Time to move on from Ilkston and get to the end of the Erewash.. there’s shops, post office and some good moorings there (hopefully)..
Now.. the day has been one of turmoil.. 4 times in 3 hours I have had to stop the boat and unfowl the propeller.. once mid stream, drifting as I had no thrust to move the boat with and just the bow thruster to avoid the wall.. Going to rename this stretch the Hotel California Canal I think!
We got through to Potters Lock and found a boat coming the other way.. with no one else but Julie Sharman – the COO of the CRT… out for a quick jolly on the Erewash as she has never done this stretch before. Good to see CRT senior management out on the waters they look after. Didn’t get chance for a chat, other than the usual pleasantries, as she was operating the paddles for the lock we were coming up in 😉
The gentleman escorting (as it was his boat, not her’s) grabbed one of those green bags that was drifting across the lock and asked If I would put it in the work boat moored above Barkers Lock – sure.. no problem.
Got to Barkers lock.. moved the boat over.. dropped the bag in the boat as asked.. and.. “Oi.. what are you doing.. go back and get that”.. Some woman catawalling out of an upper window of the house that the boat was moored to – “No.. I was asked to put it there..” “Bloody disgusting you are.. I’m reporting you..” “Whatever.. Bye!” ( is the short version )
I don’t know.. I just love being tarred by the bad deeds of others – because of course all boaters just crap in their own back yard don’t they.. The boat is my home.. and so are the canals.. why would I help to destroy them by just dumping rubbish anywhere I can..
All I can hope for is the gentleman who’s boat the COO was on – its his house.. as having a work boat moored against a private property is a strange thing.. so perhaps its his work boat.. Oh to be a fly on wall when he gets home and she tells him about the boater that apparently dumped rubbish in his work boat.. and he then says he asked him to put it there.. yea..
But anyway.. onward.. more locks.. and eventually though to Langley Mill
There is a LOT of boats here.. mainly because there is a boat maintenance base here.. and there 3 a breast across the basin.. but.. the 7 day mooring is free.. so that’ll do – even if its a bit short.. and were partly covering the turning circle..
( and the Buddha’s not gone.. just hiding.. as there are some seriously low bridges on this canal )
