A day on the boat, going threw the lock
Ahoy there mates!
A day on the boat
You wake up after a night of hopefully deep sleep cuz you are so tired from the day before. Get the coffee, make breakfast and figure out your day. Typically we travel 20 to 50 miles a day and sometimes more.
So Breakfast is done. And here starts our day. Make the bed and clean out the kitty box. Make sure EVERYTHING is secure and put away. Plot the course. Get the lines ready to push off, disconnect power and water. Engine room check. Head sets charged and on our heads.
Every time you leave the dock you are tying up all your lines, pulling in all your bumpers or you are re adjusting everything for the next time you need them.
Locks are coming up. Call the locks. Sometimes you wait sometimes you get right into the locks. This process is all the captain here. The captain has to get the boat into the lock with other boats. Get the boat close enough to the wall for me to catch the lines that are hanging or sometimes wrap ropes around cables that are suspended from the wall. Then as i hold the boat in place Lucky jumps out from driving the boat and has to grab the cable or lines on the back of the boat. We position bumpers, re adjust lines, fight with cables. Phew! thats done. Now in reverse with everything we did to get ready for lock….what we did we have to undo. That locks done. BUT, some days we go threw 2,4,6, 8 or more locks….Its tiring. Sometimes we are rafting to other boats in the lock. this is when you tie to a boat instead of the wall. Remember you are always surrounded by money (meaning boats) so there is always pressure not to crash>>>>>lol
Then on top of doing the locks you are traveling 20 to 50 miles a day. And dear god if a lock is broke or down for repair….then you sit and wait. You are at the mercy of the lock gods. So watching charts, scanning the water for boats, markers, and debris.
Okay now you need to find a place to stay. Hmmmmm… do we want to anchor, mooring, or dock? Anchoring is hard to explain….You are forced to just sit and relax. yes we clean the boat, cook etc. But you just are there floating…its amazing. Same with mooring but usually if you have a mooring you are close enough to use the dingy to get to a dock and go some place. Docking, well you have to call, get lines ready, bumpers, oh and the cat is on stand by of course. Again the captain gets the boat to the dock and i jump off. Bumpers down, tie the lines, engines off, connect the water and power, find the marina people. Cook dinner and clean up. Plot our next day, finally go to bed.
BUT, if you get to your dock early….well you have to go out and see whatever you went there to see. Scooter to wherever or uber. You do a ton of walking EVERYWHERE. Or if you are at a marina with a whole bunch of other loopers, well now of course they are going to get together to tell stories, swap recipes, just plan relax.
Mavis goes for a walk and then, Finally we go to bed. To start this all over again.
It is so worth every moment. I cant believe that i am seeing so much. Learning every day. History is everywhere along the waterway. And the people that we have met are awesome!
Shannon- aka Chicklette
