Leaving Devizes and a tight squeeze

Both of us were awake and up quite early. There’s nothing unusual about Jan being up before 5am but for me to be up before 6am is almost unthinkable.  By 8am we were walking to Sainsbury’s for some essential supplies.  Then it was a walk into the town where Jan bought some fresh bread at the bakery……. But not before noticing some lardy cake in the front window. 

Lardy Cake isn’t something I am familiar with and judging by the way Jan has been eyeing it the situation probably wont change!  I opted for a doughnut and apple slice.

After everything was packed away in the pantry we slipped our mooring and moved forward to the services point where the rubbish was disposed of and the water tank topped up.  Devizes is an interesting town but it was time to go.

Neither of us had noticed the flower garden spelling the town name and the model narrowboat on our way into Devizes.  Jan managed to take a quick photo on the way out.

One final look back as we headed down the long cutting.

The weather forecast proved to be accurate with a final light drizzle until midday and then clearing to sunshine in the afternoon.  It actually got quite hot and the sunhats were taken from storage.  There wasn’t much of interest for much of the cruise.  The same old boats moored in the same old places.  This Tjalk seemed to be a long way from the salt water and we doubt the mast has been raised in years.

Midway through the cruise the reeds started to close in on either side and soon it became what looked like a one way system.  That’s when we caught up with a widebeam slowly (very slowly) making it’s was east.  Just as we were thinking “This can’t get much worse!” a boat appeared from the opposite direction (the first of four).

The widebeam eventually found a wider section and kindly allowed us to pass.  By 2pm we had reached Honey Street and to our surprise found two vacant 24 hour moorings outside the pub. A spur of the moment decision resulted in us mooring.  We’re not working to a critical timetable.

For dinner Jan cooked a type of tasty baked dish consisting of various grated vegetables, bacon and eggs.  Meanwhile I applied a second coat of varnish to the oak trim on the rear cockpit doors.