It turned out to be a lovely day with full sunshine, a little chilly first thing but oven like in the boat by the afternoon. The first time I have opened the side hatch this trip. Also, by a dint of luck with locks made very good progress aided also by the current in the river. As I turned up to Culham Lock a narrowboat was just about to enter, so I joined and as this boat had crew they kindly allowed me to go first leaving the skipper to pick up his crew. At the second lock, the same. I left first, but as this boat, nb Pearl was faster by the time we reached Days Lock they were ahead. Days Lock had a lock keeper thus Pearl went ahead when the gates opened and I never saw her again once she had disappeared in the distance ahead. Benson Lock had a lock-keeper, so didn’t take long to wait which was useful to me to grab a biscuit and visit the loo. Cleeve Lock was self service but fast and Goring had a lock-keeper, so by 13:15 I was moored up. There was just once space long enough bounded by a dinghy with outboard and a ‘plastic’ mid-size cruiser. The skipper of the cruiser must have been doubtful of my skill in doing a ferry glide in the current to slide into the space because he upped stix and left suddenly. Later, towards the end of shift, the lock-keeer came up and said that there is a problem with Whitchurch Lock gates and there might be a hold up. I hope not because I have booked the marina, but I have some contingency reserve built in so hopefully it will get sorted in time.
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