I was all set for a morning's hard work helping "Hampshire Rose" down the Caen Hill flight of 29 locks in Devizes. I had a good breakfast, wore my sensible shoes and set off at 09.45 to meet Gerald and Anne at "Town Lock," to help them on their way to Bath. When I arrived at the Wharf, they were still moored up at the water point, so I went on board and drank a cuppa, while we all waited for the water tank to fill. When filled, A and I picked up a windlass each, (these operate the locks,) and we set off to walk to the first lock. We didn't get very far because, as we looked over the canal bridge at the boat below, G could not start the engine! We looked at each other in disbelief and walked back to the boat. G lifted the engine hatch and tinkered with the pipes and tried the engine again, which sprang to life for a couple of seconds and then fizzled out. Friends came over to help and offer possible solutions, "What about the fuel pump, the injection pump, the pipe clips, a worn hose, have you got diesel in the tank?" The problem remained unsolved! 
The boat had to leave the water point to allow other boaters to use, so we poled her back over to the towpath moorings (behind the two blue boats to the right in the picture above,) where G rang "River and Canal Rescue," for a marine engineer to come out and repair the problem. "Holly" the Jack Russell, watched the proceedings in warm sunshine from her comfy bed on the stern hatch cover.
"Hampshie Rose" puts on water at the Wharf water point. Holly followed me and my camera to the front of the boat, curious little creature that she is.
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