Up, out of bed, breakfasted and walking towards the station this morning for Mick to catch a train into Maidenhead, then one to London, the tube, on to York and the final train of that leg to Scarborough. Our latest lodgers had moved out yesterday, so the house needed checking over and the grass cutting.
Only a bit of space on York to moor today
I meanwhile headed off to Sainsburys to see how much I could carry back to the boat ending up doing an intermediate shop which would keep us going until we reach Tescos in Reading.
Just look at those!
The shop windows in Marlow have tantalising things in them. I SO wish I ate gluten still as one cafe had the most enticing looking bread in their window and trays of wonderous baked goods filling the counters. Oh well I most probably saved myself a fortune.
I behaved and didn’t stock up on yarns
A shop down a side street caught my eye, a crafty shop with fabrics and yarn. My bumbag needs the zip replacing, so I waited outside for the shop to open then purchased what I hope is the correct length zip for the job. Just need to find the time with enough daylight to put it in now.
Alan, still King of the wall in Scarborough
Today I was going to make use of the table whilst Mick was away and do a bit of prep work for panto. The elaborate portals that I’ve designed have quite a few things that repeat themselves, so a quick means of drawing them out is required. I could project them onto the scenery, a method I’ll use elsewhere this year, but as these are so repetitive I’m going to use stencils.
Rats blown up
I gridded up the card I’d bought in London and transferred the designs across, trying to better the originals I’d used for the model. The correct lines were picked out from the mistakes with pen and later on in the day I started to cut them out. After two I’d had enough, the others can happen over the next few days when we moor up.
Around the lock was busy today. Plenty of boats coming and going. At one point I looked up to see a grey widebeam gliding past with no-one at the helm. They were sorting out their centre rope and ran back down the roof before the boat went off course.
EA getting ready for some work somewhere
A work boat and skip came down the lock. We’ve seen a few worky type vessels about the place, presumably getting ready for winter maintenance.
Several of the overstaying boats moved off too. Notices removed from windows. That left us and one other boat that looks like it is quite happy here.
Thankfully no friends were brought home today!
Council workmen arrived and did a bit of pruning in the park we’re moored alongside so whilst the chipper chipped Tilly was kept in. A big vat of carrot and orange soup was made from the remaining cheap carrots we’d bought at M&S, Not bad for 45p, a roast, a cake and soup.
Scarborough Station
Mick’s return journey from Scarborough wasn’t quite so good. The trains to London from York were cancelled so a detour via Leeds was taken. This train ended up stopping everywhere so got into London late. A fast train to Maidenhead got him slightly back on course where he caught up with a train he’d hoped to catch back to Marlow. He was back on board Oleanna just gone 10:30pm. A long day with a lot of trains.
Cats enlarged
0 locks, 0 miles, 9 trains, 2 tubes, 1 tidy house, 1 load washing, 1 catch up with neighbours, 2 bags shopping, 1 zip, 6 hours shore leave, 2 cancelled, 1 busy river out of season, 7 stencils drawn, 2 cut.
Sadly we could only stay one night on Tilly’s birthday island, we need to keep moving, admittedly not far today.
Sunday morning
But first there was time for Mick to rustle up a breakfast and for us to join the Geraghty zoom. The Basingstoke Canal, flights from Barra and the general state of the country were topics today.
We pushed away the island around 11am, passing our nearest neighbours soon afterwards. I wondered who might be staying in Spring Cottage at the moment (£2,750 a night) an extra £50 a night to include breakfast. Or at the cheaper NT run cottages £896 for three nights, no option of breakfast being included there.
You brought it with you, it’s now lighter, so much easier to take home!
We followed a big hire boat up to Cookham Lock where a volunteer saw both boats in and pressed the buttons for us. Mick had picked up a bag of rubbish on the island so we paused to drop it off at the bins above the lock. Why would you parcel up your rubbish and then hide it behind a tree on an island?! We topped up the water tank as a load of washing spun round in the machine and then carried onwards.
Bourne End can be so sunny, it almost feels like a resort as you glide along the wide water.
Sailing dinghy’s raced back and forth, the wind being in the perfect direction for their course today.
Click photo for details
Another house for sale, with a good length of mooring, only £2,750,000.
We paused at a familiar boat, bipped our horn, but only the wagging tail of a dog greeted us today. Next time we’ll make sure we send a message in advance.
Terraced garden
All the big houses climbing up the cliff and pretty boats moored below.
Round the big bend in the river, we spied space on the EA moorings below Marlow Lock and pulled in. We then nudged along in front of one of several boats with overstay notices on their windows. The route to walk up to the lock takes you round the houses a touch, but does give a great view across to Marlow.
Marlow
Only a volunteer on duty as it was lunchtime. Mick ventured back later in the afternoon to check in with the Lockie and see if it was possible for us to stay for two nights instead of just the one. As it was out of season he gave us permission.
Tilly got busy, bringing a friend inside to the warmth! Luckily it turned out to be easy to catch, but when released in the hedgerow it scarpered so quickly it didn’t see which way it was going and ended up in the river. It did swim, so I’m hoping it found somewhere to climb out.
I put together some photos and words for the Panto programme. They wanted a two page spread about the set design process. Lots of photos and a sentence with each one, I suspect I’ve given them too much.
What a lovely mooring it is here, we’ve only stayed by the park above the lock before which is quite busy, just a shame there is constant nose from the road bridge!
1 lock, 5.16 miles, 1 bag of rubbish, 1 tank of water, 1 load washing drying on the whirligig, 2 nights okay, 4 hours shore leave, 0 island, 7 photos, 7 sentences.
Today I turned 7 in human years, that’s 44 in feline years. She said that now I’m 7 that I am mature. She kept saying this most of the day. I don’t think I smell like cheese!
Where’s my presents?!
She said that I would be getting a present later on if all went to plan. I tried looking for it, but she said it wasn’t inside.
Last night was meant to be all wild and windy. Tom said that if I went into the outside I might have gotten blown away, but it didn’t sound that bad. It never sounds that bad to me, well not until it starts blowing at my bum, then I’m not happy!
Anyway I think someone needs to write a new version of the song.
Pussy cat Pussy cat where have you been? I’ve been to London to visit the Qu…… OH! Apparently Queen She doesn’t sit on a chair anymore.
She used to stand on this bridge and watch the big planes go by , especially Concord
Yesterday the outside had been wet but it had picked it’s ideas up this morning as they untied it and let it move away, the sun had come to visit. Only right as it’s my birthday! Did you know that it’s my birthday?
I watched the castle drift by. They caught a water point that was all smelly from a noisy little boat. But apparently it didn’t have the right fitting so they pushed it way and found another. This one was silly stupid as it sprayed water everywhere! Just as much went on the bank as into Oleanna’s tummy. After the summer we’ve had too! She said that it’s impractical for us to have a 7m hose, They’d have to tie the outside up in a very particular way for such a hose to reach.
Tom kept stopping the outside, I had to check he was doing it right. In fact he was just moving the outside down.
He had to have the help of another boat to do this on several occasions. Just look at all those flowers!
Then She and Tom got all excited, my birthday present (did I mention it was my birthday?) was just about in view, we all just had to keep our paws crossed.
Paws crossed
It took them a while to tie the outside up. Then She came in and wrote down the numbers, played the magic music and noted three words. Then she gave me the rules. 4 hours with no woofers.
An ISLAND!?!
My birthday present was an Island!
A WHOLE Island!
I know I couldn’t believe it, A National Trust Island at that! There was one other boat, but they left. We had it all to ourselves, well until another narrowboat tied it up at the other end. I don’t know why they had to do that as it wasn’t being awkward or troublesome. It was just being a nice and peaceful island.
She said she had something secret to do. But after a while we went for a walk, from nearly one end of MY BIRTHDAY ISLAND right to the very end at the other end.
TREES!!!!
Sideways Trees!!And friendly cover!
The end with water on both sides
She had more to do inside so left me to it, which was fine because She’s not as good at climbing trees as I am!
I don’t think I look mature, I certainly don’t smell mature!
Tom lit the stove so I could be all cosy and warm. Then after we’d all had our dingding I got a birthday cake!
I’m not fussed about the cake, they can have all that, but the cream cheese topping looks mighty fine!
My BIRTHDAY Island
3 locks, 2 self service, 8.2 miles, 6003.36 miles in total on Oleanna, 7 years old, not 7+ yet, 44 feline years, 1 island present, 4 hours of climbing and pouncing, 1 carrot BIRTHDAY cake, 1 cat who never ever eats human food licking her lips, 1 stove, 1 sunny BIRTHDAY,1 boating goal achieved, 1 Cliveden Island moored on.
Coming round Desborough Island we came across a huge boat, Magna Carte a luxury hotel boat, prices are stated in US dollars a more stable currency at the moment. They must have just come through Shepperton Lock, the bottom gates wide open. Next year we hope to be turning left here to head to the Basingstoke Canal, water levels permitting.
Kath and Sean to the left, Chippy straight on
I was just getting ready to step off and work the lock when a chap appeared from the Lock cottage, more like house on the Thames. He waved us in and worked the lock for us.
More houses for sale today, small properties which no doubt will be bought and knocked down to build something more modern. The house on the end of Pharoah’s Island that was for sale a few years ago is having extensive work done to it, several boats moored alongside used to bring building materials over to the island.
Chertsey and Penton Hook Locks were both manned, a helpful reminder from a Lock Keeper about the side filling locks coming up today. We passed two chaps in a canoe who are working their way from Bristol to London, we wondered which way into London they’d go. A friend of mine once canoed downstream of Tower Bridge on an organised event!
The trees are still very well clipped in Staines-on-Thames. Was that a platform for a duck disco? We pulled in at the first lower mooring and Mick bobbed off to pick up a prescription and some fruit. As soon as he was back we were on our way again, hoping to reach a good mooring before the storm arrived mid afternoon.
Mick spotted a familiar flag on the bow of a cruiser, a fellow Reflection Flotilla boat. I spotted a polar bear.
Then we were going under the M25, we were now without! Bell Weir Lock is the first of the side fillers, an extra turn around a bollard helps a great deal at these locks. But our position made it impossible to get the bow rope round twice without intervention from the Lock Keeper, who just walked on by to open the sluices. I clung on as best I could, dodgy grip in one hand and cranky shoulder complaining. Must try harder at the next side filler!
The little backwater
Harry Roberts had a little holiday caravan and a rowing boat that Mick and friends used to row down a little back water, far too small for Oleanna to fit down. Runnymede and all it’s history remains on the ‘next time’ list. Maybe we should get a gold Licence again next year!
All the trip boats were tucked up as were the Bugsy Malone cars under the posh house on stilts!
Old Windsor Lock was on self service. The first time we’d done this one without a Lockie, blimey there’s a load of steps here! I forgot about holding the button for ten seconds on the control panel, so it took a while to fill, giving me time to adjust the bow line and chat to a couple who’d just moved to the area from Lincoln. The lock had a big sign beside it requiring you to close the top gates and leave it emptying.
Albert Bridge, the start of the Royal park land. Today a black car with two chaps followed us on the bank, perimeter security maybe?
Shallow was an understatement!
By now the wind was starting to strengthen, it was time to pull in somewhere and batten down the hatches before the storm really got going. The public mooring just after Kris hire boats had one boat moored on it, would we fit in there too? Two chaps sat on a bench said it was shallow, as did signs on the low wall. We soon discovered how shallow it was as we ran aground several meters out. It took a bit of umph to get us back afloat, next possible stop Eton above Romney Lock.
He’ll get soggy later
A dad and young lad stood at the control panel as I approached with our boat hook in hand. He was closing the bottom gate sluices with the intention of filling the lock. They were from one of the big Le Boat hire boats and it was most probably their first self service lock. It took a while for me to get through to him that it would be really good if we could use the water he’d be filling the lock with as it was in our favour.
Filling up
In we came, I hooked up the bow line that had been left resting on the cratch board and tied the bow to a bollard securely. Mick passed his rope round a bollard at the stern a couple of times, this was a side filler. Only one push of the button was required for it to start the process of filling and the sluices continued to rise at intervals. We were soon up and on our way to find a mooring.
The first time we came through Windsor people moored in the lock cut, but that is not allowed anymore. We pootled along thinking we’d end up mooring on the Brocas infront of my Aunt and Uncles old flat. But we quickly spied that the free mooring just before Windsor Road Bridge was empty, we headed straight for it.
Really?
Here there are several signs, EA signs saying not to run your engine/generator/ play loud music, 24 hour mooring. Others from Eton Riverside Management Ltd saying to only tie to the rings not the railings as it’s a public right of way. Then two new looking signs saying Private Land, they didn’t say ‘No Mooring’. Hmmmm! The official signs out numbered the other signs and a storm was just starting to take hold and we’d be quiet anyway. We stayed put suspecting the new signs were from a boat hating flat owner, hoping to put boats off mooring.
Tilly was disgruntled not to be let out as we battened down the hatches and bang on 3pm it started to rain. It rained, then rained some more, the sound on the front panel of the pram cover suggesting it was very heavy. If anyone did have a problem with us mooring here, they certainly weren’t going to come out to tell us so!
Our view of Windsor Castle
On checking our trip computer at the end of todays cruise I noticed that the total mileage for this year so far had just passed 1000 miles. We’re actually likely to have exceeded 1000 miles as the trip computer tends to cut corners. Add to this the miles yet to come returning to Yorkshire, so around another 300 miles, I don’t think we’ll have C&RT on our backs for not moving enough!
Our trip computer works using Water Explorer, which come the end of the year will no longer exist. It’s been handy knowing how many locks and miles we’ve done each day. Sometimes it gets things wrong, you very often go through Beeston Lock twice and omits others. But as a general tally of where we’ve been and what what miles we’ve covered it’s been good, I will miss it. We just need to sort out what we’ll use instead, not many GPS programs will count the number of locks you go through.
6 locks, 2 self service, 13.68 miles, 6 nights 8 people $40,500! 1 pause for pills, 1 duck disco, 2 shallow, 3pm rain, 0 shore leave, 1 wet night, 1000.55 miles this year.
Blue skies greeted us this morning as we pushed away Teddington. This is going to be another trip up stream on the Thames where we keep saying ‘next time’ as we don’t have too much spare time on our hands. We always seem to go up stream on the Thames too, maybe ‘next time’ we’ll come down stream and see things from a different angle, we’ll also save on a bit of diesel too.
We pootled through Kingston, on past Hampton Court Palace, there was space to moor, but not enough time to enjoy ourselves. I wonder if they still sell off their fruit and veg every week?
Up Molesey Lock
Molesey Lock, our first on the none tidal Thames had a lock keeper on duty, we were his fourth boat this morning. On we tootled aiming for about four hours of cruising today, but knowing we’d be a touch short of that due to wanting a suitable mooring for Tilly.
Click on photo for a nosy
Boat houses, big houses. One with a suitable 70ft mooring was for sale. If only we had rich relatives!
Colour coordinated with the rope
A Kingfisher darted along between boats one of several we’d see today.
Open plan and lots of glazing
Plenty of riverside houses are being revamped or started from scratch, most with big windows to appreciate the views.
Bubbles
One property had three sets of bubbles bubbling up from the deep. Was this to keep the duck weed away? Or was it holes in a gas pipe line?
What’s this?
Does anybody know what this thing is? Steps up to it, round like an air shaft?
Rowing
Sunbury Lock was also manned, just the requirement to use bow and stern ropes and to turn your engine off. All the grass cut to perfection and flower beds still showing off some colour.
Maybe they are river huts
Little houses on stilts, looking like big beach huts.
A colourful place to work
Then there was a large pontoon in the middle of the river. The chaps wearing high vis sat about having their lunch break. It looked like there was a drill for collecting samples on the pontoon.
All lined up
We took the route to the north of Desborough Island. Last year we’d moored on the island when it was raining, not a suitable place for Tilly though. Today the moorings here were chocka so we carried on hoping there would be space on the council mooring a distance on.
Brilliant, we were the only boat. Not so brilliant was the large group of school kids heading in our direction! Were they just on lunch of were they skiving? As they hung around all afternoon, admittedly quite a distance from us we assumed they were skiving. This was almost certainly confirmed when they all headed off at school kicking out time!
Pesky kiddies
Tilly wasn’t too sure about it here at first. First there was a woofer that had to be avoided, then lots of screeching kiddies who tried to climb the trees. They were just spoiling it for everyone else, well me! Once they’d gone home for their dingdings I had the place to myself. If it hadn’t been for those pesky kiddies it would have got a stamp of approval!
Just let me get to those trees!
A flurry of panto emails had come through that needed some attention. Then as it was Thursday I put a chicken in to roast, timed to be ready after catching up with the Scarborough Chums. We’ve not had a Chums zoom catch up for what feels like months due to life returning to some kind of normal. Lovely to see people again, a shame some had to be at work. There was so much to catch up with, moving to Scotland, selling houses, buying pubs, a giant cardboard horse and Spanish wedding plans!
2 locks, 9.83 miles, £10,000,000 house, 70ft mooring, 2 many kids, 1 mooring spike, 1 wombled kindling hunt, 5 staying put, but 6 moving to 7 with a 6 inch brail, 1 roast chicken, 1 Sunday on a Thursday.
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.
A bit of a lie in this morning was followed by Mick removing all the lights from Oleanna. I made my excuses from this as my knees have spent too much time over the last few days slightly twisted by standing on gunnels or kneeling and they need to have recovered by the time I start Panto painting. This morning Pam looked to be developing a black eye and had a bump on her head after her fall last night. She seemed jolly and was quite glad of having an excuse not to have to work the locks back up the Regents Canal.
Boats starting to leave
This morning Heather had decided to join us on the Tideway and she would chance getting in at Brentford with David. A fourth boat NB Thyme would be heading to Teddington with us, so everyone had a buddy. Locking time was confirmed as 11:30, just the final engine checks to be done.
Water swirling round to fill Limehouse Lock
A short while later Mick appeared from the engine bay. We had a puddle of coolant half an inch deep and the header tank was low. Yesterday we’d not overheated. It could be something simple to fix, but with Oleanna’s history of coolant leaks we weren’t sure. He checked the engine over. He tightened four jubilee clips on the hoses, they weren’t that loose.
Three in a lock
Should we go out onto the Tideway? Yes we’d be with other boats, after all the problem might now be solved. But on the other hand we’d be going out knowing that we might have a problem, be more apprehensive and know that we’d be relying on other boats to rescue us. That wouldn’t be right, and we wouldn’t enjoy the trip. So we aborted our chance of going under Tower Bridge for the third time in two days. A great shame, but we’d rather discover we didn’t have a problem anymore on the Regents Canal. Time to let Tilly know she could stand down and needn’t burrow into our pillows again.
Whilst Mick mopped up the engine bay I watched the three boats we should have been joining head back out onto the choppy waters of the tideway. The last boat out of the lock was NB Bleasdale, just as Heather completed the turn to face upstream she turned and waved. Not sure when our paths will cross next, but they will.
First lock today
Reverting to plan B we knew that our mooring in Paddington Basin hadn’t been cancelled and wouldn’t be until tomorrow, it would take us a while to get back up the locks and all the other boats heading that way had already left, we’d be on our own, we’d best get moving.
Not homemade gf pastry, but still yum
As we worked our way back up the Regents Canal the oven was put on, sausage rolls we’d intended for yesterday were baked between locks, cooled just enough by the time we’d risen Old Ford Lock and had a longer pound to eat them in.
Home
Today we had a wide cruiser ahead of us for one lock who made use of an empty lock, they were heading along the Hertford Union so we’d be going different ways. We shared Acton’s Lock with a young couple, they were only heading to the next available mooring and stopped just after the lock possibly to use the services there.
Just about every lock was set against us. At nearly every lock we had a crowd of gongoozlers watching our every move. Occasionally someone would lend a hand with a gate and occasionally we had to ask people to move for their own safety.
Electrified
For the first time we’ve passed the entrance to Victoria Park on a Sunday whilst the market has been on, today we didn’t really have the time or energy to stop for a nosy. The food smells were wonderful though, but my sausage rolls were just the ticket to keep us going.
City Road Lock
City Road Lock I had extra crew. A chap who works at the cafe there leapt into action, helping with gates, closing paddles, he even has his own windlass. Today he’d helped around twenty boats through, I wondered if he ever did any paid work at the cafe! This lock has yellow and red lines painted round it and signs all over the place. These suggest to boaters that if they consider members of the public to be in danger then to beep your horn five times at which the public will move away. These signs had been attached to the lock beams with cable ties, as I walked to get back onto Oleanna my foot caught on one. A trip hazard if ever there was one!
Islington Tunnel ahead
There is now a stretch of 14 day Eco Moorings near Camley Street Bridge, they don’t appear bookable on the C&RT website and they were very very full. At the bottom of the Camden Locks there was a boat coming down, I helped and chatted to the owner, they were having a bit of a cruising party to their next mooring an Eco mooring near Kings Cross.
As we rose in the lock I knew the top lock was being emptied, the middle lock managing to stay empty for us and the crew above taking their time doing everything! Sadly they’d left the wrong gate open on the top lock, I now knew why the volunteers don’t like using it. It opens over the steps and over the accompanying locks beam, so the beam is high up, but not high enough to crawl under once you’ve got it over the steps. All very awkward, but at least I kept an eye on where my feet were.
Now we just had to negotiate our way along through the zoo and Maida Hill Tunnel around all the Go Boats. This involved some zigzagging, being waved ahead of them at the tunnel and we managed to avoid them all.
Go Boats out on mass this afternoon
Little Venice we turned left and headed down into Paddington Basin where our not quite cancelled booked mooring sat waiting for us. Another three spaces available, it’s the first time we’ve ever seen room here.
Heading into the basin
We were tired and hungry, so despite having had pizza yesterday we headed to Pizza Express and filled up on a Classic pizza each. A longer day than if we’d have headed out onto the Tideway, but at least it looks like just tightening up the jubilee clips has done the trick.
A buoy outside Chelsea Harbour Marina to Limehouse Basin
*This post contains some slideshows. I’m not sure if these will work if you get the post emailed to you, so you may have to go to the website.*
Getting into position
It took a little while for us all to get into position as the flotilla started to move away downstream. In all the paperwork we’d been given about the event we’d not seen how far apart to the side boats should be. Infront and behind should be about 60ft, a boats length. As our huddle of boats moved into position we decided that maybe a similar distance to the sides would be good too.
Beam us up Scotty! Quite an artistic mistake!
It was dusk, you could just see peoples lights. I had my camera and fully charged phone on hand to take photos. I’m by no means a pro, the contrasting lighting along with being on the move meant there have been many a photo head straight to the bin. Add to the mix keeping an eye on the flotilla, checking which bridge arch we should be heading to and whether we’d be sharing it with neighbouring boat Panacea or not, listening to Flotilla Control instructions, this all made for one busy evening.
Dusk
By the time we’d reached Battersea Road Bridge we’d all got into position. Already people lined the bridge above us.
Albert Bridge, wonderful in day light, now at dusk a spiders web of Victorian beauty. There waiting on the down stream side was Gloriana the Royal Row Barge. Neon rope light swaged along the gunnels and every long oar stood upright with a straight line of white light. No-one would miss her.
Illuminated Rowing
Flotilla Control called Gloriana into position in the flotilla. Safety gaps had been planned between certain sections to hopefully avoid bunching up. The flotilla was now complete. Motor powered boats in front, Gloriana in the middle followed by man powered boats.
Looking back upstream
Following our charts and the boat ahead. Hang on, shouldn’t we be going through the span to our port? This only happened at one bridge, we then kept to the plans we’d been given. Speed adjustments were required to try to keep in line, but then the boat ahead wouldn’t be going quite fast enough, so we’d slip behind our line. Safety boats moved along the sides, keeping an eye out. Our two red glow sticks were bent, broken and shaken in case we needed to draw attention to ourselves, thankfully they remained unused.
From the river we could see a line of people stood on each bank, just about every bridge too. I wondered if this had remained a Jubilee event would more people have had white glow sticks on the bridges. That would have been quite a sight.
Chelsea Bridge, Victoria Railway Bridge, Battersea Power Station with it’s changing coloured chimneys.
Vauxhall Bridge at 19:32. Lambeth Bridge 19:39
Houses of Parliament
Instructions came through to speed up, get closer, slow down as Flotilla Control required. Positions drifted, then came back. Messages from family about our position needed conveying along with everything else. Sheet of bridge profiles once passed under added to the discard pile on the stern locker lid.
Westminster Bridge. The London Eye. Hungerford Bridge at 19:50
Festival Pier and the South Bank19:52. Waterloo Bridge. Blackfriars Bridge and Rail Bridge 20:01. Here those wanting to stay warm lined the windows looking down at us.
Millennium Footbridge. Was that Andrew, Jac and Josh? Had they got the right bit of bridge?
Yep it was, Andrew shouted to us that they would now head to the pub. I messaged them back telling them to turn round and wait until Gloriana had passed at least.
Southwark Bridge at 20:09 Now we could see Tower Bridge, the towers lit up in blue. The progress of the flotilla slowed, it slowed some more. Cannon Street Bridge, London Bridge 20:15.
Our progress slowed right down, Gloriana a distance behind, a Dutch Barge a touch too close. Keep moving came the instructions.
HMS Belfast was lined with Sea cadets who as Gloriana approached all saluted as did the oarsmen on board.
Were we waiting for Tower Bridge to lift? All boats were finding their own space, we’d liked to have carried on moving but that meant those ahead of us should be doing the same and those ahead of them. We could see double deckers and pedestrians still crossing the bridge.
After what felt like an absolute age Tower Bridge started to lift. Normally it lifts enough to let tall ships and boats through, but today it would lift all the way up in full Royal Salute.
Boats started to move, everyone of us going under the central span. Years ago before we owned NB Lillyanne I gave Mick a birthday card of Tower Bridge saying that one day we’d be going under that central span. Here today as one of the 150 boats we were doing just that, bedecked with fairy lights and at night, we were doing it in style. 20:40
There was now a bit of confusion. What was to happen at the end of the flotilla had changed due to the Queen passing away. Some boats sounded their horns, others remained silent. As Gloriana passed through the bridge and lifted their oars in salute there were three cheers for the King, then over the radio came instructions to sound our horns. Everyone went for it still moving downstream at a steady pace. A last look back to the bridge. WoW!!!
Now what? The narrowboats remained in formation heading down stream. All boats wanting to return upstream were meant to continue downstream and reach a certain boat before turning and heading back upstream along the northern bank. It was nice to see the displays of lights on the cruisers that we’d been behind, some very pretty boats.
The stretch of water below Tower Bridge is normally lumpy bumpy but this evening it was quiet, the river was still closed to normal traffic whilst the flotilla dispersed. Andrew the leader of the narrowboat section said he had a time for the lock, we all continued downstream, now arranging ourselves into our locking groups, there’d be four lockings into Limehouse as only one boat was heading back up stream. I spotted a red light flashing in front of us on top of a pole, as I was pointing it out to Mick, Simon shouted from the boat behind, we adjusted course accordingly passing the light on the starboard side.
Now we had rowers catching up with us, heading downstream, they were going some! Three passed us before we reached Canary Wharf where we turned and followed the north bank back towards Limehouse. One boat swapped to the first locking as they were overheating. Six boats packed into the lock and rose the now 7ft up to the canal.
We were instructed to hold back away from the opening of the lock as the water being dropped from it would make quite a bit of turbulence. The river had now opened to normal traffic, Uber boats zooming from one stop to the next and a huge party boat heading up stream. All those people who’d not been aware of what had been happening upstream of them over the last couple of hours.
Then it was our turn to head into the safety of the lock. A repeat of on the way out, ropes round risers, round the T stud and wait for the surge.
During the day a couple of boats had arrived at Limehouse and moored up. With more narrowboats coming back in and less wall or pontoon to tie to boats were rafting up again. On the pontoon I spied a chap inside his boat, I gestured to see if it was okay to pull alongside. It was, after all it is London! We came in carefully. Pam from Flora Dora came over the stern of the boat to help us with our bow rope.
In the dark on a strange boat Pam hadn’t seen the step down to the boats back door. As I passed our rope towards her, her hands held out to take it she fell towards me and the gap between the boats. Thankfully she didn’t fall between them, but this did mean she bumped her head on our gunnel. Glasses, phone were safe but Pam needed a sit down and to be checked over. After five minutes of quiet her shock subsided.
A quick check on Tilly, I think her evening had been calmer than the afternoon. I wonder if she sat in the window for any of it? The Cruising Association was open for us to be able to have a drink and a buffet had been laid on. It felt like an absolute age since we’d had our pizzas. After all the days excitement we sipped our glasses of wine exhausted.
WOW!! What a day! What an amazing day!!
1 lock twice, 15.95 miles, 9.5 hours on the tideway, 34 bridges gone under, 1 barrier closed, 12 narrowboats, 1 widebeam, 1 faulty radio, 1 borrowed tow line, 1 borrowed radio, 1 fully charged phone, 17 sheets of instructions, 1 dead body on the roof, 2 pizzas, 1 fluffed up Tilly, 1 very choppy ride, 1 dutch barge up the rear, 3 Leckenbys, 1 Cheryl, 2 many photos, 1 bridge in Royal Salute, 1st time under the centre span, 1 sponsored walk held up, 1st time in 300 years, 1 amazing afternoon and evening well worth the effort to get to London for, 2 privileged boaters and 1 cat.
1 very big thank you to all the boaters, friends and family who’ve allowed me to use their photos in the flotilla posts. Thank you.
Limehouse Basin to a buoy outside Chelsea Harbour Marina
Final preparations this morning. Fishing net, washing brush inside, everything else tied on the roof. Coal wrapped in a heat wave white sheet. Well deck emptied of everything other than the anchor, it’s chain and rope and a couple of fenders. All this as well as a full bucket of deposits were brought inside into the bathroom. Engine checks done, VHF radio and mobile phone fully charged.
The photos do get better!
Heather had been procrastinating about her lights so I headed over to lend a hand. I managed to put one layer of lights along both sides and some around her cratch before my knees said enough was enough of standing on gunnels. Heather spent time trying to fix rope light to her gunnels held in place by some strong magnets. This ended up being quite tricksy, using the hatch on the boat next door as Bleasdale was moved back and forth made it a little bit easier.
Last night we’d heard that David on NB Albert Victor would be heading back out onto the tideway on Sunday, heading to Brentford. We checked with him if he’d mind us buddying up, then we’d carry on to Teddington on our own, the fast route west, this had been our Plan A. Mick booked us in with the Lock Keeper and then proceeded to cancel our Plan B bookings, lock passage at Brentford and 2 nights in Paddington Basin. The mooring couldn’t be cancelled as the right people didn’t work at the weekend, but they would be informed on Monday morning, then hopefully we’d get our mooring fees back.
Time for a cuppa and to sit down with Tilly, both of us needing a reassuring ear rub. I don’t like it when the shower gets full, it means we’re about to go on a lumpy bumpy noisy fast outside!The thought of them makes me go all fat faced and ridge backed.
12:30. There would be three lockings out onto the Tideway this morning, the first with six boats, three full length and three shorter boats at the rear. The aim was for the lead boats to head up stream making good speed so as to secure moorings for the narrowboat and widebeam section of the flotilla, we’d been allocated several possible places to moor near Chelsea Harbour Marina, but these were also going to be used by the rest of the motor squadron, better to have steel against steel rather than trying to breast up against cruisers.
We were in the second lock with two other narrowboats, the third lock for WB Reflections. As we had a small hand held radio it was decided that we’d be the middle boat heading up stream as we’d not be able to hear everything that the others with beefier VHF radios would. The radio was tuned in to duel scan channels 14 and 8, 14 being VTS (Vessel Traffic Services) and 8 to talk to other boats.
With our bow rope passed around the riser in the lock then wrapped around our T stud, stern line passed round the riser at the stern, NB Dragonfly came in alongside and tied up to us. We were ready for the surge of the lock.
Canary Wharf just after we turned out from Limehouse
Only about two foot difference this morning. The Thames Barrier was having a routine test closure today and had started closing a couple of hours earlier, it would remain closed until just gone midnight. Leaving Limehouse we would still have a certain amount of push from what was left of the incoming tide until the river found it’s level, then there would only be what fresh water was coming downstream.
Zoom!
This however didn’t mean we’d have a calm start to our cruise up stream. The speedy trip boats can hammer along below Tower Bridge at great speeds as can the Uber Clippers all creating big washes that ricochet of the banks. Today it was so rough out there I got wet feet in the well deck before I moved back to the stern.
We tootled along upstream bumping around on the lumpy water in a line of three boats. Alan Ayckbourn’s London flat, Doris May on her mooring, Tower Bridge, then all the other bridges with people, cars, double deckers and trains crossing them.
As we passed under Hungerford Bridge something hit the hatch right in front of me, the lid from an after shave bottle. It hit with quite a force but thankfully missed us both, the aroma though lasted for a while!
RNLI Duke Of Edinburgh would be towards the front of the flotilla tonight
Westminster Bridge
What a beauty
Last year scaffolding had surrounded Big Ben, today the refurbished tower and clock looked resplendent, wow what a sight all that gold!
As we passed Battersea Power Station we wondered where the lead boats would have found us to moor. Eventually I could spy the three of them in the distance, the next three boats pulling in alongside.
There’s Bleasdale
Instructions had been to moor facing downstream so each boat headed upstream, turned and approached a separate buoy each with a pair of boats already moored. The journey upstream had taken just under two hours. Once secure to our neighbours we could relax.
All the way upstream I’d been a little bit conscious that we’d not heard anything on the radio, well a apart from one short exchange between boats. Last year we’d been able to hear the half hourly VTS information for some of the journey. There were comments about cake being made between crews, had we missed something? Well after a radio check (which we should have done earlier!) it was decided that our radio was no more! NB Dragonfly kindly lent us their handheld radio as this evening we’d need to be able to hear instructions from flotilla control. If the flotilla needed to make an emergency stop we’d need to hear it.
Moored with no outside for Tilly
WB Reflections arrived after an eventful trip upstream. Then later on in the afternoon three more narrowboats joined us from upstream and pulled in alongside, rafting up to await the muster time.
Terry from NB Flora Dora
I prepared some sausage rolls, but then we decided to have pizzas as it would be really quite late before we’d be eating again. Photos of spag bol, roast chicken came through on WhatsApp from the other boats.
We ended up five abreast
As the afternoon progressed more cruisers arrived, most moored up to a barge in the middle of the river. Strings of rowing boats came past pulled by ribs to just upstream of us. A Dutch Barge pulled up opposite us, just as one of our mooring buoys seemed to be moving closer to the next raft of narrowboats. Boats moved and breasted up elsewhere. We waited.
A round Tilly on Micks fleece
Inside Oleanna Tilly had come out from her hidey hole under the gunnel protected by pillows and had settled down for an afternoon kip on the sofa, good to see that she was managing to relax a little.
Fenders and checking the lights
Then as more boats arrived some had to be reminded that some of us had minimal fenders and that they should cut their speed. We deployed extra fenders between the boats as all three hulls took it in turns to bob up and down bumping and scraping against each other. We waited.
Others starting to line up
Then over the radio we were given the order to pull into position an form the flotilla.
Manpowered boats mustering upstream
Lights were switched on, each boat untied their lines and gradually moved round each other to get into our allotted position in the flotilla.
Positions
We were in the third line behind WB Reflections and the most northerly line of boats. Getting on for 150 boats were starting to make our way downstream. The flotilla was on the move!
Blog posts of such days take a lot of compiling. I’ve managed the first edit of photos down to around 200, then there are many others from fellow narrowboaters friends and family to add in.
So for now here’s a link to a time lapse of Tower Bridge opening and closing.
