Gunthorpe has good pontoon moorings and is very popular due in part to the Unicorn Hotel nearby. We left at 7:00 as usual and had two locks to pass self worked. The boat was running well and we reached Newark by 10:30. The wind is still very strong and can make manoeuvring difficult at times like making last minute decisions to moor up and using reverse. We gave up on one chance partly also because of the concrete lip on the piling. Our gunwale is low and slips under the coping exposing the paintwork to scouring from the concrete. We have two very fat inflatable fenders for this but it takes time to get them out and deploy them. WE needed a pump out and were able to get this done efficiently at Kings Marina. It was easy getting on to the pontoon. The wind just blew us there. Getting off was a whole different ball game as turning space was limited because of the wind. We got a red light before the bridge at Newark Nether Lock, and again, mooring in the wind was a little tricky. The top of the wall is level with the roof and bollards are shielded by a crash barrier. After waiting a while with no response to a phone call, Pat went ahead and found the lock-keeper gardening. We were in company with another boat which was going on to Cromwell Lock. We have stopped at the overnight moorings below the lock right by the East Coast main railway line. It's actually a very well tended quiet mooring if you like trains.
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