Hi All, A much more leisurely start today. Mr Streeter past LT at about 8.15 and we agreed to meet at Hatton top lock. 30 minutes later we left our very good moorings. It was a beautiful day. Blue sky, no clouds, warm and sunny. Just on from Rowington the canal passes through a wooded glade and the sun was streaming through the trees. What a sight. This what canal boating is all about. With financial turmoil all round the globe, our little world onboard LT is just fine. The top lock is ready when we get there and we go straight in. Arun follows and the two boats are tied together. Its 10.45am. Wendy steers both boats and Terry and I (with the bike) set locks and close gates. We get a good system going. Wendy is really good and slips perfectly in to each lock without a hitch. There are a few boats coming up which helps, although the gates leak quite a lot so a full lock one minute can be soon require refilling. The gates themselves are quite easy to move and the gearing on the paddles are easier than I remember. 3 hours, almost to the minute later, we reach the bottom. A very enjoyable experience. The boats remain together and now its my turn to steer. All went well, even the tight left hand turn by the Saltisford arm and under the bridge was OK. I did have a bit of extra help from Arun's engine and extra steerage from Terry, which helped. We stopped for lunch at the Cape of Good Hope. Twolocks beer, white wine and sarnies, all very nice, At 3.30pm we left the pub and after a short stop at Tesco continued on to Radford Semele where we have moored for the night. Terry is cooking pasta something and Wendy is providing puds.
More later. Regards Andrew & Wendy - Tales From The Canal
