Monday 16th April
It has been quite a good day weatherwise, mostly sunny with lighter winds than yesterday. We have travelled 5.5 miles and 10 locks from Great Seabrook, over the Tring Summit to Cowroast and after several aborted attempts to moor up are moored below Cowroast Lock.
We didn’t experience any real problems with the water levels, although they are well down and there are beaches along the bank sides in places, until we got almost to Cowroast and started trying to moor up, then the trouble started. It was ok while we stayed in the middle of the canal but getting to the side to moor was a bit of a nightmare.
We both had 3 attempts each at getting in to the bank. Barry’s first attempt resulted in him getting well and truly grounded and with us towing him off! With each attempt we were getting nearer and nearer to Cowroast Lock. We didn’t know if it would be any better if we went down the lock, or if there was anywhere to moor down there anyway. We were fearing the worst about having to go on and on and on to find somewhere when a chap who was watching us trying to moor up told us there was quite a long pound between locks 46 and 47 and we would be able to get in there.
We decided to go down lock 46 and Barbara went off with a pole to check the depth. As luck would have it 2 boats moored there were about to leave so they came out and we went in, sorted! That was a relief.
This afternoon and evening the boys have been fishing and both have had their maggots nicked by birds. Barry’s were pinched by a robin when he left them unattended while chatting to Ken and Ken’s got intercepted in mid cast and taken off the hook by a kingfisher!
Not sure what we are doing tomorrow, it depends largely on the weather.
