We are still chugging homewards along the K&A. Fri 20 Aug Moored at Devizes just above The Thick - 11 mi, 3 fl; 6 locks; 2 swing bridges Start 09:40, moored up at 18:20
Met office continued to be pessimistic but we wanted to be at Devizes this evening so unhitched at 09:40. As with the Jannocks, we were unable to resist some succulent blackberries on the off-side and so spent a little while with the boat wedged across the cut - on the long straight at Wilcot there would have been plenty of warning of on-coming boats, but there were none. Pottered on through the drizzle and managed to meet boats in several of the reed chicanes which have been allowed to develop - a narrowboat touches the reeds on both sides in many places - why are the locks and bridges 14' wide? Shoehorned ourselves into a mooring opposite Devizes Wharf at 13:35 with the help of the adjacent crew of nb Jenanme. Retail duties followed and, on returning to the boat, we met Roger of nb Moonflower and hatched a plot to do the first 6 of the Devizes flight this evening while the weather held. We squeezed out of the mooring at 17:00 and the rain started at 17:01. Nevertheless, it is handy to have a head start and the lockie has told us he will let us know who is coming up and when in the morning so we can optimise our departure time. Having tied up we repaired to nb Moonflower and set about Roger and Margaret's stock of decent Rose before returning to our own vessel for dinner and a movie [OK, a couple of episodes of 30 Rock, Season 1] Downhill all the way tomorrow. Baz
