Jayne Issues an ASBO

Friday, 19th, August 2011.
Ravensmore, Bridge 11 to Grindley Brook Visitor Moorings.
9.25 Miles, 10 Locks, 3 Staircase Locks 3 Lift Bridges.

After a very peaceful night we set off at 9 o'clock and arrived at today's first lock, Baddiley No3 about 20 minutes later, after securing the boat we both walked up to the lock and found it almost full, before emptying it we had a good look for any boats coming the other way, we spotted one in the distance so levelled the water and opened the top gate. 
They came down in the lock and I took No Direction in as the bottom gates were now open, the crew from the downhill boat closed the bottom gates for us and Jayne opened the top paddles, as the lock was filling a lady person from the next downhill boat arrived, the next thing we see is a Glass Fibre cruiser heading towards the lock as fast it could, producing a bow wave like a cross channel ferry, I expected it to crash into the lock but at the last second it was slammed into reverse causing a loud roar as the outboard leg came out of the water, the steerer then jumped out threw a rope around a bollard and strode up to the lady person who turned out to be his wife, the language was terrible, really bad, from both of them, they were criticising the boat in front for leaving the gates open for us which they had then closed and wasted a lock full of water, they didn't speak to us, Jayne walked off towards the next lock and I pushed the top gate open with the boat and left them to their ranting.
But the performance wasn't finished yet, as I looked back the madmans wife was running (more waddling actually) along the towpath back towards the previous lock, it turned out that they were so angry that the bottom gates had been left open there windlass had been thrown down and forgotten, until of course they arrived at the next lock, Ho Ho.

So for this disgraceful behavior the crew of a Blue and White Glass Fibre Cruiser  Petronella, BW reg number 108581 Jayne has awarded a  Canal ASBO.

I have just checked the number on BW licencing site and it's not licenced, now there's a surprise.

OK, back to the rest of the day which was quite pleasant, Jayne caused a bit of a traffic jam at Wrenbury lift bridge which I think she enjoyed and I struggled getting the boat into the locks due to the fierce flow of water exiting the bypass weirs. The Canal is used to carry water from the river Dee at Llantysilio to Hurleston Reservoir so the Canal flows like a River.

We seemed to have timed our journey well as 95% of the boats today are heading in the opposite direction, mostly hire boats returning to Wrenbury and Nantwich, we even went up Grindley Brook Staircase locks with only a short delay.

Tonight we are on Visitor moorings above the locks, tomorrow we will get to Ellesmere where we can shop and visit the Post Office as Jayne has a package to post.

After mooring this afternoon I called British Waterways to book a Passage through Frankton locks for Sunday, the first 2 are staircase, operated by a lock keeper and only open between 12 noon and 2 o.clock.

Jayne's behind there somewhere lowering Wrenbury Church Lift Bridge, one of the Hydraulic ones.