Angle Corner Rural Mooring to Ashline Mooring
Not being able to go through Stanground Lock today we had a choice, to stay put on the rural mooring (24hr mooring) or move on and be that bit closer to Stanground for Saturday morning. We chose the latter to cut down on the cruise to get us there for 10am.
We un-flung our ropes off the big posts, crossed over Angle Corner, no other boats in view, then I headed back to work below whilst Mick pushed against quite a flow towards Whittlesey.
A temporary method of holding the mesh in place meant I could have the side hatch open today, Tilly wasn’t too bothered as she was busy having her morning nap, dreaming of Mrs Tilly stamped moorings in the middle of nowhere with no woofers and an abundance of friends.
After an hour of work I came back up top ready for Ashline lock. Up ahead we could see the flow coming round the bywash, would this pin us to the lock landing?
At the lock a chap had just arrived and was walking over to the weir with a handle, presumably to adjust how much water was coming through. The lock was full, so required plenty of turns to the slackers for it to slowly empty. Chatting to the chap he said that the Middle Level had been struggling for water for much of the summer, so they were glad of any water they could get, and blimey it was thundering round the lock. Just to raise the lower level by an inch would take time as the drains stretch off in many directions for miles.
With Oleanna in the lock Mick passed a rope up to hold her to the side. I started to wind the slackers up. Round and round the windlass/key went. 78 times and 60 times. The force of the water coming into the lock nothing like that going round the bywash. It took forever to fill, almost time to have a morning nap ourselves! Good job we’d roped up to stop her from being bashed about all over the place!
We pulled in behind NB Nina on the moorings. Gave Tilly six hours, knowing that she was unlikely to make the most of her time, due to the number of woofers and the lack of friendly cover.
Back at work I concentrated on a few versions of my troublesome scene. By the end of the day I had three versions, here’s hoping Abi takes to one of them, I know which one I prefer.
Mick sat out at one of the picnic benches and had a go at mending the water pump that he’d removed yesterday. He thinks it’s sorted again, we’ll see!
Around 7pm a boat pulled up heading towards Stanground. With no space left on the mooring we offered for them to breast up to us, which they accepted. They are booked for 10:15am at the lock, so both boats will be up and off early.
1 lock, 2.67 miles, 1 straight on, 1 fast flow, 1 pump mended for the third time, 1 unimpressed cat, 1 very VERY slow filling lock, 1 woofer neighbour, 3 versions of Petiti, 1 designer with her fingers crossed.
Left hand one for me! But we only had a choice of Two 😉
I didn’t bother posting the third one as it was pants!