1st - 5th September. From Lough Key to Cootehall, Leitrim, and the Shannon Erne Waterway. Sailing on to Keshcarrigan, Kiltybardan and Haughton's Shore.

We spent a couple more days at Lough Key, enjoying the walking and the company there. When we set off on Monday the water of the lough looked very dark behind us.

However the sun came out on Oakport Lough, as we sailed on down the Boyle river, and gleamed on the surface of the lough.

We moored at Cootehall, and were treated to this sunset through the bridge.

"Life's a yawn!", says Shannon, as we rejoin her namesake, the Shannon river. The Iron Mountains can be seen in the background.

While Andy got some diesel at Leitrim, Shannon stalked a duck on the roof of The Puzzler. It is not really very worried at all.

 Moving on through the bridge for water, and some craic on Big Blue, we set off on the Shannon Erne waterway. A young helper controls the bows of The Puzzler.

Shannon came off at each lock to help. There is plenty of time to relax, below the control panel, while the lock is filling.

The weather has improved again, and is warm enough for shorts, here at Lisconor lock.

At Kilclare Middle Lock, the sudden waterfall over the top gates confirm that a boat is coming down the next lock.

Keshcarrigan seems a very lonely mooring, when you are the only boat on the jetty. Admittedly, there were three more boats here last night.

The village at Keshcarrigan nestles among the trees, beyond the long jetty.

There is work going on by the weir above lock 8. This is scheduled to go on for a month, but it is not clear what is being done.

Lock 8 is probably the deepest on the Shannon Erne Waterway.

Kiltybardan is a floating jetty, with no access to land. As we were mooring The Puzzler, Shannon found some fish scales which just asked for a dog to roll in them! Later on she discovered some fish bones, hidden down a crack in the jetty. Having been forbidden both of these treasures, Shannon was not impressed by the mooring. We like it here though!

As a protest, she decided to collapse across the barge pole, and go to sleep on the roof.

On leaving Kiltybardan Lough, Slieve Anierin can be seen again behind Andy.

Church Island is ahead of us on Garadice Lough. Shannon enjoys walking round the top of the roof,and is very surefooted. However, after leaving Haughton's Shore, she turned sharply to look at a horse on the bank, and fell in! Swimming at her full speed, she soon caught up with the boat, and was pulled back on board. She was a little shaken, but was back on the roof in no time.

Haughton's Shore is as peaceful as ever.

Walking along the shoreline back to Garadice Lough from the harbour, the distant woods and fields are a real Irish green.

Meanwhile, out on Garadice Lough, a cruiser approaches in the sunset.

19th - 22nd April. Plenty of water on the Shannon Erne Waterway.

As soon as we were through Corraquil Lock, on the Shannon Erne Waterway, the higher water levels became evident. There was quite a flow on the Woodford River, needing more power from the engine to make way against the stream.

There is a lovely way through the woods from Ballyconnell, and under the trees, at this time of year, is a carpet of celandine and wood anenomes.

Carrying on beyond Ballyconnell, the tree reflections remind me of pictures seen in an art gallery!

As we head towards Skelan lock, foam from the weir is swirling in front of The Puzzler.

Luckily lock 3 was ready for us, and it was possible to get off the boat, once inside the lock. The water level is so high that even the bollards on the jetty below the lock are under water. The jetty lies between the life belt and the wall. It could have been a paddle to the shore!

On the far side of Skelan lock, the natural mossy look has been left.

There is certainly plenty of water going over the weir, beyond the lock, to create the foam.

The sky over Ballymagauran Lough shows promise of good weather to come.

At Haughton's Shore we are floating high against the wall.

However, our favourite mooring on the far side, is completely under water.

At Ballinamore there is a mooring below the river bridge, off the main waterway. This is handy both for shopping, and for getting diesel from the local agricultural suppliers. We were out of luck this time though as their diesel tank was empty! We will be able to fill up at Leitrim though, at the west end of the Shannon Erne Waterway.

Shannon found this boat, which is more her size, near to Kilclare Upper Lock.

The byflow below lock 15 is just waiting to catch The Puzzler unawares!

What a wet dog! Shannon is learning the hard way that she needs to jump, not step, on to the boat. Luckily she had her lifejacket on when she fell in at Leitrim. Tigerdog would have laughed!

An hour later, after a good towelling and brushing, she is as good as new.

2nd - 7th September. Back down the Lough Allen Canal to Leitrim, then across the Shannon-Erne Waterway through Lough Garadice and on to Aghalane.

We had to wait quite a while at Drumleague Lock as the lockkeeper was busy at Drumshanbo lock. We were considering working the lock ourselves when he arrived, so asked if that would have been OK.            "Definitely not" was the reply! He might have been quite upset if we had already done so!

Hazard ahead! We were just deciding how fast to push this fishing boat out of our way, above Battlebridge lock, when it was pulled in to the side. There was to be duck racing here this afternoon, with the lock sluices being opened to create a flow on the canal. Plastic ducks, by the way!

We turned left to go through Leitrim, and on to the Shannon Erne Waterway. The byflow below the Tirmactiernan lock (lock 15) is always an attractive spot.

At Lisconor lock (lock 12), we caught up with two penichette hire boats which were sharing the lock. It was quite a tight fit for them.

Boat crews walk between locks 11, 10 and 9 as these three locks are close together. Once The Puzzler was safely coming up in lock 10, Sally walked on to lock 9, ready to empty it, as soon as the penichettes had gone, so that Andy did not have to wait when he got there. Andy was to open the top gates of lock 10, once the lock was full, and sail round the corner to lock 9. This stone boat is just below lock 9, and is an interesting sculpture. After preparing the lock, Sally looked at this boat for some time, before returning down the canal to see The Puzzler still in lock 10, with the gates open, but with no sign of anyone on board. Was this cause for concern?

However, as Sally approached the lock, Andy emerged from The Puzzler with two ladies. She was told that they had shown great interest and had been having a guided tour of the boat! As they too were going to Keshcarrigan, they sailed on with us, and were kind enough to bring us some fresh vegetables later on, which were much appreciated.

 It was nice to meet John and Bill again on Celtic Duke at Keshcarrigan. We last met them on Lough Ree, over a year ago.

The sky was different yet again today.

Castlefore lock, has no walkway over the top gates and this makes the lock look rather incomplete.This is the first of eight locks which take us down to Upper Lough Erne. For new viewers of our blog, the control panel in the foreground is the push button method of working the lock. No heavy paddles to wind here!

The Shannon Erne is a waterway with many different parts, narrowing in places through the trees.

Just round the next corner it opens out again into St. John’s Lough.

The reflections are excellent by bridge 18.

The Shannon Erne is certainly scenic, here above Ballyduff Lock.

Church Island looms ahead of us on Garadice Lough. We hope that the old mooring on the far side of the island is free.

We are in luck! This isolated island mooring is one of our favourites.

Next it is on to Haughton’s Shore, where we are having our new cratch cover fitted. These nomadic craftspeople are a real asset to Ireland. Their canine crew is waiting to board.

When we were here last autumn, this jetty below Skelan Lock was completely under water.

This herd of Friesian cattle must be expecting rain.

By bridge 26 a cat is watching the world pass by. This mooring is now in use again.

The bottom walkway at Corraquil lock makes a good picture frame!

Click on this photo to see the brilliant green on the trees in the distance. It is a shame that we have lost the sun on the jetty at Aghalane so early.