Tools of the trade.

Getting ready for another cruise on Solace.  we are away for a fortnight so blips will be irregular to non existent.  A bit of an emergency blip as busy for most of the day then visited Kanyl and forgot to take my camera.

The blip shows 3 things I consider essential for our trip.  The blue is a self inflating life-jacket.  Many years ago I fell in, converted the fall to a dive to avoid the propeller, realised i could stand up only to find Don with the boat out of gear and collapsed in laughter.   I didn't worry about things then, step from one lock gate to the other, its only just over a metre.  Then recently I looked down into a lock wearing walking boots, over trousers, anorak jumper etc and realised I was no longer able to swim with all that gear on (always assuming I hadn't broken something or hit my head).  The life-jacket seemed a sensible option.

The red item is my own design windlass (known by some as a lock key) this allows me to work the lock mechanism with ease no matter the distance between the gears and the balance beam.

Finally "the Charts" well actually a Nicholson's guide to the area we are visiting.  The page shows the Pontcysyllte aqueduct, where you are 120 feet in the air with a 3/4 inch cast iron edge between you and the drop.