The grey skies are back, and it’s drizzling. Today was supposed to be a day of jobs . We couldn’t leave the marina until about 6 pm so ideal time to get all the laundry done which is building up! I hadn’t noticed the laundry room in the obvious place where the showers were, but I assumed it was just in a different block. First I stripped all the bedding and lugged my two bags up the pontoon. As there was someone coming out of the shower block who looked like a maintenance man, I asked the question. Only to be told that the laundry is in H block , but is closed for refurbishment 😳. How frustrating! I did go and check as it had “said” there was laundry facilities, but sadly it was true. So I lugged my bags back again and remade the bed. ☹️ I had one clean duvet cover and pillow cases, so not as bad as could have been! The showers were also a little disappointing. There was indeed ( as Tom Cunliffe says in the pilot) piped classical music in the cubicles. In fact I had my rather tepid shower to Nissan Dorma ! Couldn’t help thinking they may have got their priorities wrong! Maybe guide dogs rate that sort of thing ( see pics!) the weather gradually cheered up and eventually we got ready to go. We radioed to ask if we could lock out and permission was granted once the lights turned to green. Thankfully the queuing chaos of last evening has disappeared and we were the only boat in the lock. We are not particularly familiar with locks, coming from the west coast of Scotland. I hope I can be forgiven for not realising until the last moment that we were going down and therefore cleating off the stern rope, as I ran forward to do the bow; was a mistake. Fortunately I looked out and realised the difference in levels as the gates were closing and shouted to J to release the stern. Always so much to remember and to learn ! Out in the river, it was now beautiful evening and we meandered past all the lines of moored boats and eventually came to our chosen anchoring point. Very near a pole with a green hat on it. A lovely quiet and protected place. Just one other little yellow boat there. The green flat shore stretched beyond to a wooded area. It seemed the most safe and comforting anchorage we had been in for a while. We ate, drank and watched the sun go down.
What I learned today….. A good idea to check laundry facilities are present and working before wasting energy! Sue x
🤔 
Awaiting the lock out 
Our anchorage…. 
In Chichester channel… 
Angelique 