River Thames:Penton Hook

On the face of it a short day expected today as we were ahead yesterday.    We set off to escape the offside of Baths Island only to find a low bridge ahead, listed as 3 metres and actually too low to take the mast and windcharger in it's normal resting position.   I could have changed all that by removing the mast and chimney and by reversing the windcharger, but couldn't be bothered.   Additionally, there was a notice on the bridge saying no motorised craft beyond this point.   So just reversed out back into the main stream.  Bowthrusters make this easy!    Romney lock (the big one) was open for us all ready, so no long wait for the fill, or cycling of paddles.   Even so emptying is so very slow after being used to just fully opening the paddles on a canal lock and dropping quickly.   Old Windsor Lock was different with the bottom gates open, so a long wait there.   Arriving at Bell Weir Lock workmen were found working on the gates, so there was a half hour delay.  We were joined in the lock by a cruiser from the Medway.  Pat wanted to visit Sainsbury at Staines, so rather than chance not finding a mooring there we dived into the park morring we had used before upstream of Holm Island.  The cruiser had the same idea.  There was space but it was shallow and we ended up a couple of feet off the bank.  The cruiser was able to get into deeper water.   It seems that there is a mass migration of motor cruisers planned this weekend to West India Dock and may have a bearing on our plans to leave Teddington on Saturday morning.  The cruiser we moored with is bound for Limehouse also, but leaving tomorrow on the 5:00am tide.   Shopping done we carried on to Penton Hook Lock and moored just upstream where there are some bollards and a WiFi from neighbouring houses.