The Basingstoke Day 2

Five boats were lurking in the Brookwood Park area, and all 5 set off at about 8.45 headed for the 3 Brookwood Locks. Song & Dance and Rowan made it first, then Winter Lily followed by us with Dick & Brenda, Water Lily took the hit and went up on their own. After a bit of a wait it got to our turn, we set the lock and in we went and up we went, the bottom gates were a bit of a faff to get closed, but this was managed, then I noticed the pound above was about a foot down, here we go again I thought! But at least the weather was doing nice things.

The queue for lock 12:

 That's Phil & Carol on Winter Lily.

The 3 Brookwood locks turned out to be quite hard work, gates wouldn't quite shut, pounds were low because of this and there was a lot of debris, weed, bits of tree and such like that all needed to be fished out to aid progress, it was 11.00 when we got to the top of lock 14, and I must admit I was thinking if the Deepcut flight is anything like this I'm not sure I want to do them!!

So we cruise the mile from 14 to 15 and get face to face with the 14 Deepcut locks. What a contrast, all 14, with maybe the exception of lock 24 which has some dodgy paddle gear are in really good condition, maybe some of the best I've ever worked through.

Deepcut Locks:

 And to cap it all, the top 2 or 3 are in a really pretty setting, they could do with some moorings here. As we climb up the flight I reflect on the past months of looking at the flight from the train window on my way to or from work, or the numerous occasions that we've walked the flight, usually with many empty pounds when the flight was closed a few years back. The flight done, I'm feeling a bit knackered, I've not set foot on the boat for a while now, we cruise through the Deepcut cutting and onto Mytchett. We decide to call it a day at Mytchett Lake on the new moorings recently provided by the canal society, it's a really nice place to spend the night.

Tonights mooring:

 Dick arrives having dropped Brenda at Ash Vale station, we go over for drinks and chew the fat, then return for a chilli for dinner, I fall asleep watching an episode of 'House of Cards'

Today:        6 miles -   17 locks -      7 hours
So Far: 127.5 miles -   73 locks -    67 hours