January 17th - 18th 2004
Visited the boat yesterday to drain the antifreeze in the water system and check over. No problems. Battery voltage down to 12.3 and all systems OK.
Arrived on the 17th at 8 am for 8:30 departure north. Boat frosty all over externally and ropes frozen. Interior thermometer reading zero degrees (C). Lit fire pronto, loaded up from the car and set off. No problems travelling north, but no other boats on the move except one opposite direction (Narwhal). Stopped briefly at TESCO because Pat had forgotten the eggs. Once the sun came up over the trees it turned out to be a lovely day. Arrived at Cassiobury Park and winded above Iron Bridge Lock. The boat BUXTON is still moored opposite the winding hole, where it has been for the last 9 months. So much for the moorings code!
Great lunch as always. Then I assembled the fold-up bike for a trip into town on business, returning in the dark, wind and sleet. The new head worn light is brilliant for negotiating unmade paths through the trees and avoiding tree roots.
Up early to another frosty morning and a thin layer of ice on the cut. Left at 9 am to return to Harefield. Great fun crunching through the ice where it had formed in the dead pounds. Lower down, the river flow had prevented ice formation. More boats on the go, as the weather was really beautiful - blue sky, little wind and really not too cold.
On return, drained water tank, refilled with antifreeze and left until text time.