Day's Lock to Sandford Lock

Late yesterday arvo I saw a boat trying to get in to moor just ahead of us, but it was too shallow. On going out to see if I could help, I saw it was Ann and Keith on Oakfield - we hadn't met them, but I have read their blog from go to whoa; not in real time, mind you: I started reading it last year and caught up quickly.

They had another go at mooring behind us but also too shallow. I had offered for them to breast up with us - they had been on the move since 8am, so it had been a long day. Once moored alongside us we agreed that a drink on the meadow would be a good idea.

About the only thing we didn't discuss was toilets. They got mentioned (thank you, David) but not discussed.

Ann is opening the biscuits - M&S special cheesy ones, very yummy

They all laughed when I said I had a photo of Ann serving the two men ...

We did discuss the tying one on event we'd had at Cleeve Lock in the morning. They said that the same thing had happened to them that day too. I was delighted - not that they'd had it happen, mind you, but that more experienced boaters than us had made the same mistake. We didn't feel quite so stupid after that. Theirs was a bit more extreme than ours - Oakfield's list had cupboards opening and spilling some of their contents and they used to have three glass biscuit containers. What they now have is a very clean floor. Given the crashing and tinkling coming from inside, Keith was strengthened by adrenaline and was able to release the rope, unlike us wimps who had to empty the lock to get the bite to release.

We eventually all went in for our respective dinners at about 9.30pm - already past my bedtime but I cooked the toad in the hole, potatoes, peas and brown onion sauce all the same. And we followed it with a gu chocolate mousse. Yummy indeed. It is an extremely long time since I have eaten dinner after the sun has gone down, as a number of Waikanae friends can attest ...

The green things are tent boats or boat tents (a la Three Men in a Boat, I gather). The crew moved out the seats and slept in them and in small tents on shore (out of shot, sorry). They appeared to have set up the catering division in a bunker in that line of trees a few yards away.

This morning was an early start for us. On the way towards Abingdon, we encountered Sue and Vic on No Problem. A greeting as we passed each other. Maybe some chatting time next year ...

David steered us through this bridge today

He's very focused

I am on lookout duty

We took a break at Abingdon to have a cuppa with Ann and Keith who were escaping the heat of the day there.

Coming in to Abingdon

Houses on one side, meadows on the other.

The 5 day moorings in Abingdon. We are definitely coming back here next year to take advantage of the 5 days!!

We carried on, thinking we'd moor after we'd done a pumpout and got water above Abingdon Lock - ah no. No spaces for mooring between Abingdon and Sandford - well, lots of places if we could brave the shoulder high nettles. Not us I'm afraid.  It's a great way to make sure boaters stay away ...

So we are moored on the 24 hour moorings above Sandford Lock - free and very sunny. We did rescue a leather soccer ball from the river as it floated towards us, and hoped we'd be able to keep it. However the 7 year old whose birthday present it had been came over with his uncle to ask for it back. Dammit! I did show him how to use his birthday yo-yo (had to have a practice without him watching first ...) Soon after that, a plastic boat moored across the river came over to collect the ball again. So two opportunities for salvage rights were lost. We won't be so generous a third time ...

It's nearly 7pm and still extremely hot. No dinner tonight - who needs food in this heat?