UK Canals - Journey reports

Denham to Harefield

We were up at 5:50 am. The plan today was to get to Harefield at the crack of dawn, load the car and to try and beat the rush hour traffic. So for a dog walk I went and prepared the lock by opening one paddle and then returned for a quick breakfast. The rain had ceased and the wind dropped to manageable levels, so with it being still pitch dark, we lit the Tilley Lamp and Pat took this up to the lock to give a good light there. With all the boat interior lights on we negotiated the lock with no problems and set off up the canal for the last ½ hour of cruising. On reaching Harefield it was light enough to see that we would have no difficulty mooring up, but by now it was much later than expected and we would have to accept that we would be in the thick of the rush hour. As it turned out the rush hour is a bit like a tide. We ended up on the last of the flood, so by the time we reached Shepherds Bush it was slack water and the journey home took no longer than usual.

Tidal Thames Limehouse - Brentford

Limehouse to Denham

Well the plan was Limehouse to Harefield, but the lock keeper was reluctant to lock us out at 08:00am, as 09:00am would be the more typical time, giving 3 ½ hours before high water at Brentford, for the journey. We reckoned that we would arrive back at Harefield after dark as a result. So up early as usual, walk the dogs, and prepare the boat. This means checking the engine, taping up the Eberspacher exhaust, installing my jerry rigged rear navigation light and moving the anchor with chain and neatly coiled warp in a bucket to the back of the boat. We reckon that if you need the anchor it is going to be a bit of an emergency and the least hassle deploying it the better. So the front locker is definitely not the place for it on a tidal river. A quick recce had shown that although windy, the Thames appeared unusually calm, probably due to the lack of trip boats at this time. With life jackets on we waited for the lock green light and then proceeded along with Matilda into the large tidal lock. There are side rods for securing the boat on the lock wall, which makes for easy control, as there is quite a lot of surging as the sector gates open to let the water out. Outside the lock there was about 10 yards of packed flotsam including the usual plastic as well as car wheels and wood, so it was a good idea to stop the propeller and coast through. The river was indeed calm and we had an entirely trouble free journey with only two police boats to wave at and nothing else about. The lock keeper at Brentford was waiting and we were through and up the Gauging Locks by about 12:15. Our plan was to stop there for lunch, but the moorings were all taken and as we were pushed for time decided to continue on to the top of the Hanwell flight, which we reached at about 14:30. Lunch was then prepared on the run and we stopped at Tesco's for the smoked salmon, salad and new potatoes with the wine accompaniment. Our guests were then left at Hayes & Harlington station (bridge 200) and we continued on. By Uxbridge it was well into dusk and it started raining. By Denham, below the deep lock, it was fully dark, with thunder, heavy rain and so stormy that I thought the prospect of arriving in the marina and having to moor up between two boats in the pitch dark would be rather foolish. Slow manoeuvring in a strong wind is not easy at the best of times and nobody will thank us for bashing around. So we resolved to stay where we were and leave before dawn the next day.

Regent's Canal

Having booked locking with both Limehouse and Brentford for tomorrow (Sunday) to traverse the tidal Thames, we were ready for the rest of the weekend. The weather forecast was not good. Our guests, Bill & Carol – first timers on the boat – arrived a little late after an unexpectedly tortuous journey by bus from South London to reach the Bakerloo line at Elephant & castle and thence to Warwick Avenue. The trip through Regent’s Park is especially lovely at this time of the year and at 8.30 on a Saturday morning there were no other boats moving. Camden was quiet with only the stallholders setting up in the market and a row of colourful Goths (mostly black & white of course) decorating the bridge. Locking is always a bit slow and “irregular” with novices aboard as I have found it best to be relaxed about things, safety permitting of course. So both gates seemed to open, causing a bit of confusion about picking up at the lock tails, but no real problems. After the Islington Tunnel, City Road lock presented a challenge to the unwary with its self-opening bottom gates. We now know by experience just to leave them on exit. At Victoria Park we stopped for lunch and were overtaken by Matilda, an Australian themed boat that in fact stopped a little way ahead and joined us after lunch for the rest of the way down to Limehouse. The Australian crew had spent several months touring the UK and were returning later in the week to Australia.

At Limehouse, the rain which had been only short showers all day, set in with a vengeance so that taking water on the pontoon got us soaking wet. Thank goodness for the Squirrel Stove which makes drying wet clothes so much easier. We adjourned to the Grapes for a pub meal and a few beers before settling down for the night.

Paddington Basin

Spending 5 nights moored at Little Venice gave me a chance to explore Paddington Basin, though not before taking the opportunity to move the boat a few yards closer to the Toll House when the chance arose.
The original mooring on one ring and with two stakes driven into the soft ground for the rear mooring rope was not ideal as the boat was at a slight angle to the bank and kept banging the wall all night long in the strong wind. The bank is so low (about 2 inches above the water line) that fenders seemed to do little. On the subject of the low bank, a Bantam Tug passed, having approached at such a speed that the wake was overflowing the bank and the waves continued for some minutes afterwards. Anyway, back to Paddington! Having never had the opportunity to explore the arm previously I was amazed with the ease of access to the Hammersmith and City Underground Station at the country end of the main line station and spotted a useful Sainsbury Local in the new development known as Paddington Central.
The rebuilding of Bishops Road bridge is well underway and the construction workers were busy erecting scaffolding (the subject of a stoppage notice that I had received by the new Waterscape email service). It seemd though that a channel was being made available for boats to access the basin and this was the subject of a later email from Waterscape confirming this. There is plenty of mooring available in the basin and in the arm itself. Pontoons have been laid out, but with no mooring rings. I suspect these are intended for the so called business barges.
There were many security guards in evidence, though I doubt they are for the waterside. I expect they will disappear when the buildings are fully occupied. (See Photo Album for more pictures)

Little Venice

We left home at 06:15 to beat the traffic and arrived at Harefield at 07:30. It took longer than usual to ready the boat as the floor had been cleared for varnishing at the last maintenance visit. It looks very good again now! It was also cold so the fire was activated and a pall of smoke rose a few feet and settled over the water in the still early morning air. We left at about 8:15, and dawdled down to Denham Deep Lock, with the dogs having their first walk of the day. A boat called Palestrine caught up with us while Pat was filling the lock. It was being ferried from Crick to the River Lee to join its new owner and the crew seemed anxious to move on so when we reached Cowley we let them go ahead and soon lost sight of them. And I though we travel too fast!! At Bulls Bridge we moored up at TESCO's wharf for a shopping expedition. It seemed a shame that BW should moor two work boats on this prime bit of wharf and in such a way that two mooring rings were unusable. At 13:00 we were off again up the Paddington Arm destination Little Venice. We passed one or two boats, but at Alperton we were again being chased, so let "AquaVitae" pass, a little concerned that the last mooring at Little Venice might be lost. However, we need not have feared, were were able to get our bow rope onto the last ring of the visitor moorings. The stern was a different matter. The narrow grass strip between the granite edging and the concrete tunnel in the towpath which I believe carried high voltage electricity cables, is notoriously soft. With a lot of heavy hammer work I managed to break into the concrete/hardcore beneath and get a firm hold with a mooring pin. Again a shame. This is a popular mooring spot and boats are always moored beyond the official ringed moorings. It would take little effort to extend the mooring rings a little further. We will be here until Saturday morning.