Oh dear, seems I also had a brain failure moment. And here was I making fun of Ian yesterday, it was his turn to do the same to me today.
It all started after we left the moorings, stopping first at the facilities to water up. Then onwards to the top lock of the Hurleston flight. Plenty of water in the pounds today so didn't have any of the problems we had when we came up.
By the time I was at the second lock a C&RT guy, complete with clipboard, races past. Didn't see him again until I got into the last lock and there he was bending over the stop planks measuring the thickness. "That looks technical," says I. "Yes" he replied, "It's all to do with measuring the amount of movement in the lock walls and whether the planks will fit in the groove". Now, this bottom lock has a 'pinch point' where some of the brickwork has bulged stopping some boats (mainly historics) from cruising the Llangollen. To read about it click here He then went on to ask me a favour.. "I need to measure the stop plank grooves at the bottom of the lock to see if they are still the same size and wondered if I could do it from the back of your boat". Well, who am I to refuse such a nice person as him, especially as he did the lock for me. Ian was helping Margaret so by the time I had descended, he had opened the gates, climbed down the lock ladder onto the back deck and I took FS out stopping right by the grooves.
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| Ian setting the next lock for Margaret. |
He then proceeds to lay down and gets his tape measure out. "Could you hold the end against the groove? " says he. Gosh, how could I refuse that!!!! Anyway, it's at this time a boat appears from the junction. What must he have thought!!! A man lying prostrate at my feet! Anyway, measuring done I drop him on the landing and the boat waiting goes into the lock. Next thing I know the man with the clipboard is on the back of that boat. Turns out he should have measured the depth of water over the cill as well.
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| Hmmmm...nice bum! |
Now you may be wondering what this has to do with my senior moment. Well....Dennis had just descended and pulls out of the bttom lock just as yet another boat appears from the junction. Dennis tells me to set off first and what do I do??? Gets to the junction and turns right instead of left!!! Shouts from Ian, Margaret and Dennis "You're going the wrong way" Oh no...now I'm in a pickle. Dennis behind on Icing, the waiting boat to my left and somehow I have to reverse and swing the bow to face in the correct direction. Much eye-raising from the other boater and a grovelling apology from me for making them do a sudden manoeuvre to the far bank but I eventually get the bow facing in the right direction. Personally, I'm blaming that nice C&RT guy. There's this man lying at my feet getting me all hot and bothered and making me unable to think straight, no wonder I turned the wrong way!
From then on things got better. Thought it best that Ian does the turn into the Middlewich branch from Barbridge (He was threatening to tattoo L and R on my hands and I can't be doing with that). Apart from the first section of the branch with moored boats either side, most of the 10 miles to Middlewich was a joy to cruise, especially as at least three Kingfishers and one Jay was seen on the way. Had a few hold-ups at the locks so took a bit longer than anticipated to reach the moorings between bridge 28 and 29, roughly 4 hours. Met good friends of ours Jim and Annie for coffee. They have the historic boat Elizabeth a beautiful boat built in the 1936. So glad they are coming to our festival next May, Elizabeth is a boat to be admired.
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| Historic boat Elizabeth. |
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| Clearing the plant growth from the bridge. |
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