Gosh it’s light outside!

… outside the dry dock that is!

 5 past 8 this morning waiting for the dock to be filled so that we can move out

 There’s some space over the canal but we need to put the stern round to the right just where that boat is moored!

Here they come ...

 Opening the  sluice on the lock gate ...

… and the water pours in

 Removing the posts which slot into holders within the dock bed to enable the gates to be opened

 15 minutes past 8 and the dock is quickly filling over the plinths on which Still Rockin’ is sitting

Meanwhile the guys need to move the silt from behind this gate or it won’t open fully ...

 … and George is waiting for Still Rockin’ to float off the plinths … and there she goes, the rope has is now taut.

The reason the silt builds up is because whilst in the dock the water pump automatically pumps out the water/silt which leaks in from under the gates out through the pipe you can see by the men’s feet and so dumps the silt outside the gate. The problem could easily be solved by moving/extending the pipe to discharge round the corner into the main canal

 The water both inside and outside of the dock is now equal so hopefully the gate will open smoothly

Removing a long strip of polythene which had become trapped between the gates … wouldn’t want this wrapped around the prop as we exit!

Left-hand gate fully open

The gate sluice is closed and he pulls it open

Untying the rope which has held Still Rockin’ stable as she is refloated and will be used to guide the boat out of the dock, there’s another guy doing the same from the front

 … getting close to that boat as we cross the canal with the bow still in the dock mouth

 George fending-off the boat

 Brilliant! we’re out thanks to the efforts of the three members of staff who were guiding us around that 90 degree bend

Free at last … the bright sun hurt my eyes after being in the dark for 7 days! 

 Right outside the dock we meet another boat so bow hard over to the right.

 The moon is still in the sky

 45 minutes later we arrive at the only lock we’re doing today

 Availing ourselves of the services, there’s a boat coming up Cowley Lock so it’ll be ready for us as soon as we’ve finished

 We’ve pulled over to allow this boat through the bridge

… there are some very nice dutch barges down this stretch

Our usual mooring spots were all taken today so we moved on a little way and have moored opposite the services.

This will do us for a few days while we George washes off all the dust and grime from Still Rockin’ that blew about whilst in the dock after she’d been jet-washed.