UK Canals - Journey reports

A weekend jaunt - the return

After the fireworks last night the morning was very misty.   Pat set off to the prepare Ironbridge for our return and I soon lost sight of her.  So waited a while and then dawdled along and got it about right.   Even at 8 am there were gongoozlers at this lock.   A cruiser coming off the bank above Cassio Lock opened the gate for us, but they were stopping below, so we were on our own again.   Below Common Moor Lock we saw a sunken narrowboat, bows near the bank but the stern a couple of yards off and listing badly.  The stern was flooded.  To our surprise it was the boat we had seen the day before, "Forget Me Not".   There was no one about.   I wonder what had happened?

We lunched above Widewater and returned to the marina around 3 pm.   Our last trip of the year probably.   So an oil change, top off the diesel and think about the water system.   Now I can turn on the heating remotely, I am not so worried!   

A weekend jaunt

We always leave home early when going to the boat to avoid London traffic.   This way we can get across London in an hour.   So we were actually leaving the marina at 7:20 am.   Widewater lock gates were open for us as were those at Black Jack's, but thereafter, no luck.   We passed a broadbeam on the way to Black Jack's, but the only other boat we saw moving was an opposite direction narrowboat called "Forget Me Not" which arrived above Common Moor Lock as we were going up.   Ironbridge Lock was painfully slow as always.  Here's a lock that desperately needs gate paddles!  Our usual ploy when visiting Cassiobury Park is to turn above the lock and then moor there and the usual place to turn is with the bows just into the weir stream about 100 yards above the lock.   However, on this occasion I was just about to start the turn when I noticed that a rope had been slung across the entrance with a notice saying "no entry, no turning".   There is a turning point marked on Nichoson's. so I assumed it must be further on, but it is not marked canalside.   Attempting a turn in what is essentially part of the river (with a visible flow) and with the bows getting buried in mud is not easy and took many shunts with Pat in the end pulling on the stern line from the bank.   Normally, using the weir stream the bows are pulled round by the flow.    I wonder what the problem appears to be for someone to be motivated enough to rope off the obvious turning point?   Next time I shall ignore this notice.   It's stupid.