Slip knots and Smirking

Time to leave.  I went the little way ahead to the lock to prepare it.  This one is always half full, no matter if anyone has five minutes ago gone up or down, its half full.  So paddles up and quickly it was full and I opened the gate…  

Our mooring at Wootton Rivers

David already untied the front but furious with back non slip special.

David was chatting to a blonde lady by the boat, he seemed agitated, then did that urgent come here quick signal, I always know that look even from 50 paces….  It was trouble alright!       I had tied the knot last time at the back end, he always does the knots here and I had done one of my non slip specials.  Hence come here quick and untie this bloody thing as I can’t.  Luckily the blonde lady was there really, as she saved a few expletives.  They wanted to join us in the lock. Just one lock to do today, Hurrah.

In side by side we were, their boat was much shorter, under 50ft I think, the walls of the lock were pretty, they had mini fountains spurting out of the brickwork in quite a few places, as the boats lowered the two innocent passengers got a right soaking from the water jets as they sat in the open cratch, I didn’t laugh a bit!!  Their captain reversed out of range….Well if I did smirk it served me right as our boat  “Got stuck” with the pointy end wedged behind the gate and his back button on the back cill, the shorter boat made a run for it soaking them all over again, then David had to scoot sideways over to their side to exit as that gate was already open.  All my windows were open on that side and some  water came in each one.  Not remotely funny,  well yes it was really and it all soon dried.

Unsuspecting guests in the cratch awaiting a soaking.

Helter skelter to get out of the way of the side jet.

             We travelled on miles and miles, actually 2.5 miles and landed at Pewsey Wharf.  A few spaces here before the wharf so we jumped on one.  Shallow so a bit of heaving here and there and not to bad a job but all along the moorings here the bank is eroding, in places large clumps had fallen away. This not helped by the necessary staking crews have to do.  

Bank erosion next to us but this wasn't nearly the worst along here.

What is going to happen here I ask myself?  In the short term nothing.  But with the lack of hard moorings all the way along  the K&A then there are places such as this in bad condition and little maintenance or none at all or at Wootton Rivers where the visitor moorings are just not long enough.  

We walked down to the what itself and not very impressive it was, an air of run downness (Is that a word?), oh yes nearly forgot to say, a boat parked on the water point, AGAIN. 

 Pewsey Wharf and boat on the water point, he was in the pub all afternoon.

A pub here with a Pay and Display car park which is curious, I think maybe BW sold off the building, an old warehouse and kept control of the car park.  Being a sunny bank holiday weekend it was lively, we strolled about and ended up walking back through a delightful piece of wooded land with Bluebells blooming,

We bypassed both pubs here and went back to our boat for an afternoon of self indulgence,  Sunday papers, champagne (To celebrate it being sunny), olives with feta cheese and to do my nails.  What in the world could be nicer?

Sunny afternoon resting after long days cruising.

First successful raising of washing line in two years, David very proud.

Our mooring at Pewsey, with sheets!!

Supper was rump steak, salad and sweet potato wedges with fruit salad.