Saturday - Watch House to Dover Lock Set off about 1000, Peter had a bad head but mine was clearer than it should have been. Good run through and started meeting boats soon after turning left at Waters Meeting - this meant the Aqueduct must be open early. Stopped off at Worsley to get a paper, a couple of useful little shops here. The water in this area is not as Orange as it used to be, apparently filters have been fitted in the old mines to filter out the iron. Stopped off at Boothstown Basin (Bridgewater Boats) for water and took diesel at 63p per litre only to find they do not take cards and we did not have enough cash - they offered to give us an Invoice and for us to pay by cheque as soon as practical - so we gave them names and addresses - very good of them to do this and very trusting of them - they did however recognise both of us as we have both been in there many times for diesel and chandlery items. Good run through to Plank Lane which had just started its Summer Opening Times and finally moored at Dover Bridge. So it was into the pub for a couple of bevvies. I went out for a cigarette and as a boat was coming through the bridge I could hear a lot of splashing - a staffy had fallen off (or possibly jumped off the boat) and the boat owner was shouting 'Get my dog' so I tried but this dog did not want to come to the side, after some coaxing him he came towards me and luckilly he had a massive harness on so I could pull him out, the boat owner was frantic and coming down the gunwhale but had left his boat in reverse. I had dog in one hand and boat fender in another trying to hold both while boat owner legged along gunwhale and put it in neutral. He said thanks and I mentioned I was also a boater - to which he said 'Is that your boat on MY mooring' (please note the moorings are Visitor Moorings). On going into the pub the locals mentioned the boater had been there for about 3 months and only moved away for water etc. coming back to the same mooring. This boater came in and bought me a pint, I tried to find out if he was paying for a winter mooring but all I could get was he was having numerous problems with his boat hence his stay here. Sounds a bit like another boat taking the michael. After all this we decided to order food, not the largest menu and not served particularly quickly, but there were a number of other people eating, or having ordered before us. Meal not too bad and reasonably cheap. Some of the local clients of this pub a bit on the rough side and difficult to understand what they were saying when they spoke to us, but they did not pose a problem.
Sunday - Dover Lock to Botany Bay Met by Richard (the boat owner and his father in law David - who were to assist us up the Wigan 21), they dropped off Davids gear as he was to replace Peter who had to go home tonight. Set off with a new narrowboat and its crew as we were to share Poolstock Locks (see previous email regarding New Boaters). Both locks set against us, heavy gates. The top lock was leaking masses of water through bottom gates, not sure if we had trapped some debris or if gates leaking but reported to lockie at bottom of the 21. Met again by Richard and David at bottom of 21. Although Richard, Peter and I have done this flight many times it was Davids first experience of it. The gates have got a bit heavier than when I last did them (last year), many paddles are very stiff and a few not working but there are not as many leaks as when I did the flight 2 and 3 years ago. When we got about 3/4 the way up we kept finding top gates open and numerous top paddles open - a boat had gone up earlier than us. Peter and Richard left at top lock and David and I carried on until we got to Botany Bay. Quite a nice mooring but very noisy with the proximity of a motorway and a main feeder road to it. Part 3 to follow
