Foxhangers

Today's Canal : Kennet and Avon

There was rain overnight which still persisted a bit whilst we got up. However, it soon cleared although the sunshine was largely absent. early afternoon we did have a short, but sharp, shower as suggested by the forecasters. The temperature was still fairly high (but not as hot as yesterday) so we dried out very speedily.

Our locking companions moved forward to the lock landing around 9.30, just to claim our prime slot should a queue build up (it did not) and we slipped into the space they vacated.

Last night we had a message from Andrew to say he would join us in time for the 10 o'clock opening and the other boater's friend also had arrived. This meant that we had a fair sized team and that Christine could be allowed on the bank leaving Mike to steer!

The locks came off ten minutes early and we were away! Light conditions were poor and the sun in the wrong direction so we have few photos - in any case all of  the locks are pretty much identical! You have seen one, you have seen them all!

Pretty much the only variation is when there is an adjacent road bridge which replaces the wooden footbridge.

One of the short pounds had a splendid patch of lilies in full bloom.

After a few locks our companion boat suggested we rafted up again although about six boats set off from the bottom opening time - this meant that we had to exit separately from the locks, most of them seemed to have particular views on how passing should be accomplished and since they were evidently convinced we just let them do their thing and worked around them! After that we tied the boats together.

There was a large team of volunteers on today but they rarely pitched in to help. Some tried to help by relaying passing schemes from the up-boats but it seems likely that some messages arrived in a different form from when they were dispatched.

Overall, we made excellent and smooth progress emerging from the bottom of the Sixteen just 7 minutes over two hours after we started. Time then for a coffee break.

We continued in like vein through the next seven locks down to Foxhangers although they are a little more spaced out than the Sixteen. Some of the lower pounds are also quite wide - although we would not want to test out whether there is any depth away from the main channel!

As we emerged from the final lock (where a small fleet of hire boats was preparing to be sent off) we were pleased, it a little astonished, to find the 2 day visitor  mooring entirely empty. Actually it real only has room for one boat or two short ones. Our lock companions have a date in Seend this evening so we waved farewell to them (amongst the best lock sharing we have experienced) whilst we paused for what initially was a lunch stop. Our`trio data will show that it morphed fairly easily into an overnight stop as well - a later quick look around the corner revealed little alternative room nearby.

1.6 Miles - 23 Locks