Lost: my favourite windlass

Not long after we set off this morning we passed nb Chuffed. Debby (I assume) popped out of the hatch to call out that she read this blog. Sorry I didn't stop - we were doing all the locks today with Blue Iris and I thought I'd better keep up ... what a rotten excuse!

Here is my hurried snap of Chuffed.

It was another beautifully sunny day. I cycled ahead to set locks; there was real warmth from the sun in the shelter of the trees.

We stopped at the Lidl moorings in Leamington Spa and did a big shop. It's very handy being able to wheel the trolley right to the boat, but we did wonder how many trolleys end up in the cut.

It was only as we approached Cape Bottom Lock that I realised that a favourite windlass was missing. I must have left it at the last lock, Radford Bottom. We ascended the two Cape locks and then I cycled back in the slim hope that I might be able to find my prized double eye iron windlass, with its handle polished smooth by countless paddle windings ...

I recalled that, as we were just about to leave the Lidl mooring, a boat was pulling in behind us. One of the crew was locking up a couple of bikes as I returned - no, she hadn't seen it.

I carried on and asked at another boat facing the right way. This time there was news of the windlass! A cyclist had asked them if they were the owners of a windlass he had just found. Of course they denied it, but now I had someone to look for. The information was that the cyclist may have been a boater himself, he was about my age and wore cycling shorts.

I carried on. I asked at another boat near Radford Bottom Lock - he didn't know about my windlass but suggested a boat with a cyclist I might try. He also asked if it was my only windlass, giving the impression that if I had said it was, he would have given me one of his. Top boater.

There was no-one in at the cyclist's boat. By this time I had cycled up past the lock in question, so I decided it was time to turn back. Here is the lock ...

... and this the balance beam I probably left it on.

I have plenty of other windlasses, but none quite so lovely. Apart from my single eye one, that is. But that's no good for Hatton, which we go up tomorrow.

Oh yes, Robert and Margaret from Blue Iris joined us for drinks this evening.