I was happy enough to be driving when we reached the locks, assuming they were heavy going again, not that it let me entirely off the hook for closing gates. We met a couple coming the other way and was told that there was a volunteer at the last lock to help. Unfortunately next time I reached a lock and had to get off to close the paddle, I saw that my windlass was not there. I realised I must have left it at a previous lock gate in my hurry to jump back on the boat. I had to run back two locks where the woman who had told me about the volunteer was walking towards me swinging two windlasses. That was a relief, not lost or taken. She must have wondered what idiot leaves their windlas behind and said the belts were good. She wasn’t wearing one herself and I wasn’t sure the long handled one would hang well from it, but it is worth considering.