Uno scores: Martha 579, Debs 161, Lizzie 192, Dave 372

We have a winner …

Uno scores: Martha 489, Debs 161, Lizzie 82, Dave 78

Uno scores: Martha 489, Debs 161, Lizzie 82, Dave 78

Uno scores: Martha 489, Debs 113, Lizzie 31, Dave 78

Uno scores: Martha 440, Debs 113, Lizzie 31, Dave 0

Here we are in Newark, very scenic & on the down side of the lock ready to go through tomorrow. It’s massive, an order of magnitude bigger than anything we’ve tried before so a little intimidating. It’s manned though, so I’ll get to use the radio again. We’ve had a walk around & played a ball game whose rules changed every time Martha wasn’t winning, and we’re listening to a band playing in the restaurant over the canal.

They’re very bad.

Uno scores: Martha 390, Debs 113, Lizzie 31, Dave 78

I’m sitting on the bows waiting for the lock to change in my favour watching a condom float past. See title.

The end of day one, & we’ve holed up at Holme Pierrepont after a short day’s cruising with a view to going through the lock tomorrow & on to the river. We didn’t start out until about two this afternoon after taking forever to load the boat with all the necessary supplies. This seems to consist of about a month’s work of clothes which I ironed yesterday, Debs doesn’t seem to be able to cope with the concept of me spending a week with one pair of jeans & three T-shirts. All the cupboards are full, as is the fuel tank which took 135 litres costing £112.

I have to say that this is the first day’s cruising I haven’t enjoyed, primarily because of the two lots of people we went through the locks with. The first were just sniffy & unfriendly, the second were two guys who were - presumptious.

To be fair they waited for us to lock through with them but deliberately left only one gate open and then drew attention to it with Debs – ‘I assume that’s OK?’, as if we’d say ‘No, sorry, we’re so crap we need two gates’. As it happened it was OK, but they were somehow unfriendly.

Their boat was too clean, they were too well presented and their dog was too white.

‘Nuff said.

Uno scores: Martha 73, Debs 113, Lizzie 31, Dave 0

When we embarked upon the metaphorical voyage of buying a boat we lived in Lincoln. This meant visiting the cinema by Brayford Pool and eating the occasional meal in JayDee’s overlooking the canal which runs right through the city centre. We resolved then & there to bring the future boat to Lincoln, take it right through the middle of Brayford Pool and moor up in the centre across from JayDee’s. According to online canal journey planners it will take us about three days to get there & three days to return, and also involve a tidal stretch of the Trent. Everyone seems to think this is a big deal and there seem to be  lot of rules. Apparently we must have an anchor & navigation lights, a navigation chart from British Waterways and book passage through the lock to the tidal section at least 24 hours in advance. We are also warned to be prepared for a grilling from the lock keeper who will want to ensure that we’re properly prepared.

We plan to start this journey tomorrow. We’ve borrowed an anchor, already have the lights & will deal with the rest en route.

I can’t wait.

We’ve come away for the weekend but it’s far too wet to go anywhere & I can’t get a signal on the TV. We’re staying over hoping for better weather tomorrow.