Easter 2015 Cruise - Day 8

With only a short run to do today we were in no hurry to leave. A leisurely breakfast and cuppa was had before we eventually got under way at 9:30am

Approaching New Marton Locks

All boat crews worked the locks quickly so only a short wait

At New Martin Locks boats were coming upstream and we joined a two boat queue so we had them in our favour when it was our turn. I let Chris drive AmyJo and I worked the locks for her as they are quite placid emptying and filling. Using radios as she entered the second lock Chris called “How do I look” meaning was she lined up to the lock entrance. Now I could not let that go and replied calmly “You look as fantastic as ever my dear and AmyJo is lined up perfectly too”. A lady helping me lock wheel smiled and said “Mr. Smoothy!” wrly.

Mr Smoothy - not

Once clear of the locks we took a slow steady pace along St Martins Moor with only one boat ahead of us. We passed the closed Jack Mytton pub and a lady biker in the grounds informed us it was reopening in 3 or 4 days time. Turned out she was a member of staff there.

The last section of today’s cruise came into view.   Hatton locks are just through the bridge ‘ole on the right in the photo below.  We stopped just before the bridge for a reccy. We we’re booked to go down the flight tomorrow so were early. Talking to the lock keeper we were told to moor at the first mooring available after the turn and he would summon us up to the lock landing for the night when he finished.

The Frankton Flight are just through the bridge 'ole to the right

Just after we moved and moored up a boat came up the flight and stopped on the lock landing. He announced he was making a brew for the lock keeper and stayed a good hour. This was not a problem as no boats were on the move until much later. It did not go down well when a boater turned up to go down the flight. Poor Chris was convinced we should not have moored where we did but it was clear the boater’s anger was not directed at us but the tea making boater on the lock landing.

Eventually Mr T offered to move but the grumpy boater was having none of it telling him to stay put now as “I can’t be doing with it”. As he passed us both and entered the lock his incessant ranting did not cease. He could be heard moaning all the way down the flight bending the poor lock keeper’s ear on the way. I could see his point to be fair but as Mr T had offered to move and as told don’t bother I could not see what grumpy continued to moan about.

At 2pm the lock keeper informed us he was finished and we should move up onto the lock landing which we duly obliged. The rest of the afternoon was beginning to cloud up a bit so we took the opportunity to polish AmyJo’s Port side and stern. Whilst doing so this crowd of canoeists stopped for lunch and then dragged their canoes down past the locks.

As evening drew in we sat in the cratch with a drink being serenaded by this fellow. The sun came out and life could not be better.