Whilst the Aylesbury Arm has been closed during the current water shortage we have been protected in our winter mooring at the basin because the River Thame joins the canal at lock 15. This is a short-lived partnership as excess water leaves the canal through a sluice in the basin.
Yesterday two men spent the day 'working' on the sluice. I have no idea what they hoped to accomplish: what they did manage to do was to lose the sluice key and then the gearbox. When they knocked off at 5.15pm the water level in the basin started to fall. a couple of hours later a new team of workmen (with life jackets) arrived to solve the problem.
At 2am I woke to find we had developed a list to starboard. A quick investigation established that we were now sitting on the bottom of the canal. When I eventually rose for the day the water level was about a foot below the sluice top and it was raining.
Around lunchtime we became a boat again but by suppertime we had resumed the attitude of a crooked house.
The excess water should flow over the sluice in order to maintain the level of the canal.
It is still flowing through the sluice gate which does not auger well for our intended passage up the arm to Marsworth planned for Friday.
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