The Red Arrows and a Tough Lock.

Tuesday 11th September, 2012 in Newbury Again.
Awoke to a pretty morning, bright and breezy. There is definitely an autumnal chill in the air. M remarked that the photo taken early in the morning is very reminiscent of a Constable painting.

The "canal" is actually the River Kennet here, and it is a joy to see the clear water which moves quickly downstream, you can even see the bottom in places. The clear water was a great help to R, who removed a large amount of cloth of indeterminate origin, wound up with a load of fishing line, from MM's propellor.
Lizzie and Richard on "Dragonfly" set off for Aldermaston mid morning and we bade them a sad farewell. We've got to know them quite well and have grown to like them very much. Hopefully we may see them again later in the year as they are also heading up the Oxford canal via the Thames.

M left for Reigate on the train at mid-day and soon after, R started off for Newbury on MM as the Thatcham moorings are time limited.
As MM pulled away from the moorings, the Red Arrows flew over quite low in two "V" formations of five aircraft each, heading south west. A lovely sight!!
R is quite used to doing locks and bridges solo these days, it's not a problem if you do it slowly and take your time. However, at Bull's Bridge lock, the bottom gates leak so badly that even with both top paddles fully open, the lock never quite fills completely. Even that inch or two of difference in water levels means that it is virtually impossible to open the top gates against the water pressure with only one person. It took 15 or 20 minutes of struggling and straining (and the odd expletive) before the gates finally opened.
On arriving in Newbury centre, there was ample mooring space available but R needed to turn MM round to be ready to sail back to Thatcham tomorrow. The first attempt under the town centre bridge went sadly wrong as R mis-judged it and ended up with MM stuck across the canal with the bows jammed up against the guard rail of the small wier and the stern stuck in the shallows on the other side. R walked the length of the boat and pulled the bow free with the bow rope, allowing the stern to float free. The second time it worked perfectly and MM reversed into her mooring.
We get many compliments from passers-by admiring MM, but today we got an unusual one from a man walking along the towpath: "You must have worked really hard to have such a lovely boat!"
Arrived in Newbury just in time for a walk around the town and then the obligatory coffee and cake at the local Costa.
Today: 4 miles, 5 locks and 3.4 hours.
Trip: 267 miles, 278 locks and 226.2 hours (377.3 total).