Date - 24 Feb 09 Day - Tues Start - 1000 Zouch End - 1700 Ragley Boat Stop.
We slipped up with the timing slightly this morning and about quarter to 10 a wide beam BW dredger came by and sailed straight into the first lock which was set ready for them, so when we left at 10 and arrived at the lock 5 minuets later we had to turn it before we could continue on our way. It was quite a dank day and again next to no traffic about on the waterway. We caught up with the dredger as he was waiting to enter Kegworth Deep Lock. This lock still has a filed in disused lock beside it. Coming upstream this lock requires great care because if you place the bow against the wall of the cill and ride up the wall with the water you come up under the wooden cill protection beam. I think at one time this woodwork carried on down to the bottom of the lock but has not been repaired in many years. The gars was quite wet around the lock with puddles indicating that it had been raining quite heavily this morning, 2 miles upstream we hadn't had a drop. We carried on expecting to catch up with BW again at Kegworth Shallow Lock, but this is a flood lock and the gates were open at each end so they had sailed straight through, but they were waiting at Ratcliffe Lock and again we helped them on their way before turning the lock again. Just below the lock we met another narrow boat coming upstream, this was to be the only other boat we would see on the move all day. When we arrived a Redhill lock the dredger was moored up and a chap in a BW van was waiting to take the crew off. There is quite a bit of plant at Redhill and BW plan to close the navigation here next week. I asked the BW chaps if they knew where the IWA National was being held next year and the best answer they could offer was Redhill, they had no better information as to its exact location other than that. Redhill lock is also a flood lock and this was also wide open giving us an open path to the River Trent. At the junction we turned left up the Trent to Sawley Locks. These are mechanised locks but the instructions are quite small and a bit smudged, luckily the lock keeper was on hand to offer advice. The run up the Trent had been quite chilly but once off the river things warmed up a bit. We pushed on beyond Derwent Mouth. We stopped for egg sandwiches before entering Derwent Mouth Lock, we felt it would be very unlikely that we would be in anybodies way. We were now off the rivers and back on the canal, the Trent and Mersey to be precise, we carried on along the canal for a couple of hours before moor at 5 pm at Ragley Boat Stop for the night, we intend to eat here tonight and then meet up with Brian and Susan for a couple of drinks. You will find our latest position at http://tinyurl.com/Harnser-s-route -- Brian <[email protected]> Visit my Web site at http://www.harnser.info
