So where was the update?

 A discovery was made yesterday. Our solar panel controller had given up the ghost. I ask you...why now when the sun was shinning and the engine could have stayed dormant. Instead it took 4 hours of wasting diesel to fully charge the battery, Ian began to suspect it hadn't been working for a while. Anyway a new controller has been ordered, it will go to our daughter's and she has offered to bring it to us wherever we may be moored. Don't you just love family?

Whiling away the time as one does, Ian set too on trying to repair the damage done to the handrail by my bridge encounter. Out came the sander, fertan (rust eater) and undercoat and several hours was spent not just on the damaged bits, but any rust spots found as well.  As for me...I had found a fishing game on the phone. That kept my interest all afternoon, better than watching Wimbledon anyway!

 

Nothing yesterday had been seen on CRT website about the reopening of Derwent Mouth Lock, Oh we kept checking every hour, but not a peep was mentioned. By 15.30 Ian decided to phone CRT and guess what, nothing was going to be done until Monday! Still running water down was mentioned and it would be monitored over the weekend, well today (Saturday) not hide nor hair was seen of a single CRT bod!. We know that because we donned our walking shoes and walked the mile or so along the river path to Shardlow.

 

Flood defence lock into Sawley

Long Horse Bridge crossing the River Derwent

 

Plenty of boats moored and waiting to go up, the same at the top waiting to come down. The lock had water in it, water was gushing from between the bottom gates and it was very evident that the top gates were equally bad. The lock would never hold any water, always dropping by several feet. There has to be a full stoppage and new gates installed if this problem is ever going to go away. 

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 What I and most of the boaters waiting to be let through the lock were quite upset about was why couldn't CRT have at least allowed some boats to be penned through. It beggars believe that so much water is being lost anyway, at least try and get rid of some of the backlog of boats waiting. A few now and then with a period of time for the water levels to recover would no doubt help with the situation. As it is, there are so many boats wanting to leave above and below lock, and all in a hurry to go,  I can see the levels being reduced to a trickle once again!

Above lock

 What we did notice was at the end of the river landing a space only slightly smaller than FS. Now a plan was formed. If we could get back to FS before another boat came along the river to claim it, we could at least be ready to go when the lock did open on Monday. So we high tailed it back as fast as we could. The sky looked very black in the distance, would we managed to stay dry. 

 

Dark Skies on the horizon

Well we did and just before we set off, Ian rushed our now full cassette to the facilities for emptying. I kept a lookout for moving boats, he returned, tiller went on, ropes untied and we pushed off just in time for the heavens to open! So I did get very wet after all, Ian did the gentlemanly thing, passed me my coat and then went back below in the dry!

So here we are at the end of the line. What will happen on Monday is a guessing game but one thing we do know. All the locks from here to Fradley will no doubt have queuing boats. Hey ho...such is life.

That space just long enough for FS

Not an easy exit from the boat. I think I may well be staying on board!