What a day!!!

Today has been a very long day, not without incident and some measure of frustration.

We intended to start early this morning but our cooling system had different ideas. Ray checked the filter  and cleaned it and we were on our way. In less than an hour the temperature was climbing so we pulled over and Ray had the delight of clearing the weed filter and the inlet pipe, we then had to
wait for the engine to cool before setting off again.

As we prepared to leave the boater moored behind us was also readying his boat so we told him to go first as we are slower that average because of towing Merlin. We soon realised we had met the alter ego of the Chaos Fairy (see 10th April). Let me introduce the Calamity Elf. Firstly one of his cats decided the bank was better than the boat, pause to catch the cat, then he tried to pull away without untying his rear rope, whilst untying it his dog decided to try and join him and fell in. Pause to retrieve dog!  By this time his boat was diagonally across the canal with the prow nearly touching the far bank. In the course of some hasty manoeuvres he contrived to nearly hit Morgana and run aground on the near side. Ray went to help him away from the bank. By this time I was wishing we had gone first.

We followed him to Wheaton Aston Lock, watching his progress from side to side of the canal, every time he turned his head to look at anything he turned the tiller also. We were far enough behind that we didn't see the full manoeuvre of his arrival at the lock but when we arrived the prow of his boat was virtually touching the lock gate, a little awkward as there was a boat in the lock wanting to exit it! A quick reverse run him aground on the far bank. His dog was running loose on the nearside bank. I decided that the most useful thing I could do was the make sure the dog didn't end up in the canal for a second time by trying to get back to his boat. 

The boater called to the boat exiting the lock to ask if he would try and pull him off the bank. The usual way of doing this is to throw a rope to the other boat and then tow the stuck boat off. for some bizarre reason he decide to try and jump from his boat across to the other boat. He ended up in the canal! The other boater had to cut his engine to make sure he caught neither the submerged boater or the rope with his prop. A very wet boater clambered out of the canal, threw the rope and his boat was freed from the bank. 

Ray and I assisted him down the lock before descending ourselves and passing him whilst he filled his water tank. We fuelled up at Turners and cruised for the rest of the day without incident, mooring at Shebdon aqueduct for the night.


Today's journey 19 miles, 1 lock and 1 tunnel

This year we have travelled  212.8 miles, 201 locks, 3 swing bridges and 8 tunnels

In 2014 we travelled 425 miles, 334 locks, 2 swing bridges,17 lift bridges and 23 tunnels

In 2013 we travelled 459.1 miles, 434 locks, 7 swing bridges, 15 lift bridges and 31 tunnels

In 2012 we travelled 876.9 miles, 675 locks,  55 swing bridges, 22 lift bridges and 31 tunnels

In 2011 we travelled 461.4 miles, 444 locks, 3 swing bridges, 34 lift bridges and 15 tunnels

During 2010 we travelled 740.3 miles, 642 locks, 53 swing bridges, 4 lift bridges and 25 tunnels

Since Ray retired we have travelled 3164.9 miles, 2730 locks, 121 swing bridges, 92 lift bridges and 133 tunnels