A frustrating sort of day

It's been a funny old day, more frustrating than anything else. Frustrating because the offside vegetation was particularly bad by the water point at bridge 50 and with the good result from C&RT in yesterday's post, do we now have to send more pictures of this? The water point was in an awkward place by a bend anyway, and with those branches full of leaves, no way could we see if an oncoming boat was heading in our direction. And then, just beyond the water point, a bridge could be seen. Another possible collision hazard as looking back from the bridge the view would also have been obscured.

Looking back toward the water point

The view that greets you coming through the bridge.

 Frustrating as well because the only available mooring in Rugby was almost in the bridge 'ole. (We did manage to pull forward enough not to impede passage.) Knowing it was to be a quick shop, we risked stopping.

Rugby looking very full. Yes, boats could get past.

 Frustrating also because arriving at Hillmorton locks, we found a long line of boats way before where the lock was. In fact, even further than the water points and right back to the 14-day mooring.

Surely they were not all waiting for the lock? Unfortunately, yes they were! But why the hold-up? So I walked to the lock to find it manned by a volunteer Lockie. Only the left-hand lock was operational, the right having been chained. So I ask what the problem was with the lock. "Nothing," says he, "But the middle lock right-hand side balance beam has snapped". To stop congestion in the middle pound, it was decided to chain shut the first and last locks on the right-hand side, leaving only three singles on operation.

Two boats waiting on the right-hand mooring the rest on the left.

See that Rose boat second back. Well we, as well as those boats behind, were not happy when he moored up in the middle pound and why????? Find out later.

FS eleventh in the line

 Walking back to Ian to find him holding onto the rope with nowhere to tie up to and with 10 boats in front of us, out came the stool and passed him a sandwich and drink and there he sat for over 20 minutes!

 Nothing appeared to be moving until, finally, the chap from the boat in front walks up to see what was going on. Turns out it was boaters not helping at the lock, expecting the volunteer to do all the work. Once we could get to a ring for me to hold FS, Ian left me to it and helped the Lockie get those boats through quicker.

And then how frustrating was that to finally reach the bottom lock, ascend and find boats still waiting in the next pound.

And even more frustrating to find those waiting boats hadn't pulled forward, so I was stuck in the bridge 'ole with nowhere to go until Ian walked on and persuaded them to move up.

In the bridge hole waiting for Ian to get the boats to move.

 And then annoying as well as frustrating to find the Rose hire boat had decided to stop for lunch for a good 30 minutes and when they had finished, did no more than quickly untie as soon as the lock was nearly empty and push in front of the grey boat which would have been next in line! That in my book was just rude and ignorant. They should have gone to the back of the queue!!

 We, as well as those two boaters in front, were furious when that Rose boat jumped the queue! Ian was at that lock and those hirers were expecting him to do the lock for them. He told them in no uncertain terms to get off their arse  backside and do it themselves!

And the broken balance beam.

Top lock in sight, at last.

 So very glad to eventually make it out of the top lock. Took us 2 hours 30 minutes to do just the three locks! Heading past the moored, a familiar boat came into view. From the side hatch popped a head.  It was Lyndsay and Paul Nb Happy Daze who had travelled with us on the Rochdale canal back in August 2014. Lovely to see you again, guys.

 And the final frustration was how we could have been moored up all nice and cosy before the rain really started big time. By the time we reached bridge 79, and with Ian completely drenched for the second time in as many days, we said enough was enough!

And wildlife,