Salters Lode Day 2 30 Oct 11

Yesterday evening we walked up to Weatherspoons to eat, on the way we discovered that the council has not only erected new CCTV masts but also new lighting. These look as if they are LEDs as they are a very bright white with very directional light, it’s just a pity they didn’t put one by the moorings to light the quay side.
This morning it was obvious that no one had told the duck that the clocks were going back last night and they were making their plans outside our boat at goodness knows what time this morning, it was not long after that that we heard a boat come chugging past, we didn’t feel it as we were on the bottom.

We dropped the ropes off at one minute to ten, one minute later there was a shout from the fisherman who was just off the end of the quay “TIME” and the fishing match started, if only had walked over and told me I would have set off ten minutes earlier and been out of their way. Having said that they were quite a cheerful bunch spread out from behind where we were moored and the town bridge. We met about three boats between March and Salters Lode which surprised us a bit. Once clear of March I rang Maureen at Marmont Priory lock to book our passage. It was quite breezy as we made our way through the wind farm and arrived at the lock to find it empty with the bottom gates ajar. I put Diana ashore so she could ring the bell to summons Maureen the lock keeper and then opened one of the bottom gates while we waited for her. The locks on this waterway are 12 foot wide, so we need both gates open to get in or out. It was quite a slow run from the lock to Salters Lode as its quite shallow and weedy, like last time, just as we crossed Mullcourt Aqueduct the back-pump started pumping water up from the Middle Level Main Drain to Well Creak, there must be a water level sensor there somewhere that we trigger.

We arrived at Salters Lode at 3 pm, there is already two narrow boats and a cruiser at the moorings. We tucked in behind the first narrow boat prior to the cruised, a chap on the narrow boat came and stuck his head out of his back hatch as we stopped, I though, are he is going to be friendly and come and offer to help us moor, but no, just a quick look before closing the hatch and doors to disappear back inside.

As we walked the dog we met another chap with two dogs and a stove shovel, most boaters with dogs use a stove shovel to clear up, but in this case it was not a boater but the lock keeper, we chatted for a bit before continuing with our walk down to opposite Denver Sluice.