Who's got the list?

Well, at 3am it was us apparently, although I didn't notice till I got up to go for a pee at about 4.30.

David told me then that he'd tightened the ropes too much after the horse adventure, but at 6am I went out to loosen the back rope (in my nightie and jandals) and realised the water level was down substantially on last night and we were grounded. So it wasn't the ropes.

I suggested that David head down on the bike to the lock behind us to check if the paddles or gates were open. While he was finishing getting dressed, getting the bike out, sorting out the required equipment,  I went up to check that the paddles on the lock in front of us were all down. Yes they were.

So off David went on the bike, found that the top gates were both wide open and the leaky bottom gates were draining the pound and marooning us, not very high and not very dry. He sorted that by letting some water out of the lock: sometimes, as boaters will tell you, the gates open because they are lightly balanced and need a bit of water pressure in front of (or behind them) to stay closed.

Back he came, and then we got to work getting the boat off the bottom. Ropes undone, front pushed off and floating free but the back was stuck. We did a number of 'on the count of 3' David pushing and me leaning out on the offside. After 4 giant coordinated heaves, off we came. I was pleased as it was faster and less faff than letting water down from the lock.

As we rose up in Double Rail Lock (aka Horse Falls Lock), I looked across the paddock and there was the protagonist in yesterday's adventures happily munching away on grass with its mates - interestingly they were all quite a way from the lock.

'Our' horse is on the left

I think it was saying 'Be off with you, you interfering woman.' But I cannot see a band-aid on its leg, so clearly it's OK.

As we arrived at Kilby Bridge we tied up as the service point was occupied, but just as we were almost done the second boat pulled away, so we untied (I bravely left the chain behind in the armco) and scooted over to do a pumpout, empty the elsan, get rid of rubbish - no recycling bins, boo - and fill with water. I also took the opportunity to sluice off the roof. A cream roof takes more care than a black one, I note...

We are now moored up awaiting Mick and Julia. Julia phoned a couple of hours ago to let us know the boat was grounded - she was on the towpath, Mick was onboard and going nowhere. I called back a bit later and they were on the move and through Whetstone Lock, so we expect them to arrive in the not too distant future.

It's dinner on Waka Huia tonight. I have made meatballs in a mushroom and onion gravy, but I fear there's not enough, so it may have to be entree. I will check the freezer for more culinary delights to become a main dish.

Update: Mick and Julia arrived after a two hour delay being grounded between two locks further down the cut. By the time the CRT guys arrived to let water through, they were in Whetstone Lock and OK. Julia tells me that the horses were back over at the lock by the time they came through, so clearly they were not too psychologically scarred by the experience - unless of course, it's a case of when, as a horse, you fall off a lock, you get straight back on again ...