Made it !

With thanks to the kind boater who had cycled down the flight to help a friend with his engine but as his friend was not there decided to take over my windlass from Lock 5 up to Lock 42 (where his boat was).  He made the journey easy with lots of chat and laughter.  As he had been drinking his tinnies (at 10am) I felt a bottle of wine would go down well and it did.

Never judge a book by it's cover.

Thanks Paul you are a star and a true gentleman.