Everything took just a bit longer than expected today, but we got there in the end. Setting off at half eight, Sheila steering and myself locking, we found Simon the lockkeeper just come on duty and were soon working down the Bratch. However, when Sanity Again was in the middle chamber, Simon asked me to wait before drawing the paddles to start the bottom chamber filling.
This was because there was a solitary tiny duckling swimming about in it and he wanted to rescue it before it got washed away. He went off to find a thing like a riddle for garden soil on a bit of a pole, with which he unsuccessfully chased the cheeping scrap of pin feathers up and down the lock. Finally, another boat arrived at the bottom and its single handed steerer managed to catch the little beast in his hand and take it off.
As I was waiting for the two chambers to equalise, he told me that a fishing match was just setting up down below. In fact this match extended most of the way to the Botterham staircase, right past Bumble Hole lock to which I walked. Sheila was able to maintain a steady pace for most of the time as they hadn't started fishing – we were just glad we hadn't left it any later to set off.
Botterham is a very straightforward two chamber staircase which nonetheless held us up for some time. This was because there were two boats to come up and the lockwheeler off the second of them was one of those tedious people (this is a euphemism) who, not really understanding what they are doing, nevertheless feel able to order everyone else around. The folk on the first boat, At Last, whom we've seen around once or twice before, were being driven crazy by him trying to draw paddles in the wrong order.
To work a staircase like this, you always have to start with the top chamber full and the lower one empty, so it makes no odds which way the boat comes through, up or down, but this guy couldn't see this and insisted his boat should go through before us "because it would be easier". In the end, I let him get on with it.
To quote Schiller: "Mit der Dummheit kämpfen die Götter selbst vergebens"*
Finally we were able to take our turn, by which time there were two other boats waiting at the bottom, the first of which was a Napton hireboat on its way back to Autherley for tomorrow morning, so under just a bit of time pressure. Nonetheless, its crew were models of considerate boaters. As so often, it's not the hirers who are the problem.
Sheila wanted to get some exercise, so I took over steering whilst she walked to Marsh, Swindon and Hinksford locks. Marsh and Swindon always seem a bit out of place on this canal, a little bit of urban waterway in the midst of the countryside, but they are very pleasant to work and we've had good meals at the Green Man just down the road.
It was now nearly half eleven and we were thinking of stopping, but one attempt at mooring only resulted in us getting well and truly stemmed up, so we decided to carry on to Greensforge anyway. There is just one length of visitor mooring above the lock, but it's for a banana shaped boat, so Sheila worked one more lock and we've tied on the useful but shady moorings below.
It's been a quiet afternoon, though the weather remains very cool for the time of year. We're down to our last couple of scuttles of coal and I may, for the first time ever, I think, have to buy coal in May.
Tomorrow, on to Kinver, ducks, anglers and strange boat crew permitting.
*"Against stupidity, the Gods themselves contend in vain." This sort of thing sounds so much better in German!
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