To Stewpon(e)y

Things went pretty much to plan today, with a relaxed start at half eight. I worked Sheila up Kinver Lock and we tied on the waterpoint. It's a very good pressure there so, although the tank had been pretty low, it was filled in good time and before we were ready to start the washing machine. This last load meant that Sheila has now caught up with the backlog from the horrible wet weather.

It's the downside of having the smaller, "studio" machine that it takes quite a time to process such a pile up, towels in this case. No matter, once the tank was filled, I walked on to Hyde Lock, one of the contenders for best placed lock in the system, especially on a fine spring day like today.

Once up, I got the machine started whilst Sheila navigated the pound to Stewponey. It's not the most difficult of them, fortunately, and by the time I'd got it all done, we weren't that far from the lock. CRT has trouble making up it's mind about the spelling – the sign by the lock says Stewpony whilst the sign for the visitor moorings uses the usual spelling, Stewponey.

The name comes from the Stewponey Inn that used to be just over the road junction. It's said to originate, as with so many odd pub names, with a returning soldier from the Peninsular War who had fought at Estepona. The pub has gone now, replaced by an apartment block. It's a shame, in its final incarnation, it was a classic 1930's road house.

We've tied slightly uncomfortably on rings that leave the lines rather square to the boat. The concrete edge both slopes into the water, necessitating the use of the tyre fenders, and makes it impossible to use a piling chain to form a spring. Passing boats are thus inclined to bump us about a bit, especially those who haven't had the memo about slowing down past moored boats.

There's been a fair amount of traffic, including several Starline boats who are clearly recommended to boat to here and wind in the junction, presumably for a four day break. Most unusual sight was two CRT guys towing a little dinghy a bit like a Sportyak loaded well above the gunwales with the parts for access staging. We helped them work it round the outside of Sanity Again and they disappeared off down the lock.

This afternoon, we took a walk round the junction and up the Stourton flight of four locks, the route we'll be using tomorrow. It all looks reasonably straightforward and we're looking forward to revisiting some water we've only done once before.