Rain. It was expected. So now is the little puddle that appears below the bathroom mushroom vent, handily positioned so that you stand in it as you walk through the bathroom! Thankfully it does this to remind you every time it rains that when it’s dry you really should take time to have a good look outside. It will be the vent that I noted had rust around it. Must make time to sort it!
Recurring puddle!
Well it was a good job we’d had the offer of Jane’s help at the locks yesterday as the original plan had been for today. This would have made for either a very wet day or a delayed start. Instead we took shelter from the showers inside.
Mick had a phone appointment with his doctor. Then whilst moving money around I managed to alert my banks fraud department and I got locked out of my online banking. This took quite a while to get sorted and convince the chap at the other end of the phone that my building society uses Barclays Bank for deposits. I’m glad that their system worked, it means our funds should be safe. However listening to the current scams he listed I was very worried for the human race. One scam now is that you are supposedly contacted by your bank because a data breach has occurred and your money needs to be moved to safety. You are then asked to withdraw your money in cash from your compromised account and requested to leave it in an envelope on your front door step, where someone will collect it and take it elsewhere to be deposited in a more secure account. Like their OWN!!!
Anyhow things were sorted in the end and I wasn’t being scammed in the process.
Gradually the rain eased, what to do? How far should we go today? A day ahead of ourselves. But Mick would need to pick up a prescription in Leamington Spa. Would the prescription be fulfilled today or would there be a longer wait for it?
Goodbye Cape
We decided to drop down the two Cape Locks and head into Leamington Spa, top up with water, then he’d see if his new pills were ready. If not we’d loiter close by.
Blimey the lock gates were heavy today, especially the bottom gate of the second lock. That took some shifting, maybe I’d not eaten enough for lunch!
Building building
On both sides of the canal where Kate Boats hire base used to be building works are on going. New homes everywhere.
More Brink graffiti art
Round the bend under the bridge we spied a space on the moorings by Tescos, we pulled in and did a top up shop to last us for the next week. The fridge is now even more rammed full than it was a few days ago.
How can you not love this painting
Next stop was for water by the student flats, maybe we’d stay here for the night. I had a little walk to check on the cat by Muck Rock, still there looking fine as ever. Little tell tail sign that some numpty has at some point had a go at improving it! Thankfully their poor attempt is only just visible on the mouse.
Too fat!
The other thing to note on these moorings is the very wide wide beam. This boat has been stuck here for months, not sure which blogger was the first to note it’s position. For some reason people don’t realise that the Grand Union along this stretch wasn’t built for broad beam boats, it was built for narrowboats. The broad locks helped move narrowboats quicker along the navigation, but the bridge holes may look wide but are not wide enough for wide boats. This wide beam must have been craned into the canal somewhere, then it got stuck in a bridge hole. The offside grab rail has a big dint in it and scrapes which are now rusting away. Infront of them are more curved bridges which they won’t fit through. So they are stuck. I wonder how long for?
Once we’d got bored of topping up with water, Mick cycled into town to see if his prescription would be ready. Thankfully it was, the system had worked very efficiently today. Now what? Should we stay or carry on a little while? Students were returning from a days learning and even though it doesn’t look like their windows open there was a very interesting conversation echoing out from a kitchen. If everyone got chatting like this it would make for a very noisy evening. We moved on.
Drawings
There was space on the armco below Radford Smelly so we pulled in just as the cricket was getting very interesting. Tilly was given half an hour and I got on with updating working drawings for panto whilst Australia gradually whittled away the runs.
Ooooo!
2 locks, 4.5 miles, 1 very wet morning, 1 puddle, 1 lake of a towpath, 0.75 hours to unblock my account, 5mg not 10, 1 full water tank, 1 cat, 1 stupid wide beam, 0.5 hours shore leave, 1 tense match, 3 sheets of drawings complete.
Rowington Embankment to Cape of Good Hope Visitor Moorings
Shrewley Tunnel
Up early again! Breakfasted and on our way just gone 7:30, we had about an hours cruise before we’d reach the top of the Hatton flight. Shrewley Tunnel was really quite wet, Mick had remembered his waterproof, I’d forgotten and got quite damp and chilly. Yesterdays rain had helped reduce the temperature so I soon popped on a fleece, knowing full well it wouldn’t stay on long.
Heading to the top lock
Two people climbed off a hire boat at the end of the moorings above the flight. Were they just going to have a look at what lay ahead or were they about to set off? Would they have already picked up a boat to partner with? When they reached the lock they started to fill it, no sign of their boat following them, maybe they were just generous souls!
We checked to see if they were willing to share the flight with us, they were, but not sure when their boat would be arriving, the men were being tardy at pushing off, we could go ahead if we wanted to. Many hands make light work of the Hatton flight so waiting a few minutes would save many more minutes further on.
Starting the flight
Philippa, Helen, Keith and Steve (?) were experienced hirers, out for two weeks. They’d already done the Avon Ring so had decided to use up their remaining days by descending Hatton, winding and returning tomorrow. The hire company had said that Birmingham was a bit grotty, so not to bother!
Is that a C&RT volunteer?
With three of us on the lock side I walked ahead to open up the next lock which was already full. I was also keeping an eye out for volunteers and a stranger. A volunteer was spied watching us from the bridge down the flight, then the blue and red vanished, maybe we looked as though we’d got everything sorted, we would do soon.
There was someone walking up the flight with purpose, could this be someone heading for a bacon butty at the cafe or might it just be the stranger I was looking for? She looked across at the boats in the lock, Oleanna tucked behind the ABC hire boat. We’d been a little bit early for our rendez vous and had jumped at the chance to share the flight. I called across, ‘Hello are you Jane?’ ‘Yes’, came the reply, ‘You must be Pip!’.
Coming down
Jane is a colleague of my old college friend Emma who lives in Warwick. I’d messaged ahead a few days ago with the hope that we’d be able to meet up. Plans were put together and could they bring along their friend Jane who is wanting to buy a boat to live on. This then morphed into us having an extra pair of hands for the flight if we could do it on Monday morning. Never turn down the offer for assistance when faced with 21 broad locks!
Us ladies soon split up into two teams that would leapfrog each other down the flight. Philippa and Helen walked on down to the next lock to set it whilst Jane and I got chatting. I knew next to nothing about Jane other than she was keen to help today. She’d been on several holidays and earlier this year she’d done a helmsman course in Braunston where she learnt the normal things along with single handing and how to break ice! Therefore I didn’t have a novice on my hands.
Waiting for an uphill boat
On our way down we met two boats coming up, one with a couple of boys in blue assisting them, another had been helped up the first three but they were now on their own.
Philippa and Helen waiting to open the lock
Thankfully the sky was a touch cloudy, not too much to give concern, but enough to help keep the temperature down. Jane and I had a good old chat about all things boat, crafts, etc as we walked between locks and as we waited for Mick and Keith to bring the boats into our lock. We didn’t get chance to chat to Philippa or Helen as we were leapfrogging each other.
Just about halfway down
Mick checked to see if we required refreshments at the halfway point, but we were fine. Working every other lock with someone to chat away to makes for a less gruelling trip down the flight, certainly far far better than it just being the two of us, which we have done before.
Halfway!
Jane and I got to work the last lock of the flight, we maybe should have waited a touch longer before winding up our paddles so that Philippa and Helen could climb back on board with ease, instead they had to climb down a ladder, maybe they didn’t know about the steps down below the lock which would have been far easier.
There had been conversations at the helm of the hire boat that maybe Keith should swap with one of the ladies. This was turned down. The ladies were working the locks today, he and Steve were going to do them tomorrow, that’s if Steve has finished reading his book at the dinette by then.
We pulled over onto some armco and popped the kettle on. Some choc chip cookies had been freshly baked this morning, time for a well earned sit down for all of us.
Thank you Jane
Thank you so much Jane for joining us today, your enthusiasm for boats and the canals shone out, it was a pleasure having you as crew. I hope your house sale speeds up and then you can start in earnest to look for your boat and home. I hope our paths cross again soon.
The flight had taken us 2hours 22 minutes. Time to look back on previous passages. Back in 2013 (our first descent) we’d teamed up with another hire boat with six crew, today we’d beaten the 2 hours 30 minutes, in fact today was the fastest we’ve descended the flight. May 2016 was 3 hours 15 mins and February 2017 Mick managed the flight in 46 hours 34 mins due to my broken ankle and a storm holding us up for a day.
Hatton Bottom Lock
Todays time however didn’t beat our record which was when we teamed up with Nb Cygnet and had my brother and nephew as extra crew, when we managed to head up the locks in 2 hours 15 minutes. Maybe today if we’d not had to wait for the two up hill boats we’d have just beaten it.
We poolted on to around the corner almost opposite The Cape of Good Hope to moor for the day. Only one other boat when we arrived, but by the end of the day the moorings had filled up, including our locking partners from today, now ready to face the flight again tomorrow.
A jot of work this afternoon saw me go back through all the scenes of Panto, a few more notes taken and some of them worked through before it was time to freshen up and head to the pub.
Emma and her husband David had just arrived. It’s a couple of years since we last saw Emma and longer since we met David. Lots to catch up on and a lot of cat talk, they currently have seven in their house!
Burger burger burger
Normally I have a Kiwi Burger with a gluten free bun, but today I decided to try their gluten free option of fish and chips. Mick went to order our food, only to be told that the gluten free batter was made with beer. This isn’t that unusual as it’s normally made with gluten free beer, but today it sounded as if the gluten free batter would be made with normal beer, hence making it NOT gluten free! Maybe something was lost in translation, but it really didn’t make sense and as some of the first things I gave up because they weren’t agreeing with me were beer and fish and chips I really didn’t want to risk it. So instead I had one of their lovely burgers. At least I knew what I’d be getting.
A lovely evening with friends to end a good day at the locks.
21 locks, 6 miles, 1 hire boat with 4 crew, 1 inside, 1 valiant volunteer Jane, 0 volunteers to assist us, 1 super speedy descent, 3 cookies, 1 left, 4 hours shore leave, 1 model just about complete, 3 burgers, 1 fish fillet, 4 rustic chips, 7 beers, 2 glasses wine, 1 very lovely evening.
Last week Mick got a call from Sean at SPL Covers saying he’d finished repairing Oleanna’s pram and cratch cover, he’d returned to the marina and popped them back on. The only thing was that when the main part of the pram hood was taken away Mick had popped the sides inside Oleanna for safe keeping. With snow and possible high winds forecast we wanted to get the sides back on as soon as possible to keep the weather off.
Mick considered heading to Goole the same day, but he’d only get about 50 minutes before he’d need to be on a train heading back to Scarborough. Taking the bike would make this more possible, but should a ship be entering or leaving the docks at the wrong moment, he’d end up missing the train and have to spend the night on Oleanna. So instead he headed to Goole the following morning, a light dusting of snow having appeared overnight. We hoped that the Wolds wouldn’t get a major dumping so that the route would stay open. Thankfully the east coast only got sleet.
Cratch cover back on
Photos were the last thing on Mick’s mind as he put the sides back on the pram hood, it was far too cold! I’ll just have to wait to see the new window first hand. He was back safe and warming up in the house mid afternoon and Oleanna was now snow and wind proof once again.
A while ago I answered an online survey to do with C&RT. I can’t quite remember what it was about, but did remember ticking a box to say I’d be willing to take part in more market research. This led to a phone call inviting me to take part in a zoom focus group this evening. I had to answer some questions prior to the meeting all to do with my relationship to the waterways and how I felt about Canal and River Trust. Some of my answers were short, others far longer, especially the one about the Trust’s strengths and weaknesses.
The focus group this evening was made up of five liveaboard boaters. I was the only one sat in a house! We introduced ourselves, two boats were on the Grand Union, one on the Mon and Brec, the other I can’t remember where they said they were. Ages ranged from twenties to sixty five.
We were asked about many things to do with the waterways, what they meant to us, wellbeing, nature, the environment, history and our thoughts on C&RT. Tag lines were discussed. The drop in funding and reduction of maintenance. The big thing that came across from all was C&RT communication skills and at times how bad they are. Yes there were the comments regarding maintenance and facilities, but there was also very much a feeling of let us boaters help, involve the boating community, encourage us to respect what we have and to help keep it in good order. Looking after the waterways will then bring nature, wellbeing along with it.
Sunday walk at the seaside
The lady conducting the focus group said that there were other people being brought together from different user groups, presumably different types of boaters, paddleboarders, fishers, swimmers. All being asked to comment on the same tag lines. It would be interesting to hear how the different groups commented.
We then had a rushed evening meal before settling down infront of the laptop again. This time we were joining Kate Saffin for a talk about the Boaters Strike in 1923. On 13th August 1923 the canal in Braunston made the national headlines. The traffic on the canal was brought to a halt after Fellows Morton and Clayton had announced that the boaters were to have a pay cut of 6.5%.
Boats blocked the arm, an attempt to remove tons of tea and sugar cargo from the boats by FMC was thwarted on the first attempt. Police were drafted in for a second attempt, which was very noisy but three boats were finally unloaded.
Striking boaters
The strike continued for 14 weeks. Children got to attend the village school (now the village hall), the longest they’d ever be in class. Socialising was possible with friends and family they’d only normally get to see passing on the cut.
Fifty to Sixty boats blocked all routes into Braunston. The population of the village swelled from just over 1000 to 1300, putting great pressure on the local facilities. Back then the boaters didn’t use elsans or pumpouts, they normally emptied their potties behind their boats as they set off, the prop churning it into the water. With no boats moving for weeks, it must have been horrendous.
Alarum Productions have been awarded funding from the Arts Council to produce a ‘full-on’ community project in Braunston to mark the 100th anniversary of the strike. Braunston 1920s : 2020s. Telling stories from the 1920’s which has a lot of parallels with the 2020’s. Writing and drama workshops, local history research will all come together in June to produce promenade performances around the village, telling stories where they happened coinciding with Braunston Historic Narrowboat Rally.
Decorating and other jobs continue in the house. I’ll be glad when I don’t have to climb up and down a ladder to sand, paint or paper. Next it’ll be curtains.
Time for the annual round, a long post so sit back, put your feet up and enjoy.
The New Year kicked off with winter maintenance in the house. Having two hallways proved time consuming refreshing the woodwork and patching up the worst of the wallpaper. But this was broken up with weekly walks to see the sea. I resumed work on the development showing of #unit21 for Dark Horse and a Christmas present of a cheese making kit proved very tasty in creating my first ever Yorkshire Curd Cheese Cake from scratch. I plan on having a second go at this soon!
In February work progressed in Huddersfield towards opening night, the floor painted, final costume fittings and then the set and lighting added. All while Mick serviced our life jackets and Tilly grew more and more bored of life in the house.
Once the show was opened we had a trip down to London to catch up with the London Leckenbys for a belated Christmas, on our way back we visited Oleanna. When ever we could we visited Blue Water Marina to do jobs and have a pack up lunch. The stove was reblacked, walls washed down and cupboards sorted through.
Then at the end of February, Mick and I left Tilly in charge of the house, we packed enough clothes and food for a couple of days boating and headed to Thorne to move Oleanna through Thorne Lock before a winter stoppage began. Blimey it was chilly out there, but wonderful to be back afloat and moving Oleanna to Goole. Now we were all set to move back onboard and have a few weeks of pootling about in Yorkshire.
Back at the house we made it ready for the first of this years lodgers. Our boat Christmas tree was retired into the back garden where we hoped it would thrive, this of course was before we knew a drought was on it’s way! Tilly said goodbye to the dragon that lives up the chimney, left Seville and Valencia to look after the house before having to endure the car trip back to boat life.
After a few days sorting ourselves, including having one of Joan’s gluten free Chinese takeaways, we unplugged Oleanna and backed out from our mooring at Goole Marina (Boat House). We spent the next three weeks bobbing about between Pollington Lock, Doncaster and Goole. Maintenance jobs were ticked off the list.
Alistair did engine and weedhatch jobs, Frank joined us a couple of times to do carpentry jobs, our galley drawers no longer have a life of their own, the covers had a good scrub and a spray of Wet and Forget to help them keep clean.
In March I’d set myself a charity challenge, to knit as many pairs of socks in the month as I could. Nine pairs knitted for people in return for sponsorship, I also got a very generous donation of yarn from Lisa on NB Summer Wind.
Our plans had had to change as Thorne Lock still hadn’t closed, but was about to! Plans to visit York and West Yorkshire were abandoned, we’d bought ourselves a Gold Licence for the year so wanted to make the most of it. So on March 24th with all the jobs done we turned our backs on Goole and set off into the sunset to see where 2022 would take us, all three of us grinning from ear to ear.
We made our way to Keadby ready for our booked passage on the tidal River Trent, the fast route south. A phone call from a boating friend in need of support meant we’d be doing our best to make use of the spring tide to reach Cromwell in one go despite the weather forecast. We spent a couple of days doing what we could to help in Newark before we needed to be on the move again.
On upstream to The Trent and Mersey keeping up our cruising hours and Tilly hoping we’d stop with enough time for her to explore each day before cat curfew.
Up to Fradley then onto the Coventry Canal, we played leapfrog with NB Free Spirit for a couple of days.
Birmingham and Fazeley Canal, up the Curdworth Flight then a turn left onto a section of the Grand Union we’d not been on before at Star City. Up Garrison Locks, Typhoo Basin and then the Ashted Locks where we now have the measure of that Tunnel! A mooring space at the top of Farmers Bridge had our name on it. This was handy for a road trip to swap lodgers and for visits to the dentist. It also meant we were in shot when a group came to jump the top lock!
Fast forward to 6:15
Our route out of Buminghamsaw us through Edgbaston Tunnel, down Lapworth followed by Hatton. A pause was needed for Tilly’s annual visit to a new vet, the one here the closest to the canal we’ve visited so far, also handy for The Cape of Good Hope!
At Napton we joined the Oxford Canal and headed for Braunston, pausing to stock up on goodies from the butcher. On the Grand Union we made our way up over the hill and started our descent down The Long Buckby flight back towards tidal waters.
On the 1st of May we turned left at Gayton Junction onto the Northampton Arm dropping down the flight to the River Nene. We’d only been this way once before and that was when we’d just bought Lillian (NB Lillyanne) back in 2014. We bought ourselves a second Abloy key, showed our Gold Licence to the chap at Northampton Marina and started our journey down stream, time to explore.
A decision was made to head down to Peterborough taking note of places we’d want to visit on our return journey. We worked our way through the guillotine locks, many button operated and others with the wheel of cardiovascular overload.
Tilly loved many of the moorings apart from those in Peterborough where crowds surrounded the boat and meant returning from shore leave was impossible for several hours.
In two weeks we reached the end of the river at the Dog in a Doublet Lock. Here the river becomes tidal, we’d save that trip for another time and turned back upstream to head for the Middle Level.
Here we wanted to explore all the drainage channels, but decided we’d do that on our return too. So we took the direct route and crossed the low lying waters in three days arriving at Salters Lode on Mick’s birthday. The levels out on the tidal stretch of the Great Ouse needing to be just right to get through the lock, turn and head upstream to Denver Sluice.
A lovely GOBA mooring was found on the River Wissey and eventually the sun came out for a birthday barbeque, we’d made it to the Great Ouse.
The remainder of May was spent exploring the River Wissey, Ely and The Little Ouse. Brandon Lock sits at the most easterly point on the connected navigable network for boats Oleanna’s size. Sadly a build up of silt stopped us from getting her bow into the lock, but we did get her as far east as was possible, ticking off the fourth point of the compass.
There was a trip to Hull Truck to meet old friends at a gala evening followed by a meet up with Micks family back in the Fens. At the end of the month we got to know Neil the seal at Ten Mile Bank moorings as he basked in the sun and took sunset dips in the river.
The Jubilee was seen in at Denver, we lit our guiding lights as a Lancaster Bomber flew overhead heading to see the Queen. The Relief Channel gave us a good mooring to be able to have a trip away to celebrate Dawn and Lee’s 50th Birthdays in Scarborough, we went as Wallace and Gromit and won an Oscar!
Another visit to Ely to see the Cathedral, Farmers market and meet up with Heather from NB Bleasdale, the first of many this summer. The River Lark was explored, the end of navigation reached with a handy mooring outside a pub.
We headed for the Cam, our paths crossing for the first time with Ken and Sue from NB Cleddau. Then onwards in to Cambridge where we visited colleges, ate chilled medication and had a day trip to Duxford so that Mick could sit in the pilots seat of a Trident 2, a seat his Dad had sat in on many a flight.
Oleanna squeezed along each of the three Lodes, Wicken, Burwell and Reach. Wicken Lode a magical place and a day visit to Anglesey Abbey with it’s wonderful gardens.
Then we headed onto the Old West a river with a very different feel than the Ely Ouse. A pause was needed when we reached Earith for us to have a tour of Heathers new to her boat GT. Once off the tidal water we were on a different Great Ouse again. Here St Ives, St Neots and Hemingford gave us sunsets, D shaped locks, huge meadows and wonderful towns and villages to explore.
As the temperatures started to rise I needed to do some work. Cruising happened in the mornings, my Panto script and sketches were done in the shade of what trees we could find. White sheets were bought and we hoped for a mooring with shade for the really hot days that were to come. Tilly took to lying on the floor and we took to wearing wet t-shirts to help us to keep cool. Thankfully the hot blast only lasted a couple of days then the temperature dropped and we could continue to head upstream.
July 21st we reached the navigable limit of the River Great Ouse, having to reverse some distance to be able to turn round and return to Bedford for the River Festival.
Here we met up with Ken and Sue, Jennie and Chris from NB Tentatrice and Heather again. Plenty of things to see, do and hear. The boat parades, raft races, vintage cars, all sorts kept us busy for the two days.
Now at the end of July we alternated the days between cruising and my work. More beautiful days cruising and more wonderful sunsets, one day off to visit Cambridge for some more chilled medication and to see the Hockney exhibition.
August saw more hot days. Trips to London to celebrate birthdays, panto meetings, catch up with best friends and travellers over from Australia.
On the 15th August we crossed back from Denver Sluice to the Middle Level having really enjoyed our three months on the Great Ouse. Now water levels were a worry along with having enough time to reach Oxford for me to go to work in October. We made the decision to come back and explore the Middle Level another year, maybe we’ll cross The Wash to get there!
By the end of August our progress up stream on the River Nene slowed to a halt. First one lock broke then another two ahead of us. We’d recently been accepted to join the Reflections Flotilla on the Thames to mark the Queens Jubilee in a few weeks time, now that time was ticking away.
When we did get moving again we had to make up our cruising hours. With the news of the passing of the Queen we didn’t know if the flotilla would still be going ahead, we carried on at pace waiting for news. Back up the River Nene, turning onto the Grand Union, working our way southwards. The news came through that the flotilla would go ahead, but now in remembrance of the Queen.
With a couple of days to spare we squeezed into the Eco-Moorings by Islington Tunnel. Two days of catching up with family and more friends over from Australia before we joined boats heading along the Regents Canal towards Limehouse Basin. An afternoon of activity saw numerous narrowboats festooned with white lights.
On the 24th of September the Thames barrier was closed and we all headed out of Limehouse Lock up stream to Chelsea where we clung onto buoys until the early evening when the flotilla started to muster.
Getting on for 150 boats all displaying white lights got into formation and headed down stream. Crowds stood on the illuminated bridges and Tower Bridge opened up in a royal salute as we passed underneath. What a truly amazing day.
Now we had to head towards Banbury, back round the Regents Canal as a leak in the engine bay needed testing on the calm waters of the canal rather than the tideway. By the time we reached Brentford we were confident with Oleanna’s engine again. On the Thames Tilly got a birthday present of a night on a Cliveden Island. Sadly we got an unexpected present on our arrival in Oxford, a second red line on a covid test! Panto painting couldn’t be put off so we made our way gradually up the Oxford Canal keeping our distance from people at locks and taking maximum doses of paracetamol.
A week of painting in Banbury before I moved to Chipping Norton to stack up the hours over the next four weeks getting the 50th anniversary panto ready. Rendez Vousing with Oleanna at weekends in Banbury and Coventry kept me sane. Mick had to single hand across the summit of the Oxford Canal to avoid the first of the winter stoppages.
All three of us were back onboard by mid November, covid free and vaccinated. We took things slowly now, time to rest up, meet friends, gather family and pootle towards Christmas. Our 20th Anniversary was celebrated with a Chinese takeaway at Alvecote Marina, a planned stop which ended up being extended due to plummeting temperatures. The canal froze, there’d be no moving the outside for Tilly!
Temperatures lifted dramatically and the ice just about vanished in a couple of days, we could now be on our way to Christmas. Alrewas was a good place to spend the festive days, a very good butchers and a village with lots of character and humour.
Bookings in the New Year had been made for passage on the tidal River Trent for us to reach Yorkshire, but this would not be. The Trent had risen before Christmas, Cranfleet Flood Gates were shut ahead of us, so no New Year at Hazelford Lock. Instead our alternator played up and we sought out a mooring to hook up to and see in 2023.
This year we’d been wanting to explore again. This year we cruised miles of new water, made new friends, got too hot, got iced in, got stuck, got to be in the first illuminated flotilla on the Thames for 300 years. What a great year it has been.
So our vital statistics for 2022 according to Canalplan are
Total distance is 1249 miles, 6½ furlong and 555 locks . There were 88 moveable bridges of which 29 are usually left open; 156 small aqueducts or underbridges and 18 tunnels, a total of 7 miles 2 ¼ furlongs underground and 8 major aqueducts.
This was made up of 227 miles, 1 1/2furlongs of narrow canals; 363 miles, 2 furlongs of broad canals; 85 miles, 5 furlongs of commercial waterways; 269 miles, 1 furlong of small rivers; 234 miles, 7 1/4 furlongs of large rivers; 69 miles, 6 furlongs of tidal rivers; 176 narrow locks; 232 broad locks; 54 large locks; 2 locks on major waterways.
731.7 engine hours
1156.1 litres diesel, 5 (although we’ve got 1 empty now) gas bottles (used for central heating as well as cooking), 28.5 litres oil, 3 oil filters, 1 fuel filter, 2 air filters, 1 water pump, 2 new belts, 690kg coal, 1 overnight guest twice, 6 packs Dreamies (not enough!), 56 friends, a record breaking 41 Mrs Tilly stamps of approval (4 in one day!), 15 pairs socks, 2 shows designed, 9 lodgers, 2 lots gluten free puff pastry, 9 supermarket deliveries, 30 boxes of wine delivered, 2 lost unicorns.
Thank you all for joining us on our journey. Wonder where we’ll get to in 2023?
Paddington Basin to Three Bridges, Grand Union to Teddington, River Thames
Yellow sticker time
Being right alongside an M&S Food we popped in this morning to pick up a few bits to keep us going. They lacked some things we wanted and we stuck to sourcing things with yellow sad git stickers and I was surprised to find potatoes at £1 for a big bag.
Paddington Basin
Before pushing off we took advantage of the port side being alongside the pontoon and emptied our yellow water into the big container for disposal of later. Always as Mick stands over the hosepipe and container someone comes to talk to him, this time it was Cheryl from next door.
Very good to meet you both, see you somewhere, sometime
Once suitably attired for the wind and chill factor we winded in the basin and returned waving goodbye to Eric and Cheryl, they’d be moving off today too.
In Little Venice a weed cutter was off loading mushy peas into a skip boat. Despite the water point being empty we carried on out of town knowing we’d be by a water point and elsan later in the day. A pause for me to hop off at Ladbroke Grove to nip into Sainsburys to fill in the gaps M&S had left us with and we were soon on our way again.
She wouldn’t let me say what I thought of the flotilla!
Not much further on it started to rain. We were dressed for this just in case, but as it became heavier I made excuses to go inside, well I’d the blog to update and Tilly to talk to. Once it had dried up I bobbed back up on deck with lunch.
At Bulls Bridge we turned left and headed down to Norwood Top Lock. A widebeam skip boat was just coming up and being bowhauled clear of the lock. We pulled in, filled the water tank and used the elsan whilst the two chaps brought up the tug to push the skip along.
At heffing cheffing last!
We dropped down the two locks and pulled in a short distance along the mooring, here was popular today. But we got into the bank and having just emptied the lock behind us we’d not have to listen to water gushing out of the gates all night. There was an hour before dingding, so Tilly got her first shore leave in a week. The trees are pretty good round here!
Pretty damn yummy!
Some Posh Dogs had jumped into our basket in M&S so I used four of them in a toad-in-the-hole, freezing the other two monster sausages for a breakfast sometime. My Mums old enamelled pie tin worked better than the modern one I used to use.
Three Bridges
Wednesday morning and we were on the move fairly early, we’d a flight of locks to work through and the tide catch. First things first though the obligatory photo of Mick stood at the helm whilst passing through Three Bridges, a place he used to come as a child.
Filling the top lock
Hanwell Top Lock needed filling. I glanced down to the next lock in the flight the top gates both open. Sun glinted at a low light as two chaps with long handled strimmers hacked away at the bamboo in the side ponds by the locks. All this noise had distracted me so when Mick came to have a look down the flight I was unaware that the pound below was actually getting on for three foot lower than it should be.
A light snack!
In case the bottom gates of the next lock were leaking like a sieve I walked down and closed the top gates and made sure all the paddles were down. We then ran water down through the Top Lock. Mick rang C&RT to let them know this as the pound above might need filling, he got the answerphone again. A heron considered filling itself up with an eel. Thankfully I think it was already dead as the thought of a full eel wriggling down inside a heron wasn’t a pleasant one, I also think the heron may not have survived as the eel was far too big!
With the level improved we dropped Oleanna down the top lock. Behind I could see a boat approaching, it turned out to be a C&RT tug boat. Entering the lock below one of the chaps came down to ask if we were in a hurry, only that we were booked out through Brentford this afternoon, but we were happy to wait for them. He said we’d be fine as he’d be the one letting us out onto the Thames this afternoon.
Now mob handed with three C&RT staff with us we zoomed down the flight. Someone setting ahead, two at the lock the boats were in and it also gave Derek time to walk back to the top to check the level in the Three Bridges pound. The lower pounds were quite full and emptying one lock it nearly overtopped onto the footpath. At the bottom of the flight we lost one chap, a volunteer who’d be staying on the flight today. Now we were down to two on each boat, passing our normal mooring near The Fox and Mick’s old flat.
We were surprised at how little detritus there was by Osterley Lock. There’s normally so much stuff you have to wade through it to get to the bank, today there were only a couple of footballs.
Volunteers having a good clean up
At Clitheroe Lock a gang from Sky were busy trimming back the overhanging trees and hedges. All the weeds around the lock were being removed, a great effort, many hands make light work.
The C&RT boat over took us approaching Brentford, pushing their way towards the Gauging lock. We pootled on behind. As we came under the Railway Bridge we immediatly noticed something was missing. The old wharf building that used to span over some of the moorings has gone. There is so much more sky in Brentford now, but not for long we suspect as diggers are busy behind fences on both sides of the canal.
Swirly paint job
We pulled in to top up with water again, dispose of rubbish. Sadly no-one was in sight on the boat moored close by otherwise we’d have said hello.
New lock gates going in
Derek the Lock Keeper had told us we’d need to use the right hand gauging lock as the left one was in the process of getting new gates. I could see the stop planks but nothing more as the gates on these locks are low and operated by hydraulics so don’t need big wooden beams. Not able to work the lock ourselves we had two volunteers appear to help press the buttons.
We were early for our booking, but in time for some lunch. Left over pastry from sausage rolls was made into a couple of cheese and onion pasties for us. Very tasty, but the recipe I followed had far too much filling, so I baked it and we had it on the side.
Waiting to come up
Derek arrived and waved us into the lock. As soon as the gates were closed he lifted the paddles and down we headed to the tidal Thames again. Just below the gates we could see someone clinging onto a rope and presumably their boat below. We pointed this out to Derek who said that they’d not booked and had apparently turned up last night wanting to be penned up when no-one was on duty. They’d been directed to where they could moor for the night. Derek’s attitude was that 2000 people manage to book the lock a year, what makes them any different!
Out onto the tidal Thames
Out onto the Thames, not cutting the corner, we were ahead of schedule, but a couple of days behind Plan A. We’d soon catch ourselves up.
Familiar sights. Low flying planes. A boat being towed backwards. A rowing boat doing circles.
Really?!
Approaching Richmond Lock and Weir the signs suggested that the lock needed to be used even though there were amber lights at one of the arches. This is a half tide lock and holds water in the river upstream as the tide goes out. The writing on the sign was too small to read the phone number, our info on the Thames hunted through, then we could see the drips still coming down from the weir, it was open, the sign was just lying!
Through the weir
On through Richmond and round the final bend to Teddington.
The bridges grey and dull compared to Saturdays bridges
The green light was on for the launch lock, the gates open, so we sailed straight in. The Lockie came and did the honours for us.
Teddington Lock
We tootled up to the far end of the moorings, let Tilly out and then Mick walked back to the lock to pay for a nights mooring £11. The Lockie was just chaining up the lock gates when he arrived as the spring tide this evening was due to be higher than the weir.
Seagull seat
Now back on track, we just need to keep up a reasonable amount of hours each day, hope the weather plays ball!
13 locks, 2 tidal, 9 shared, 24.58 miles, 2 days, 1 wind, 1 straight on, 1 left, 1 right, 1 clean poo box, 1 empty wee tank, 1 full water tank twice, 2 pasties, 4 giant toads, 1 eel.
Bridge 182 to Ballot Box Bridge, Paddington Branch
Yesterday evening we’d had quite a few people stop to chat as we set up the lights on Oleanna. One lady had been concerned that Denham Deep Lock (the next one) may be closed as the bottom gates were open a little bit and in front of the top gates there was a mass of weed, surely we’d not be able to get through! Neither of us were concerned at what she said and when we got to the lock this morning it was nothing compared to the amount of pennywort we’d come across at Wide Water Lock and the bottom gates were just open because that was they way they rested when the lock was empty.
Filling Denham Deep
Denham Deep is very deep, but thankfully with fairly new gates it doesn’t leek so it filled in no time compared to the shallower locks we’d recently come through.
Piggyback
Below the lock the floating dry dock was giving a piggyback to another boat.
Onwards to Uxbridge. Here two boats were breasted up on the lock landing and the last people to have gone through the lock had left both bottom gates open with the paddles up! We are now in the land of not giving a monkeys and the number of parakeets way out numbers blackbirds, robins and kingfishers. Thankfully we weren’t a widebeam, as some of the broader boats would have had difficulty getting into the lock and there was space on the off side for me to hop off to set the lock.
Only 29 litres today
We’d arrived shortly after Denham Yacht Station had opened for the day. A top up of diesel was required and Mick had dug out our 5litre can which also got filled. Going out onto the Tideway you want a full tank and we knew we’d not be at St Pancras Cruising Club at the right time to top up there.
Volunteers waiting for a boat
At Cowley Lock three volunteers stood awaiting our arrival, we were to be their first boat of the day.
Quite a house boat
Below someone is building themselves quite a large house boat. New stainless steel tanks sit in the water and a wooden structure is going up above.
Now we were on the level with Paddington. We pootled along passing large building sites, two fellas working their way through a pallet of turf.
Under Murderers Bridge where eight years ago we said a final goodnight to Houdini my old cat.
A plant peeked up out of the hold of a boat, was it what we thought it was? Yes, most probably. Soon we were at Bulls Bridge where the Boat of Fame is currently moored in it’s Mind The Gap coat of paint, very whimsical.
Left onto the Paddington Arm. All sorts of boats. Jolly dogs and grumpy cats. Heftily insulated boats. You see everything down here, some we now recognise each time we’re here.
Sunflower
A sunflower has reached up for light at the edge of the towpath surrounded by new builds. A cormorant took advantage of a high up post.
surrounded by new builds
I ducked below to have a catch up with Jo the props lady for panto leaving Mick to cruise us onwards to near Ballot Box Bridge at the foot of Horsenden Hill. Almost two hours later I finished chatting to Jo and could finally have my lunch. Then it was out with the buckets and cloths, time to give Oleanna a bit of a wash before the flotilla. The starboard side seems to have caught the sun more than the port side, so hopefully a wash might make her look better. Who knows if the starboard side will get washed it depends on time and on how busy our mooring in London will be, at least that side looks a touch smarter.
Eeevil!
Mick busied himself attaching the cratch lights. These haven’t been on Oleanna for two years, they are our normal arrangement for Christmas. These will stay on now for Saturday, a little less to do.
3 locks, 12.92 miles, 1 left, 1 tear, 1 tube boat, 3 volunteers, 2 hours talking props, boat 71, 1/10th of lights fitted, 1 clean bow for the first time in years.
Our cruising schedule has allowed for a little time off, but today we’d not be able to sit still in front of the TV, we needed to keep moving. So we were up and on the move a little later than of late.
The towpath was quite busy and we had people watch us as we dropped down Ironbridge Lock. We pulled into the water point above Cassiobridge Lock and quenched Oleanna’s thirst, the tank was really quite low.
Marching past Bridgewater Basin
We worked our way through the locks all set apart by half a mile or a mile, all with leaky bottom gates. As we cruised between locks we watched the thousands of soldiers in London marching, guns reversed, drums with black surrounds. Had they all had segs hammered into the soles of their boots? Or was it just that there were SO many of them creating such an incredible noise?
Down through Common Moor and Lock Mead Locks, tube trains still running, people taking the advantage of a day off to work on their boat roofs, we passed at least six, all as past Prime Ministers arrived for the service and the gun carriage rumbled around West Minster.
Just above Batchworth Lock we passed the car/boat on a permanent mooring, car seats in the bow protected by perspex. Two lads of about 7 helped me with the bottom gates of the lock chatting away, smiles on their faces at being asked to help.
Not the prettiest of Lock cottages on the GU
We paused below the lock to empty the yellow water tank and then were on our way again, slowly passing the many moored boats as the two minutes silence took place.
Stokers Lock
At Stokers Lock there was a large family ready to watch and ask questions, I enlisted another seven year olds assistance with the gates. Mum asked if we had to book the locks, a Dad asked if we needed a licence to drive the boat. I was asked what I used to do before the boat.
Just how many years has he been hanging around for?
There were more boats on the move than we’d expected today and plenty out on the towpath. We watched the pallbearers move the coffin back to the gun carriage and the procession past Buckingham Palace. Up above us the monkey and the bear hung from the old building having no idea what was going on elsewhere today.
Near the waterworks a Jules Fuels boat was doing an odd manoeuvre, he was heading up onto the River Colne where a cruiser seemed to have got stuck. At Coppermill Lock we joined a downhill boat with a crew of South Africans, not the chattiest of people but it was still nice to share the next few locks having had a pause to help fill the bins.
Mounds of pennywort
Towards Wide Water Lock the amount of Pennywort was quite something, huge mounds of it gradually taking over the canal. There has obviously been some clearing of it going on as by the lock there were huge piles of the stuff.
Another leaking lock, would it ever equalise. Two old fellas stood and watched as Mick and I tried to open the top gates. In the end I enlisted them to help, their inner 7 year olds gleaming with joy at being asked to push and pull a lock gate. Today we’d made five young/old boys days.
Floating road
Here we lost our partners as they headed into the marina and we continued onwards. Approaching HS2 there were priority signs for boats coming the other way. A roadway has been added around the construction site keeping a right of way open, a car timed it’s arrival very well to demonstrate the floating roadway.
We pulled in just after Bridge 182 just before 3pm. Tilly went out whilst we sat down to a late lunch and to watch the hearse drive up the Long Walk in Windsor. If ever a road was made for such a moment!
Time to get the lights outs and see how we could decorate Oleanna for next Saturday’s flotilla. With magnets and magnetic pole we hoped we’d got everything we’d needed now.
It soon became obvious that we’d need more height on the pole to act as a mast, the broom handle was perfect cable tied to it. Then just which lights to use for what? The cabin sides were measured, 14 meters in length, magnets deployed at regular intervals along the side. One set of lights reached the mast and came back down again, another had a lot of spare, but not enough to go round the hole cabin, these ended up going round the stern deck. The newest set of lights 80 meters long ended up going round the boat twice and heading up to the mast twice.
Someone has to keep an eye on quality control
With some of the lights in position, it starting to rain and the light fading we switched everything on to see what we thought. Repositioning of magnets got the lights in a better position and tension will be the key to it looking good. We could really do with a few more magnets, but there’s unlikely to be enough time to get them delivered now, so we’ll have to make do with what we’ve got.
Half of the lights
The biggest decision will be when to put all our lights up. Before we head out onto the Thames, possibility of lumpy water disturbing our display. Or whilst we’re moored awaiting the flotilla to muster out on the Thames, possibly not sufficient time to get them looking good whilst balancing on gunnels! At lest there won’t be any tide as the barrier will be shut.
10 locks, 8.93 miles, 1 funeral watched from on deck, 5 lock helpers, 1 mountain of pennywort, 1 floating roadway, 1000 white lights, 1 Thames barrier closing, 1 plan starting to be formulated, 1 feline assistant.
Whilst Tilly continued her explorations we tucked into a bacon butty and joined the Geraghty zoom. Queues, sound rigging in suits and ties and flotillas were the subjects today along with telephonic sleeping sickness.
Time to tidy up, sweep through the boat. The galley got a good clean. It’s been a long time since we’ve had visitors so there was quite a bit to do!
Here we all are
Then the white sauce was made up and rolling out of pasta for the lasagne. I knew I’d made more than enough, maybe I shouldn’t have rolled it so thinly but there is more than enough now in the freezer for another lasagne for two or some tagliatelle.
The London Leckenbys arrived and there were tales of Josh’s trip to France with a school friend, lots about food and his first week of sixth form.
Presents
This year we’d not managed to be together for four out of our five birthdays, so presents needed exchanging, everyone apart from me had something to unwrap. Mick got a new pair of boating gloves and some overalls. The pair he’s had since we bought Lillian are now very diesely so hopefully will go into the bin somewhere. Everyone else got goodies from Cambridge.
Lasagne and green salad
They had brought with them my box of pasta and a parcel full of magnets that we’d bought cheaply due to imperfect paint which will be used to help tether fairy lights to Oleanna for the flotilla. All we need to do now is find time to have a try out.
Back to front 200
The lasagne was very tasty, its the first time I’ve made one quite so big and it ended up being rather gooey, a touch like soup! My meat sauce a touch wetter than needed for fresh pasta and the gluten free flours didn’t absorb as much as normal, so in the future I’ll try to keep the sauce drier. A nice green salad accompanied it.
An average of 50, sorry Josh
As today was a sort of birthday party, I’d totted up everyones ages. Excluding myself it had added up to a nice round 200 so the Queen of Sheba cake even had candles to mark the occasion.
A lovely day with family, although Tilly preferred to out and about.
0 locks, 0 miles, 1 lie in, 2 cuppas in bed, 7 presents, 0 for me, 12 magnets, 1 big box of pasta, 1 soupy lasagne, 1 big chocolate cake, 1 punnet of raspberries forgotten about, 2 many woofers! 10 years without Dad.
Thankfully those people who like to leave rubber on tarmac stopped their screeching around the car parks before we went to bed which left us with just the noise of water over flowing the lock. When we’ve moored here before Mick has walked back and emptied it for a quieter nights sleep, but at the moment we don’t have any difficulty dropping of to zzz land.
First lock of the day
We were on our way after Mick succeeded in buying a full Saturday newspaper and some firelighters. The nice lady in Sainsburys tracked him down once she’d found all the bits that come with a Saturday paper.
Grown up arch, kiddy arch
Brrr chilly! Might have to get the hand warmers out if it carries on like this. Fewer dog walkers this morning but more boats on the move. We dipped under the larger of the two arches at Bridge 154, passing where we’d watched a Kingfisher fishing years ago.
Nash Mills Lock 68 had a new blue sign as others had yesterday. Then Red Lion Lock had one two, but it wasn’t Red Lion anymore! Nash Mills Lock 69?! We wonder why locks along this stretch have had a change of name. Then we must have crossed a C&RT border of some sort as at Lock 69A there was no sign at the lock and Home Park Lock 70 still has a black and white swan and bridge logo.
Lacking teeth
We were following another boat, the off side paddle at 69A was dropped. When I came to close it I realised why. I’d only just walked past it on the beam and the catch jumped out of the teeth, the paddle rushing to the ground. A lot of the teeth have been lost, a tweet was sent to C&RT as the paddle is on a suicide mission.
Paddle boarders passed us at Home Park Lock. I waited until they’d got far enough ahead and steady on their feet for me to lift the paddles to empty the lock. The scaffolding on the M25 viaduct has now mostly been removed, some left at the far end for comfort. It all looks very smart under there now.
Inside the M25
A boat came towards us from the lock, they seemed to want to pass on our right, but then we twigged that they were picking up crew some distance away from the lock. They pulled in only to get grounded at the stern. With plenty of people on board they needed to move the weight to the bow to help rather than everyone come to the back to try to push them off. They managed it in the end.
We just beat a widebeam to the two Hunton Bridge Locks, the chap kindly walked ahead to set the lower one for us, so in return I lifted a paddle for them once we were through. Under Lady Capel’s Bridge a cyclist in red a bright contrast to the white and green. Past the posh golf course and a huge pile of rubbish left around the dog pooh bin, such skuzzy boaters!
This might have been here a while
Now the two Cassiobury Locks. This is where we caught up with the boat ahead. The crew chatted and informed me they were letting water down into the pound between the locks, it is quite often low due to leaky gates and having to leave the bottom lock empty.
Last lock of the day
Their boat was just a rusty hull, filled with all sorts of rubbish, no roof, just plenty of beer cans. The boat was bow hauled out of the bottom of the first lock and I half expected them to wait for us at the second lock as they pulled themselves between the locks. But no. We waited for them to close up after themselves, me closing a half lifted paddle and helping with gates. I got a very slurred thank you from them and comments about the gates not opening fully, they suggested that the next lock was totally blocked. We’d wait and see how many boats were moored waiting for it to open, hopefully we’d find room for ourselves to moor.
Dappled mooring
We were fortunate, a length of armco vacant before the line of boats before the lock. We’d reached our destination for the day and before lunchtime. I walked up towards the lock to check if there was anywhere nicer, but we’d actually got a really good spot. Five and a half hours in Tilly wonderland.
There was a cake to bake, pasta dough to finish off. I’d decided to make three times the quantities of pasta I normally do in case two was a little bit short, but couldn’t find a new bag of tapioca starch, a main ingredient in many gluten free things. Thankfully we’re close to Watford, with several Asian shops, so Mick was dispatched on a bike.
Avalon Two heading northwards
During the afternoon we were passed by several boats, one being NB Avalon Two, They stopped for a quick hello but as they were sharing locks with another boat they needed to be on their way. Lovely to see you Helen and Pete.
Later on, the boat we’d followed down Cassiobury Locks came past breasted up with another boat. Music, smoky engine, shouting, I hoped they’d keep going. Their course was a surprisingly straight one, they’d been drinking for at least 5 hours by now, but this actually meant they didn’t manage to negotiate the bend, getting stuck on the bank for a while. But thankfully they managed to correct their course and headed back up the locks and out of ear shot.
Steering with the aid of poles and beer
Three dough balls resting in the fridge, one cake iced, bathroom given a good going over, clean pooh box for Tilly and all windows washed inside. The props list for panto was updated then we could relax in front of the TV and stove with a glass of wine.
11 locks, 5.42 miles, 1 newspaper, 500grams tapioca starch, 5.5 hours shore leave, 1 clean bathroom, 1 location relayed, 1 cake, 2 much pasta, I hope it freezes!
A boat that had pulled in behind us last night was still very much asleep this morning as we pushed off, no chance of sharing locks with them. The paths were busy, the occasional runner, but mostly dog walkers. One lady was a dog runner, although she only got to do the occasional bit of running as her dog had plenty of other ideas!
Berko
Brentford had been our original planned route, but to get up to Teddington we may only end up using the Tideway. When we re-joined the Grand Union at Gayton Brentford was 77 miles away, now 33.
On past the familiar landmarks of Berko, the totem pole, the lovely house with all the hanging baskets and an owner who last year asked if Oleanna was named after the David Mamet play.
Today the lock cottage looked particularly fine, the edges of the grass around the lock very trim. A lady popped out to say hello, she loves the boats going by and commented on Oleanna. I returned the complement as the cottage looked so fine, had it had a new coat of paint? The lady said that it had and that they’d only been moved in a month. I don’t remember it looking a state before, but now it looks totally loved and immaculate.
What an immaculate house
The landlord of The Rising Sun was one of the dog walkers returning home as we dropped down the lock. It was chilly out there this morning, one chap by a lock, walking his dog, in his pyjamas and dressing gown, hope they were fleecy lined!
Filling at the Rising Sun
I’ve noticed that my breakfast doesn’t kick in until we’ve been cruising for an hour. Working the first locks of the day I wonder how I’ll be by lock ten, twelve, sixteen! But this soon fades as breakfast filters through to my muscles and brain.
That’s a good one
Down the locks where you should leave a paddle up, the gods of the southern waterways bequeathing us a fat fender. The locks had already been used, the sides wet, no paddle left up, maybe someone new to these parts. Sewer Lock smelt ripe today and we wondered who paid who for the clean water to come into the canal below the lock.
Bourne End Lock seems to have had a change of identity, now Winkwell Top Lock, followed by Winkwell Middle Lock and Bottom Lock (which has retained it’s name). Winkwell Swing Bridge now has one of the small control posts with two illuminated buttons. A pause for the traffic to clear and I turned my key of power, four held up today.
What a pretty hull
New houses are being built behind the moorings, I wonder what the boat owners make of their new neighbours? Lots of activity at Hemelmarina, a new high up poly tunnel protected a Tjalk. Some work having been done on it’s hull and a new lick of paint, what pleasing shapes these boats have. It seems as if Tjalks are a speciality of the yard as there are quite a few on hard standing and below the lock, one for sale at £22,000 in need of a fitout.
Sharing again
At the lock we’d caught up with the boat ahead a single hander, he waited for us at Boxmoor Top Lock. He’d bought his boat in Wigan and had spent the last three or so weeks cruising 12 hours a day to reach Watford. He’s a builder and has been bored of commuting across London to site, so he’ll move his boat to be close, we’re not sure he’s aware of the continuous cruising rules.
Fishery Lock
We soon got into a rhythm and worked our way down the locks towards Aspley. At the top lock we’d filled the chamber, just opened the gates when a clicking noise was heard from the bottom end of the lock. A chap had started to lift the paddle. Lots of shouts from all three of us stopped him in his tracks. He’s only been a boater for three days and is heading to Wigrams to a mooring for a year before he sets off to explore the network.
Plenty of C&RT boats
The Sainsburys mooring was available so we waved goodbye to our builder partner and tied up at the far end. We were stopping before 3pm, it was time for lunch. A shopping trip to stock up on food for a Leckenby get together at the weekend and enough supplies to see us into London. Mick went off in search of spare bulbs for our nav lights. Oleanna being five years old it would be sods law for a bulb to go just before the flotilla.
Click image for more info
Yesterday an order for some magnetic nav lights had been placed. For some reason when Oleanna was built the white stern light was omitted. Heading out onto the Thames at night we really should have the correct navigation lights as part of the flotilla. Yes no-one will be able to miss us because of the 1000 plus fairy lights, but we still should show a white light. One day we’ll get one fitted by someone happy to drill into Oleanna’s hull.
Blue Moon
Preparations for the family meal were started today. The menu has been planned out to fit in with our cruising. This afternoon I made a big pan of bolognaise sauce, Which has just fitted into the packed fridge, tomorrow I’ll make some buckwheat pasta dough and a pudding.
16 locks, 5.13 miles, 5 locks shared, 1 C&RT nod, 1 paddle, 1 big fat fender, 0 shore leave, 1 full fridge, 1 big vat of bolognaise sauce, 1 boater heading for London, 1 boater heading away from London, 4th props list on it’s way.
