Yesterday’s aborted trip to the water point left us moored up at a new spot on the canal.  When the morning downpour had finished, I ventured out in search of bread for lunch.  It was less than a mile to a food shop we hadn’t used before (other food shops are available).  After lunch my sister phoned for a chat which was a pleasant bonus.

Clare continues to improve her boat handling skills.  Last time we did the reverse turn on to the water point I leapt off the front to stop the concrete bank scraping paint off.  This time, forewarned about the trap, she arrived more slowly and turned more sharply.  She executed the manoeuvre perfectly with both ends of the boat arriving at the jetty simultaneously.

Once we’d filled we drove back towards Dallow Lock for the umpteenth time.  I hopped off on approach and emptied it ready.  On our exit from this lock yesterday we were dragging a tent or something similar behind us.  When we stopped the propellor it drifted away from us and sank.  Clare was going very cautiously in case she found it again.  This allowed me to do a trick I don’t remember managing before.  I opened one gate to the lock, and then as Bartimaeus entered the long jaws I was able to use the roof as a shortcut to cross and open the other.

As we were driving out I spotted a heron lurking in the place where Clare had seen swans last time.  As soon as I got too near it flew off.

It’s hardly any distance to our favoured mooring spot.  Clare again managed a text book arrival at the bank and we moored up.  We are expecting strong winds from storms Dudley and Eunice (other named storms will be available) in the next few days, so we may well stay just where we are.

I decided that I would get out the cratch cover again.  This has been stowed since I took it down in July.  I have plans to do some noisy and dusty woodwork in our stationary days, so a covered work area might be handy.

I was relieved to find that fitting it was straightforward.  I couldn’t remember what I did when I took it down, but that is probably because it was so simple.  The hardest part was getting one of the poles out of the bow locker.  It is only just short enough to fit through the opening, and will only do so if the lower end can rest on the bottom of the locker. I had to move a few things, but since I was getting the cover out anyway that wasn’t too difficult.