Shirley Drawbridge Wednesday 20 September 2017

Didn't sleep that well with the motorway noise, lets hope tonight is better. We have now done two days in a row without rain, I understand that will change tomorrow and the pressure is falling all the time.

This morning we were away just before 10 am. we thought we had given the hire boat a good lead. At kingswood Junction it was hard left through the link and then right up the North Stratford where we caught up with the hire boat we shared yesterday with. They pulled away at the second as we waited for a boat coming down. As we were working the bottom lock we had the company of a family of swans, after a few attempts, why they have so much trouble getting out of the water I don't know, they do it all the time, the parents left the 6 signets and walked up to the lock side to eat grass. The youngsters thought the easiest way to follow was up in the lock, we only just got the gate shut in time.

Here is a better view of the new housing beside the visitor moorings. Lets hope they all like boats and boaters.
The hire boat was waiting to enter lock 18, the other boat in front had taken some time to enter and leave the lock. There were a couple of CRT chaps there with some company reps sorting out new stone blocks to fit in the lock side. Nothing like ordering well ahead, the work is to be done in November and they are just talking about sourcing the stone blocks for the wall repair. This was the view looking up the Lapworth flight.
Again we lent our long through windlass to the ladies on the hire boat. They made as good a progress as possible in the traffic, 2 boats coming down didn't help who had problems passing the others in the short bendy pounds.

Once above lock 6 the locks are more spaced out and we did meet more boats. On arriving at the first lift bridge it was open and the crew of the Viking hire boat waited for us to come through, we carried on and returned the complement at the next lift bridge. We passed them again when they stopped at the pub for lunch. As the weather was still quite good we carried on to Shirley Drawbridge to moor for the night, rain is forecast for all day tomorrow but with no locks I can just get well togged up and stand on the back.
One thing I have noticed that week is that lots of bridges have an orange dot sprayed on them, why I have no idea.

Today's Journey 9 miles, 19 locks in 7 hours