Tuesday 30th
May 2017
It was time to move along, we had spent 4 days here and got through a few
things that we had wanted to get done on the boat – the roof and other side had
been washed; Diane had polished that same side after it had been cleaned; the
ladder had finally been made – albeit a day after it could have been properly
tried out.
The itinerary now demanded that we get going, but it would not be very
far at all, and it was not such an early start for us – after 9 am in fact, but
it would only be a few miles that we would eventually travel before we were
moored up again.
Our next few days would be down in London
– Mitch and Sara were coming to the capital after attending a friend’s wedding
in France
and we had arranged to spend the time with them – it would be our only chance
to see them this year.
Originally we had wanted to catch up with them in Paris, but there
happens to be some sort of tennis tournament going on there, which helped to
make any sort of accommodation both short in supply and consequently high in
cost – not that anyone could ever describe London prices as anything but
disproportionately above the odds.
So we untied the ropes and pushed off from our temporary residence and
managed a half mile before pulling in for the services – 2 cassettes to empty –
10 minutes – and we were off again – 1 lock, 4 miles – and then a mooring, with
power. All previously booked and once we were settled in and able to enjoy a
bit of power we sort of just relaxed – for a boater this is the idea of luxury
– being on power and able to do some of the things that you do not normally get
to do, not that we would ever suggest that what we normally do is anything
other than great.
But here we were; Diane had her feet up, TV on, tennis being absorbed, I
was finishing off my work before a few days off – and the sun was shining
brightly.
The only strange thing that we had encountered today, was getting through
the one and only lock that we needed to complete.
Earlier as we were about to set off we were passed by a narrowboat in a
bit of a hurry – so much that he neglected to take any notice that we were
holding the mooring ropes in our hands – obviously we were intending to move –
he didn’t slow down, so he got no acknowledgement from me.
Anyway, as we approached the lock, which had been 4 miles from our
setting off point, here he was in the lock mouth, gates closed, and from our
point of view, the lock was still full – the water leaking from high on up was
a dead give away – to us, it was a foolish place to sit - these are huge locks
and therefore have to release a huge quantity of water.
 |
As we approached the lock, we could see the boat in the lock mouth and
assumed that maybe the lock was almost ready.
Note the river coming through on the right hand side |
 |
...but we could see the water coming out through the leaking gate that the
lock was far from empty - despite being asked to join him in the lock mouth,
we made our way to the bollards on the left |
He was beckoning for us to pull along side of him – no chance of that
happening – we moored up on the lock bollards and Diane went to find out what
was happening – we could not see any sign of the water about to be released;
there were CaRT people there.
As Diane got near to the lock, he suggested again that we join them in
the lock mouth, but she simply advise him that it was actually safer to be back
on the lock moorings where we were and we would wait for the lock gates to
open.
As it happened, there was a problem with one of the bottom paddles and
CaRT were on the job looking at that; as there were now two boats waiting to go
up, they would operate the lock for us and see what the process would reveal on
the other paddle mechanism.
Whilst we sat peacefully on a firmly moored boat on the moorings for the
lock, we watched with some amusement at the other boat, still in the lock
mouth, being buffeted quite a bit by the release of the lock water, through
just the one gate paddle (dread to think how “violent” the action might have
been with both paddles operating) – the skipper was having to use thrust and
reverse to keep the boat in position; we were still sitting undisturbed watching
it all.
 |
As the paddles were opened, he was fiddling around with
the forward and backward propulsion, and... |
 |
...at times struggling to keep it there - meanwhile we were
quite relaxed, being carefully tied up waiting for the
lock to be ready |
Ultimately the gates opened and they went into the lock on the left hand
side – settling for a middle section of the left hand side of the lock –
perhaps not quite enough room to allow us to effectively come in behind them –
certainly not to attach front and back lines to the sliders, so we opted for
the right hand side and did just that – Diane at the front attached her line, I
moved Ferndale back to a convenient slider for the back rope and acknowledged
to the lockie-on-duty that we were ready.
Our “friend” on the other boat thought that he would only attach a rear
line but to the lock ladder; the lady on the boat sat dutifully alongside him,
neither of them thinking that a front line might be wise. Diane did say to them
about a front line – there was a polite indication that they would stay with
just the one line.
The top gate paddles were opened and water started to fill the chamber –
slowly at first and then a bit more quickly – we held the ropes firmly but with
relative ease – the chap on the other boat needed to re-position his back rope on
higher rungs as the boat rose; re also needed to use the engine controls to
properly steady the boat against the turbulence of the water; his companion
still sitting on the rear deck – neither of them with the ability to think
about a front rope.
We looked at each other knowing what was about to happen to the other
boat and sure enough it did.
Slowly but surely, the bow edged its way out from the wall of the lock
and across to the other side – fortunately our position was far enough back
from theirs so as to avoid any impact of the their boat onto Ferndale.
Both people on the other boat looked straight ahead as if nothing had
happened; no eye contact; no suggestion of asking was there any contact or
damage to our boat; it was only when the lock was practically full and Diane
asked would they like a push off for their boat, that there was any response
with a “thanks, yes please”.
Foolish, foolish people; and when we read about people getting into
difficulty we often wonder how it could happen.
We wondered why the lockie didn’t advise them but afterwards we surmised
that the guy operating the lock was the technician to sort out the lock
mechanism; we perhaps should have more strongly suggested about the potential
problems, but having suggested what was better and practising what we were
saying, he might have got the hint – he was just an obstinate man who thought
he knew best – we would say just a foolish man who hopefully might contemplate
and quietly change his way for the next lock.
4 Miles, 1 Lock
YTD: 536 miles (863
km), 241 Locks, 15 Tunnels, 9 Lift Bridges, 19 Swing Bridges
Total: 5168 Miles (8317 km),
3392 Locks, 139 Tunnels, 75 Lift Bridges, 191 Swing Bridges
