We arrived to find the bottom pound full of boats waiting to go on down to Foxhangers but they were having their lunch. The lock keeper arrived to inform us that he was lowering the water level to investigate a leak. When the other boats moved on we tied up at the visitor mooring with slack ropes. Went down at least a foot over night but it was still deep enough to be floating!
Next day started misty which cleared as the sun came up. Set off together at about 10, Ann & Vic having got the first lock ready. Paul Balmer of 'Waterway Routes' seen walking down the flight to help. Another glorious day for travelling up through this famous flight of 16 closely spaced locks. Surprising being Easter that no other boats were passed on the way up and not many people watching our progress.
It was when we were at the top that the first pair of boats were seen coming out of a lock in front. We passed and watched them struggling to get in the lock almost one behind the other! Far easier to go in as a pair together. We had taken just over two hours from bottom to top of the flight. Stopped after doing a few more locks and thanked Paul for his help. Then we all enjoyed home made vegetable soup which Ann had made earlier.
2 comments:
"Far easier to go in as a pair together"?
I thought you only open one gate - now how do you do that?
Well bigjohn, we send crew up to the next lock and they do open both gates for us. The boats seem to stay together as we leave one lock and enter the next which is just a bit more than a boat length away. Easy when you know how!
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