Last Day of our Summer Cruise 2013

Summer Cruise 2013 - Tues 2^nd July

Day 28: Down through Audlem, to our home berth at Overwater Marina

                 3.5 miles and 15 locks in 4 engine hours

The weather forecast said heavy rain later!

We enjoyed a leisurely morning and set off in again in a queue of boats.

The 15 locks down through Audlem are generally in good condition. One feature is the amount of excess water coming around the locks which maintains full lock pounds – a good thing, though means that when the lock paddles are opened, the water pours round!

True to prediction, the rain came and heavily!

We pulled over at lock 5 and let a shorter boat with 3 crew pass – they were pushing us at each lock.

At lock 6, the hire boat crew behind opened the lock paddles on a full pound which created a torrent of water over the bypass weir. This caught Chris (steering) by surprise as she manoeuvred to come into the lock and the boat got swept onto the weir – and was stuck!

I was not a happy Captain! Eventually we got pulled clear with help from the hire boat crew! The day was supposed to be an enjoyable end to our cruise! The heavy rain, getting stuck and feeling cross about that meant the opposite.

 

I steadily worked our boat down the locks and felt better for that and met the owners of a tug that also moors at Overwater. We arrived at the Marina and I did a perfect entrance onto the service dock for a pumpout.

Onto our mooring berth and we reversed in, again pretty well ! At least all finished well!