Not the best start to our getaway

 We've gone, left Langley Mill at last, and when will we return? well that will be up to where we are at the start of winter and the stoppage list. For now though its all systems go and very excited to be leaving. 

So before we actually set off it was a trip to the doctors for Shingles jabs. We are of an age where these things matter or maybe the NHS want to get as many oldies vaccinated in case we get the chicken pox virus and spread it to all and sundry! Anyway took but 5 minutes of our time, told of sore arms which we would have the joy of having and warned that if we got a rash at the injection site to come straight back for swab taking and virus checks. Should we be worried? Nop, constitutions of Ox that's what we have! 

Leaving with us today was Carole and Michael Golds. 

Reversing out of the basin and past FS

Michael

Ian

A very sad day for them, they were leaving Langley Bridge for good. Back in 1973, when the Great Northern Basin had been completely restored, they were the first to sail into the basin on their then new boat Electra. After 50 years of travelling up and down the Erewash they decided that the locks were getting too difficult, they were no longer the agile spring chickens they once were. It was the right decision but wow, all the paid moorers at Langley will miss them very much.  This photo shows them waving farewell to Langley Bridge lock. 

Our exit of that lock was less than pleasing. All steerage was lost and forward movement non existent. The conclusion was weed around the prop.

So down the weed hatch went Ian and for the first time in 10 months. Sure enough the prop was clogged up with the stuff, no wonder we had those difficulties.

 We caught them up at Eastwood filling the lock. A boat had left the Mill in the wee hours of the morning so stood to reason we would have to turn around every lock. 

Have I mentioned some of the awful low bridges by the locks on the Erewash? Double locks all the way down to Trent Lock but on 4 of the locks along the route only one boat at a time can exit. It's all to do with the design of the arch. The highest point is on the towpath side and great care is needed as the boat is taken through. One has to duck to avoid hitting one's head and hope the boat doesn't make contact with the sides when doing it. We were at Stenson lock with one such bridge on the exit. Carole was on the towpath side so stood to reason she would go out first. Now it could have been the water movement from her prop but as I moved over to exit the lock, FS was pushed hard to the right. The inevitable happened. First the Buckby cans hit the bridge followed by an awful scrapping sound as the handrail made contact. It even pushed the top box hard to the left leaving it right on the edge! By now FS was wedged so all I could do was step along the gunnel and free the can from the bridge brickwork. Meantime Ian had rushed over to see if he could help, I threw him the centre rope and he managed to get me over to his side. The damage to the handrail was pretty bad, the Buckby cans came away better than I feared and the top box Ian managed to push back securely on the roof. My pride was hurt, I couldn't apologise enough but that wonderful man of mine shrugged it off and said "The handrails needed painting anyway". 

Bridge bits!

The rest of the journey was uneventful. It rained...lots and Ian got caught out walking between locks. No coat just a T shirt so he was more than a little damp when he came back on board! Oh, I did have an encounter with a tree! Well a huge trunk really bobbing about in the middle of the cut. Hit it square on and got pushed towards the offside. And no I didn't see it but I certainly did when I looked along FS's side! Into reverse to get rid of the thing and good job Electra was far enough behind so Carole could see and avoid that trunk too.

Arrived at Sandiacre by 3.15 pm. Moored near the lock and here we stay for a couple of days. A few jobs to do before we can really get underway.

A few more photos of the journey,

New lock gates at Gallows Inn

Plenty of veg growth

Sandiacre