13thMay

VOYAGER 2001
Thursday 17th May - Day 7

Who said the Red Arrows were only in the sky?
Synchronized swimming has got nothing on the Voyager 2001 crew...

The day started from the top of the Neptune staircase heading for Inverness.
The canal led up to the first of the lochs, Lock Lochie.

The thing that caught the team out was the severe drop in temperature
and we were grateful to meet up with the land crew and a welcomed cup of tea.

	The whole team enjoyed a bit of fun and banter and John had his first wash this week and the first decent kip on a real water bed since we started with the worst snorer holding the bike.
Graham the Paramedic sets out to give Rod hypothermia by putting him in the wrong drink. A new pair of shoes courtesy of one of grahams spare bags. Many thanks to two nice ladies in the Glen Service Station, Fort Augustus who gave Rod a discount on a new pair. Mind you he's finding it difficult driving the vehicles in high heels !

After defrosting John leads the way into the murky
Scottish weather and on to the next set of locks.

Demolition Dave successfully managed to navigate his way through several bridges today without taking any chunks with him, thanks to his competent crew, sledgehammer Steve who spends most of his time repairing various essential pieces of equipment such as trailers with the said tapping implement!!!

	Pictured in Fort Augustus staircase locks outside The Neuk internet cafe (!) after a quick refuelling of coffee where we managed to thaw out and prepare for Loch Ness.
With thanks to the lock keepers Tony and Donny at the Fort Augustus locks we made good progress tethered to the 'Spirit of Ness' and our many thanks to Robin Black the captain. Big thanks also to Joan And Robin Corbett for their kind donation. Note Loch Ness in the distance.
	The picturesque ruins of Urquhart Castle on the shores of Loch Ness, where the feeling of additional company prompted us to make haste. The chorus from the shore "look behind you !" but of course in true pantomime tradition, we knew there was nothing there. Then onwards towards Inverness.
Unfortunately on reaching Loch Dochgarroch, we were horrified to find our way ahead blocked due to the lock gate damage. But thanks to SDC Divers, Tom, Dick and Peter from British Waterways and the M + E Team who together dragged the Jet ski up the embankment and deposited it on the other side of the broken lock gate in order for us to resume our journey. Many thanks to Donald John the lock keeper at Dochgarroch who without his liaison and co-ordination the final five locks would have been closed. Again thanks to the British Waterways personnel who stayed behind to see us through those last five locks.