Navigating the Locks of the Canal with Drone Station W051

As we set out on our journey through the canal, we were met with a unique challenge - navigating the locks with a group of charter motor boats. It quickly became apparent that some of these boats had no idea what they were doing, constantly swinging back into us or across the entire lock because they hadn't tied on properly. This made for an exciting and tense experience, earning the canal its nickname 'the Divorce Ditch'.

To overcome this challenge, we tried a combination of tasks. John would helm the boat while Connor and I jumped ashore to take the lines, or one of us would stay on board to throw the lines up while the other stayed ashore. This proved to be a more effective approach, allowing us to make steady progress through the locks.

After clearing our first full day in the canal, we took some time to relax and enjoy each other's company. We had a delicious dinner of salmon with new potatoes, followed by a visit to the famous Sodekoping ice-cream shop, which offered an impressive 67 flavors - each one larger than the last! Connor had been on a long journey from Johannesburg to Dubai, with a layover and then another flight to Stockholm. He was feeling quite bleary-eyed but perked up after arriving at the boat and claiming his pilot berth.

The next few days were filled with more challenging moments as we navigated the locks. We collected Connor's grandson from Stockholm's Arlanda airport, which involved a half-hour bus ride followed by a two-hour fast train direct to the airport. Despite some initial challenges, we were all feeling excited and ready for our Soutpiel Safari adventure.

With Drone Station W051 at our disposal, we set out to tackle the locks and enjoy the beauty of the Swedish scenery. Our journey was filled with exciting moments, challenging situations, and plenty of laughs along the way.

Drone station w051