It was only a gentle nudge...honest!

 September 11th

I think we made the wrong decision today, it had been discussed last night whether to stay at the park or leave for Alrewas, the weather forecast was for high winds and rain. But this morning with the sun shinning, no wind and not a sign of any rain, we left. We would rue that decision later in the day!

Tattenhall lock wasn't far, we crept past a few moored boats at the Park and noticed the towpath had been resurfaced with AASHTO-10 crushed stone. It's all very nice, although when newly laid, it sticks to the shoes and doggy paws when the path is wet. So we found out to our cost when Toffee came to visit earlier in the year and went racing through the boat, leaving footprints on the bedroom carpet and wooden floor! Anyway as I said it all looks very nice, is a far cry from muddy towpaths but to some unscrupulous cyclists with no regard for anyone but themselves, it becomes their own personal racetrack!

Offside vegetation becoming a problem.

Only a few boaters about today, never the wonder as it was freezing! I took a selfie of me all wrapped up, fleece, hat and gloves, you would never believe we were still in summer.

Cold but a lovely start to the day

We happened to catch up with a boat at Wychnor Lock. From this lock, we would join the River Trent for just over half a mile. The river advisory board was on yellow with 'Proceed with caution'. I deposited Ian before the landing to help get the boat through the lock. This boat was towing a tiny narrow boat butty, (shed size) with Crêpe Factory Afloat on the back (he was at the Inland Port Festival). A conversation followed up on the lock, where he mentioned to Ian there may be a hold up at Alrewas lock. He had arrived to see two lads on a cruiser trying to ascend without a windlass, all they had with them was a spanner! While I waited for the lock to be free, suddenly realised I was having trouble with FS. The wind had picked up, trying to take FS away from the side. I managed to get to the landing and was very relieved when Ian started dropping water out and could sidle up to the gates.

On the top gate lock beam was a warning to keep right at the main weir because of an underwater obstruction. Very noticeable was the increased flow of the river when I entered, it was running faster than normal. Reeds were beginning to make the channel narrower, difficult with on coming boats.

I had the helm and tried to keep right at the weir. A big problem was to arise, though, as the right-hand side had a build up of silt, and it was inevitable that I would find it! FS tilted, and the bow started to head toward the weir. My reaction was to go into reverse to get FS off that silt and bring the stern back into the main channel. Thankfully it worked and with a bit of power, got back on track.  At the lock, not only was that cruiser on the landing, facing the wrong way to boot, but so was the Crêpe boat, leaving nowhere for me to go. Exiting the lock was another boat, I was stuck in the middle with the wind trying to push me toward the bank. Then a freak storm hit, rain, hail and gusts even stronger than before. Fighting FS, I managed to miss that oncoming boat, but now I was heading straight for the cruiser. The lads on it were frantically trying to bang in pins, even though they did have a centre rope on a bollard. I prayed that the Crêpe boat would move off the landing, and to be fair they did try. The wind was so strong it kept them on the side as they moved forward and even using a pole really struggled.  By them moving up meant I could get onto the landing, but that cruiser made life very difficult. I barely touched the cruiser, but as I swung FS's stern toward the bank, our stern fender got hooked on the rubbing band on their stern and bent it back. The lads were too intent in getting inside out of the torrential rain, to bother by what was happening to their boat. I don't even know if they heard me apologise! 

That list was nothing to do with me!

Eventually the Crêpe boat entered the lock, but the angle of the small butty had more of a problem. Ian managed to push it to line up with the entrance, and in it went. 

By the time it was my turn, the wind had dropped slightly and Ian managed to pole me off the side. Ian had help at the lock side. Another boat had just arrived below and sent their crew up. 

In the middle of the storm, gosh did it rain!

 

 Luckily there was a mooring free just beyond the lock landing and never more grateful was I to get moored up. The only bit of us still dry was the top half, our kagouls protecting that part. We stripped off, dried ourselves, the kettle went on for a cup of soup to warm us up and decided then and there we would go no further today. This decision was wise as the storm was not finished with us yet. For the rest of the afternoon, we had a mix of sunshine, hail followed by torrential rain and high winds.