Devizes

Today's Canal : Kennet and Avon

The statistics at the bottom of the blog tell most of today's story! We set off just after 9 to work up the one remaining lock before the main Rennie flight. It was a generally grey day, stronger wind than of late and for a while there was a little dampness in the air.

Although the official opening time is still 10 am we could see a CaRT person inspecting the locks and then one of the two boats waiting in the pound overnight said that the locks were now open.

Once the first two had cleared the bottom lock we reset it for ourselves. As we did so we could see another two boats arriving. Christine checked with them and one was not going any further today and the other was happy to share with us. 

They were a hire boat from Foxhangers and had no real experience. Fortunately we were able very quickly to show them the easiest way of moving from lock to the next (apart from rafting up) and all three steerers were pleased to have the opportunity to learn something new.

As we were coming up that lock, a Volunteer Lock Keeper came up to Mike and asked if we would wait for another boat that had just appeared below and share with them. Why? she was asked. How? she was asked - we already have two boats in the lock. Oh, I didn't look . . .

Over the next hour or so we counted at least five, possible six, volunteers walking down yet none offered help and we wondered quite where they had gone! Later, a couple more appeared and did open or shut a lock or paddle (and then disappeared). Of course, the lack of traffic (as a result of the closure at Wootton Rivers?) there really was not a lot for the volunteers to do and there is often a sizeable team here. About four or five boats each way.

Apart from passing the few down passage boats we progressed smoothly once we had coped with non-working paddles on two of the locks near the bottom of the flight.

At the top of the Rennie flight we  bade farewell to our lock sharers as we wanted to use the services (Devizes Wharf still seems out of action) However, two boats had taken up an extended stay on the pontoons so we moored on the towpath, almost the same spot as on the way down. We also decided not to attempt to return home until tomorrow.

0.8 Miles - 17 Locks