So the general idea was to get to the moorings, leave the boat and return home overnight to collect the post. I left the overnight moorings at Sonning and proceeded the short distance to Sonning Lock. Having seen a Salters trip boat going downstream about 10 minutes previously, I had a reasonable idea that the gates would be open. They were. Straight in then, and tied up before going to the pedestal to close the gates. To my surprise, this lock has been converted to power operation and there is a nice neat stainless steel box on the top of the traditional green round topped control stand with a sexy blue light indicating power available. So I pressed "close gates" and blow me they did. Then "drop paddles" and likewise, only one paddle didn't go right down to the fullest extent. Therein was the problem. This seems to have caused the sophisticated algorithms programmed into the box to lock out, because no button anywhere caused anything to happen anymore. I couldn't raise the paddles again, open the gates, or work the top end. Manual operation was locked out also. To all intents and purposes I was trapped in the lock with worse case scenario of waiting for the lock-keeper to appear at 9.00 am. It was now 7:45 am. I was just about to call the emergency help number (which I knew would be a waste of time) when an Environment Agency Tug appeared at the top end, and all it needed was the lock over-ride key to get things moving again by working the paddles up and down a few times. What luck! After that, next stop TESCO. All the moorings were taken with overnighters and I only got ashore through the kindness of a liveaboard who invited me to breast up. Shopping done, on to Beale Park. Our mooring I found all too soon. That is to say it is on the southern fringes of the moorings. Handy for the station, and a bike ride from the festival. It is, moreover, partly in a reed bed and shallow. ARUN was already there, unattended, so I tied up in the direction I was supposed to and left the boat. Some considerable re-organisation is going to be needed when the rest of the crowd arrives methinks.
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