A weird start to a damp day.

We were up and ready to leave by 8am, wanting to reach Hungerford and try to get a visitor mooring.

It was a strange start at the very first lock, we normally only open one gate and both go in and out through just the one, adjusting our position in the lock to let the other boat in or out, Karl couldn't get the gate fully open, so I nudged onto the bank on the offside and opened the other gate to save him walking around the lock, when descending in a lock as it reaches empty both boats move back slowly on their own to clear the bottom gates, I don't know why this happens but it does, it's obviously to do with water flow, however this time mine moved back and Karl's stayed put against the gate preventing opening it, investigation revealed one of his fenders had got caught in the fender size gap between the lock ladder and the brickwork, he cleared that, I then couldn't get the bottom gate to open fully and a quick attempt by Karl to leave proved the gap was too small so I had to open the other gate, it all worked out in the end but it was an odd and slightly annoying start.

It was wet and drizzly weather, so not many pictures, there wasn't much to see either, but here is a leaky lock, one of many.

And someone has done a paintjob on this lock name sign, I doubt it was Canal and river Trust!

Things went ok, damp enough to depress but not enough to give up, we met a few boats which helped and reaching Hungerford lock I found that Karl had gone in with another boat leaving me to deal with the lock alone after they had cleared it, never mind eh!

A bit of luck though as the visitor moorings were full, there was space on a towpath mooring which would have meant using pins, but a boat moved away from the ringed visitor moorings as Karl was moving towards the towpath and so he was able to take that space, When I had gone through the lock I moored alongside him and then the boat in front moved off so I moved into that space, all good in the end.

Totals today: 5 miles :10 locks : 2 swing bridges