridge numbers show that fact. We follow another boat down the locks, at a lost to understand why we are helping, but want to reciprocate, so refill one of the locks, before we arrive at it. At the end of the canal is a lift bridge, and they hold it open for us. Instead of just turning around at the winding hole at Gronwyn Wharf, tries to get to bridge 82 there. We run aground rather well quite a distance from the bridge. I don't know why they don't at least dredge it out to make some moorings there. Dad, after turning also goes down the arm near the lift bridge, and on the way back out bumps another rather than doing what the sign says, and walk down the bank. He buys a frozen lump of bread, since we've now run out. We stop on the bridge moorings for tea, letting one boat through the bridge, after they had walked to Pant. We also used the facilities at Maesbury Marsh, emptying the holding tank (using our self pump out kit, bought for £15!). We finally get going again just after 20:00, and find the first lock ready. The others we have to empty, and after find it a little noisy at Queens Head, and so continue up. Some one had already moored in the Rednal Basin entrance and so we have to keep going through the dusk. We finally moored at the aqueduct. --- Mike Askin nb. Kismet http://shoestring.zapto.org/ Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/canals-list/ <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
