Portland Basin Marina - Marple Flight

We had a fab evening at the Basin.  We were recognised by one of the residents there.  He had seen us a few weeks before.   He had been taking a walk up the Marple Flight while we were on our way down it and remembered Yogi was wearing his Bowler hat at the time.
We chatted next to his boat about music, boats and goldfish bowl syndrome before nipping back home for some pre-made Aldi lasagne that I had grabbed to make an easy dinner for that night.  Very nice it was too!!


We joined up again later to put the world to rights and swap stories whilst having a tinnie or two.  The night went far too quickly and it was 2am before we knew it!!  Was a brilliant night though.  I have discovered that I rather like Carlsberg Export and lime.  In addition to that I can manage to drink a couple of them and not have a hangover the next day.  Unlike poor Yogi, who was woken up, with a banger of a headache at 8.30am by the Diesel man and had to stagger around fuzzy headed and hungover without any tea consumption to sort out the gas and diesel.  I however felt fine and was most sympathetic towards Yog as you can well imagine. :0)


We had a nice long stretch before us of lock free cruising and most appreciated and well timed it was too.  We had a couple of short tunnels and a lift bridge and that was it.  I have spent most of the last few weeks trudging along the towpath and to actually be on the boat was a novel change for me!  The bridges are interesting along this stretch all stone, made from all shapes and sizes each individual one different from the next but still managing to make a perfect semi-circle as if they were made to be that way.  Aged from the weather and proudly wearing the marks from years of horses ropes.  The tunnels were lovely and short with wonderful high ceilings and with the headlight off so dark that you knew your eyes were open but could only see pitch black.  I understand how my mum felt now.  



We didn't know if we would be able to do the 16 lock flight as well today, it would depend on the time and how we were feeling when we got to the bottom of it.  We arrived at the bottom of the flight at about 1.30pm and had some lunch and liquid to try and rehydrate Yog.  As we ate our lunch it started to rain.  Shortly after, another boat arrived in front of us and by this time it was teaming down. We felt a bit sorry for the kids in their canoes paddling about in the terrible weather.  They seemed happy enough though shouting and laughing at each other whilst getting soaked from every direction.  Don't think we'll be going much further today.