After spending the night in Willington, we started the morning by pushing
across to the services to empty the cassette- no Lavender boat would be
calling today :-). In the few minutes we were there two working boats went
past and we caught up with them at Dallow lane lock where I helped work them
through (they were both single handed). This set the pattern for the rest of
the day as we had between two and six boats ahead of us at all the locks up
to and including Wychmor (Spelling ? - I haven't got the guide handy) . This
lock had several boats in both directions and as it is very slow to fill,
when we arrived at Alrewas lock it was to find the second working boat
(Swallow) trying to leave the lock. This was being hampered by a strong wind
and a boat permanently moored on the off side as he came out of the lock.
While Iain pulled him round on his bow rope and I started closing up and
turning the lock, there were a couple of flashes of lightening and the rain
came down in torrents. We were both soaked through before we got back on the
boat after the lock. We proceeded to Fradley, doing the last few locks with
a GRP cruiser and as Iain thought it was too early to go to Kings Bromley
where the trailer was, we went down to Streethay to see Ray (Copperkins
plans to move there in the spring) but he wasn't at the yard. We about
turned and moored at Fradley where we enjoyed a bar meal in the |Swan.
During the meal we decided that we would do a bit of the journey towards
Kings Bromley that evening and we set off again at 7.45. By the time we
moored just round the corner from KB, it was getting quite dark. Cruising
through the wooded section after Woodened lock was magical with bats zooming
about and owls calling in the woods.
This morning, we went into the marina and while Iain went in search of fuel
for the Landy, I got Gamebird ready for towing. For some reason, this turned
out to our worst retrieval ever and I just couldn't stop gamebird sliding
back on the trailer while Iain drove the Landy forward. Eventually, I donned
my welliies and waded very carefully in and climbed onto the trailer and
managed to attach the tow hook to the boat. We had no problem then and while
we were removing ropes, emptying caolorifier etc another Sea Otter owner
very kindly offered us coffee before we set off for the long drive home.
Coming home "only" took 7 hours compared with 9 hours going down and we now
have gamebird safely parked on her trailer beside the house where she will
stay while Iain does some bits and pieces to her before she returns to her
mooring on the Union canal.
Ann
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