Devizes.

I set off at 10:15 for an assumed 1 hr run into Devizes in dull overcast weather, where is the sunshine?, my thought process being if I arrive by 11:15ish those moving on will have gone and those coming up the Caen Hill flight of locks won’t have arrived yet, so there should be spaces on the 72 hour moorings.

It was a straightforward no lock cruise passing first Devizes Marina Village with its wharf facilities.

 And ‘The Hourglass’ pub.

The water had what appeared to be algae covering most of it and was more or less completely across it after bridge 136 but it makes no difference to the cruising, it just looks odd, carpet-like.

Entering Devizes proper you are met with this quaint but slightly out of focus model of a narrow boat and log plaque with the date 1802 on it, I wondered how they made them out of focus, some new fangled technique no doubt J.

Looking ahead through bridge 140 I could see the visitor moorings and it looked busy, I began to think there might be a flaw in my earlier logic, and passing the winding hole I realised they were full and there was indeed a flaw, I had arrived 3 minutes too early, for stood on the back of a moored boat was a candidate for casting off, I asked if he was going and he confirmed he was so I hovered just past him and once he had left I reversed into the gap, lovely, 72 hr mooring and a chance to get a few chores done before moving on.

Current Mooring:

Total today: 3 miles

First on the agenda was a trip to the launderette, washing is not a problem as I have a machine, but drying in this weather is hopeless, so I asked Mr Google and walked the 7 minutes to get a load done, maybe another load tomorrow. 

On my return to the boat I saw that a brand new wide beam was about to be craned off its low-loader into the water at Devizes Wharf, almost opposite my mooring, so washing put away first and then I recorded the goings on.

Off the lorry and moving out.

Out further and starting to swing around to straighten up.

Almost there.

Commence lowering.

All going to plan.

Splashdown, well no splash to speak of, but you know what I mean!

I zoomed in for a pic of the figurehead thing, with the goggles on,
no doubt when the boat is named the reason for this will be obvious
some sort of Indian, it looked permanent.

It all went smoothly and no doubt the owners will be taking charge of it soon and I hope they keep all the shiny paint for at least a few days!

I then took a stroll around the town, it is a bit rambling and like most larger towns didn’t inspire me at all, but it seemed quite nice, a mandatory couple of pictures of the large church.

And one of the waterside buildings housing the Kennet and Avon museum, head quarters, gift shop and tea rooms.

And one of the moorings taken from bridge 140.