Short jaunt to Sawley

Hope these ducks don't poop!

What a glorious start to the day. Just right for a short cruise to Sawley. Ian decided to clean the brasses before we left so it was gone 10am before we got away. Fully expecting some moorings to be free at Sawley, (leaving it later to move hopefully meant boats would have left their moorings) we were flummoxed when not a space was to be had anywhere. Well apart from those boats that insisted on tying to their own rings and wouldn't share. This made for big gaps but not big enough for anything other then a 15 footer. Could this be another bitch coming on!!!! It seems to apply to those that are what we call the 'weekend brass polishers', only out for a few days and insist on having their own space. More often then not it's usually those that hire that are at fault,  I know in our days of hiring no one ever told us not to leave a gap. Anyway enough said on the subject as I could really get on my soap box about this. So to get back to my tale, we slowly made our way along the line of boats and even contemplated going on to Trent Lock. Only reason why we wanted to stay at Sawley today, not just because our car was parked in the marina car park, but we needed to move it up to Langley Mill so both of us could take the boat back instead of only me. For Ian to catch the bus back here was a lot easier then at Trent Lock. We decided to wind and see if any boats looked as if they were ready for departure. As luck would have it one boater told us, after filling with water, he would be leaving. So we went back through Sawley Flood lock and out into the river to wind by the weir. The new propeller gave us the confidence not to be sucked towards the weir barrier and with tiller hard over she turned in one go like a dream. As we went through the flood lock again the chap waved to us to say he was ready for the off and with him on his way we sidled into his space. Result!! Ian then took the car and I had another go at fishing, the last chance until we leave for Pelsall in June. Using my own bread baked by my fair hand I actually caught a carp. The first one on the canal system. I am one very happy girl!

Had no scales to hand but estimate the weight to be between 3 and 4 lb

Oh my god!!!!!!!!  I was just finishing this post when we were hit big time and I mean hard! Drawers flew open and its a wonder my wall plates stayed attached to the wall. A Canaltime hirer trying to moor on the pontoons opposite got it totally wrong and instead of waiting for a member of the hire staff to help, tried to wind and to do it again. Somehow they misjudged the turn and with the power full on, smashed into the front starboard side of our boat. Then still on full power with them trying to get the boat away from our side, scraped their hull all along the length of our boat!  The hinged cupboard door holding the Freeview and DVD box flew open and one of the brackets bent . Goodness knows what they have done to the side of our boat and with us not long blacked adding insult to injury!! Ian is going to have strong words with the manager of the hire company with the possibility of putting in a claim if the hull damage is bad.

Tomorrow we will leave early as it's a good 8 hours from here. Weather forecast is not good, drizzle and high winds, but at least the temperatures seem reasonable