Oh to be free ... at last!

We have been moored here in Goring now for nine days, all but three of them on red boards (for which we paid the mooring fees) until the flow decreased some more ...

 Today (Saturday 26th) we finally untied the ropes at 9:55.

 George applied big revs in forward gear to the engine and the bow thruster button was actioned to turn us around and Still Rockin' was still going backwards with the flow ... broadside!

 Not touching the trees on the other side of the Thames ...

 we continue to wind with the bow thruster doing its job ...

 and we're round ... full steam ahead now but with a lot less revs!

 Sorry, a terrible picture, but this is Ann-Marie and Dave whose blog I read last night and hoped we might be able to wave to this morning as we knew they were on their way from the K&A today.

 Looking over the meadow as we approach Gatehampton Bridge we can see rowers and coming round the corner is another lot with a coach boat ...

 both safely past.

Apart from the coach and the two coxswains none of the rowers were wearing life jackets ... in the strong stream, wind and rain I thought that this was foolhardy to say the least.

 I think the rowing boats must belong to Goring Gap Boat Club with its new building shown above.

 Through the railway bridge

 Have I ever mentioned ...

 that I just love this reach? ...

 Even on a dull, drizzly autumn day!

 Canoeists sneaking round the corner.

 That's where we want to be.  

When we left Beale Park ten days ago when the river went onto red boards, we'd needed to think carefully about which order we would remove our mooring ropes and pins.  If we got it wrong we'd have problems ... big ones!  

We decided to put in an old mooring pin (no longer used because the ring had snapped off) at the bow and loosen the bow rope so that it could be looped over the old pin. George then removed the main pin and I held Still Rockin' as close to the bank as I could while George untied the stern rope and quickly removed that pin and came back on board.  So with the engine going full tilt I pulled in the bow rope leaving the pin in situ ... we wondered if it would still be there when we returned.

 Broadside once again as we winded to face back upstream I noticed that the pin was indeed still there and was retrieved and put back into store!

 This will do nicely for the weekend.

Autumn colour is more apparent now.