Today a task of marathon proportions lay ahead for Andrew ‘Mos’ Morris, Bojangles and the OAR support crew; the notorious stretch of locks up Caen Hill. No fewer than 29 locks over 2 miles, rising a total of 237 ft.
Luckily, team OAR had a fantastic team of volunteers on hand from the Amber Foundation, who had perfected their drill through the locks over the last couple of days. It went a little something like this;
Amber crew Dom and Tyler run ahead to open up the next lock
OAR mother ship (a narrow boat more commonly known as foxtrot) enters lock
Mos punts Bojangles into lock and maneuvers alongside the mother ship
Mos jumps off Bo and onto the mother ship, tying her alongside (very hazardous in wet conditions)
Amber crew and Mos fend Bo off the side of the lock with oars/mop/variety of limbs
Amber crew Jo and Keely close lock gates behind Bo and the mother ship
Dom and Tyler fill the lock, easing Bojangles up to the next level before opening the gates
Mos punts Bo out onto the pond
Jo and Keely run ahead to open next Lock
REPEAT 29 TIMES…
Of course we all had a bit of fun along the way, and were invited to join a celebration of the amalgamation of the waterways half way up. Bouncy castle and all! Even when the heavens opened after lunch, the Amber crew worked on. By the time we were greeted by the Mayor of Devizes at the top of the hill, everyone was soaked to the skin, but still smiling! A massive thank you to our amazing team. Job well done.
Technical difficulties uploading photos but stay posted over the weekend or check us out othe twitter @oatlanticrow for regular updates!