UK Canals - Journey reports

Reading

We are due at Napton for the annual Cutweb Rally on the 15th September, and now that the IWA National Festival is over we should have had the luxury of two weeks to get there.  Perhaps a cruise up to Lechlade, or just a lingering journey.   However, Pat's Mum is not very confident on her own and Pat has had to return home, so it makes sense for me to return home too.  Today I have positioned the boat at Reading on the Council Moorings (£4.40)  ready to leave it in Thames & Kennet Marina tomorrow.  Then a quick journey back home on the train.   Leaving Beale Park at 7 am I had to work Whitchurch Lock manually - many winds of the handle.   I am certainly out of condition!  At Mapledurham lock there is a temporary water point above the lock and by the time I had filled the 3/4 empty water tank it was time for the lock-keeper to come on duty.  So that was better!   Took advantage of the nearby shopping centre to browse around, but there's nothing useful to me there.   Re-filled the wine rack and tried re-adjusting the movable ballast (4 large flagstones). The boat always seems to have a slight list to port.  Is that due to the junk or "wine cellar" in the various lockers?  Moving one flagstone made an impression, but to do a proper job I need a helper.  Don't want to drop one on my foot.

Sailing Barge

Whilst doing a bit of paint touching up I had to rush for the camera to record this majestic sailing barge doing, for a change, what it was meant to do.   Click on the pictures to enlarge.   Is this a Humber barge?   It has HULL on the back.   Enlightenment requested.

The IWA Festival

This year we joined members of the CUTWEB Internet Boating Club (CIBC) in a block booking for the festival. This allows us to moor up together on the pre-allocated moorings.    I was second out from the bank on a raft of 5.  As the banks are typically shallow, staging was provided and gangplanks still needed, but once the boats were dovetailed stern to stern it made a very secure arrangement.  This was the first time we had joined with other members and our towpath gatherings became a feature, with much fun and laughter.  Two members entered the illuminated boat parade contest and put on good appearances.   The theme was "diamonds" and the winner had a projection of Marylin Monroe singing her famous song at the front of the boat as well as all the usual coloured light display.

The Festival itself took advantage of the lake and there were many boats on display, some commercially, others not - like the excellent showing of dutch barges.   The format followed the usual pattern with entertainment in the arena and trade stands as well as the waterway societies and groups.  Sue Day gave a daily boat horse harnessing demonstration having pulled Betelgeuse loaded with coal for a token reach on the Thames. All our friends were agreed that chandlery was very poorly represented.

Next year the festival we be on the Great Ouse at St Ives.  There is much concern that this will be a difficult venue to reach for a mass of boats, as Salters Lode Lock has a lot of silting problems greatly restricting its availability with each tide.  I gather that every effort is being made to address this problem by the Environment Agency.  As of this moment it is our intention to attend, other factors permitting.

Beale Park Moorings

So the general idea was to get to the moorings, leave the boat and return home overnight to collect the post. I left the overnight moorings at Sonning and proceeded the short distance to Sonning Lock. Having seen a Salters trip boat going downstream about 10 minutes previously, I had a reasonable idea that the gates would be open. They were. Straight in then, and tied up before going to the pedestal to close the gates. To my surprise, this lock has been converted to power operation and there is a nice neat stainless steel box on the top of the traditional green round topped control stand with a sexy blue light indicating power available. So I pressed "close gates" and blow me they did. Then "drop paddles" and likewise, only one paddle didn't go right down to the fullest extent. Therein was the problem. This seems to have caused the sophisticated algorithms programmed into the box to lock out, because no button anywhere caused anything to happen anymore. I couldn't raise the paddles again, open the gates, or work the top end. Manual operation was locked out also. To all intents and purposes I was trapped in the lock with worse case scenario of waiting for the lock-keeper to appear at 9.00 am. It was now 7:45 am. I was just about to call the emergency help number (which I knew would be a waste of time) when an Environment Agency Tug appeared at the top end, and all it needed was the lock over-ride key to get things moving again by working the paddles up and down a few times. What luck! After that, next stop TESCO. All the moorings were taken with overnighters and I only got ashore through the kindness of a liveaboard who invited me to breast up. Shopping done, on to Beale Park. Our mooring I found all too soon. That is to say it is on the southern fringes of the moorings. Handy for the station, and a bike ride from the festival. It is, moreover, partly in a reed bed and shallow. ARUN was already there, unattended, so I tied up in the direction I was supposed to and left the boat. Some considerable re-organisation is going to be needed when the rest of the crowd arrives methinks.

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Sonning

Went out shopping again first thing, for milk & bread.  Then set off at 9:10 with the need today to take the opportunity for the last pump-out and water before Beale Park and the Waterways Festival. This was done above Shiplake Lock with no hold up.  I had anticipated a queue!   Then on to Sonning  to find a mooring which I found before the bridge (£5.00 for overnight with money to be put in a letter box in the fence).    Went to have a look around the village.  Apart from the busy road to and from the narrow bridge, the place is quiet and very pretty, although I suspect, dead.  Nobody about, no shop, no children - in fact the more I think about it, it was like one of those spooky movies where the zombies come out at night.   Went back to the boat and did a bit of boat paint touching up.  Got to keep the rust at bay.  Tomorrow, Beale Park - a bit early - but what the heck.

Henley-on-Thames

Boats had started moving as early as 7:00, so at 7:45 I set off for the nearby Cookham Lock, knowing that this would have to be a manual job as the lock keepers do not come on duty until 9:00.  In the end the lock was operated by a committee of 4 skippers, one coming down and three to go up.  Also a learning experience for one, who didn't know it was possible to operate the Thames Locks manually.   Apart from the early morning fun, a straightforward run to Henley arriving at 13:15.   A shopping expedition followed and some cooking practice after that.   A half decent fish pie and a cake experiment that went wrong.

Cliveden

Not wanting to get too far ahead of myself (the planned arrival day at Beale Park is Thursday), I had a big breakfast and delayed departure until about 8:45 by attempting to clean the brass. No trouble with the locks now, the system is working well and I am roping fore and aft. At Old Windsor Lock the heavens opened with a short heavy shower. Some Australians on a Penton Hook Hire boat were very worried that a plastic container on their cruiser stern deck was full last night but empty this morning. Turns out it was the expansion tank for the engine cooling system. Never heard of that being outside the engine compartment before. At Romney Lock I was sufficiently organised to be able to offer them some help with the ropes. The boat was all over the place as you might expect with novices. Well! We have all been there at one time. I was dreading Boulters lock. It is deep and long with an end fill that tends to cause surging. I asked the lock-keeper to give me a bit of time to get sorted out and he was very helpful. I got the centre rope tied off at about 60 degrees to take any forward surge (generally the norm) and had control with a very long stern rope and constant adjusting of the bow rope. A doddle, in fact the lock-keeper observed that I seemed to have a relaxed time in contrast with some other single handers, who try to insist on just a centre rope and end up fighting it. In Cliveden Reach, an opportunity arose to moor in one of the short bits of cleared bank in the woods. Usually these are all taken, but the setting is magical. Went off then and toured the gardens.                                                                         

Pictures: Left: The mooring.  Centre: Cliveden House and lawn.

Right:  View of the river from the top of the steps leading down from the lawn.

Tidal Thames to Teddington & beyond

Last night boats kept arriving until well after dark.  Just as we were retiring (OK a bit early) LYNX arrived from Battlebridge Basin.  They had been told by the lock-keeper to moor up next to us as we were due to lock out together this morning.  A long spell of gossiping followed and Pat prepared bacon rolls for the crew who had come straight from work to help the skipper.  This morning, everyone was up on cue, and the lock keeper let us into the large Limehouse Lock at exactly 07:00.  BW had a large crew on duty to deal with the 16 or so boats which were to follow us on the tidal Thames cruise organised by St Pancras Cruising Club.   The benefit of having a tide early on a Saturday moring was obvious.   The lower pool was like a millpond and our three boats, St David joined us) had an easy run up river.   LYNX got a little carried away and shot ahead, only to be held at the Richmond Weir.  We were quickly handled by the Teddington Lock Keepers and as it was only 11.00 am we carried on.   About this time, Pat had a phone call to say that her mother was ill and that there was nothing for it but for her to return home.  We decided to do Moseley Lock together and then she would leave to get a train back to London from Hampton Court Station.  I would then have to carry on single handed.  I had not done the Thames single
St David aims for Tower Bridge.  Note the
smooth water in early morning and no trip boats

handed upstream before, so was a little concerned, however the first few locks went very well.  Using the centre rope with the boat coasting into the lock, nicely lined up and with the engine off (a refinement after Sunbury Lock) I lassooed a bollard from the roof and stopped the boat using it.  Tie off, with the rope at about 45 degrees.  Then step off the roof at the front of the boat with the bow rope (previously placed on the roof) and set up a holding position on a bollard again at about 45 degrees in the opposite direction.  This held the boat beautifully - untill Bell Weir Lock that is.   This has a side fill, and the operation went spectacularly wrong with stern of the boat shooting out uncontrollably.   No problem, there was no other boat to get in the way, but I need to know this in future to set the stern rope in addition.  Runnymead was the first decent mooring I came across at 17:00 hrs and took it.   A lonely supper of last nights leftovers, but a gorgeous bottle of Argentinian wine.

The Runnymead mooring

Limehouse

After heavy rain overnight and more this morning, we left Paddington at 08:00.  Arriving at Camden we let down the first lock, then waited for another boat ("Sunset") which had just appeared behind.  We descended the remaining two with them.   On the way to St Pancras lock we came across a boat being bow hauled.  The chap had suffered a burst hose and needed to get back to St Pancras, so we offered a tow which was accepted.  At St Pancras we came across a small craft and joined this one, but they stopped at Kings Cross for a can of petrol, so after the tunnel it was "Charlotte", a Broxbourne hire boat.   They lasted one more lock and we were on our own for the remainder, stopping at Victoria Park for a quick lunch.   The promised rain threatened several times but never appeared.  Mooring on the "wall" at Limehouse was a total shambles, with no boats lined up tidily according to length, so mooring alongside was not possible.   We elected for the opposite side.

Return to Paddington

As scheduled, we are now on our way to the Inland Waterways Association annual festival, this year at Beale Park on the Thames. We have been advised that because of the drought conditions, the Thames is short of water and the weirs have been closed off. The Environment Agency (reponsible for the river) is attempting to save water by reducing the number of lockings and so there may be considerable delays in our journey. Our plan is first to return to Limehouse Basin and then make the transit of the river from there up the tidal section to Teddington (Saturday 7:00 departure). So today we return to Paddington, having checked with the Lock Keeper at Limehouse that our intended plans are OK, otherwise we could have diverted through Brentford, a more direct route. Leaving Harefield Marina at 7:30, the first lock, Denham Deep, was waiting for us with gates open. Thinking that this was an indication of a smooth passage through the other two locks was a mistake. Approaching Uxbridge Lock we saw a gravel barge waiting, with the sole operator closing the bottom gates to fill the lock. We moored up to offer assistance. This was one of the two purpose built barges that have been the subject of so much criticism. My personal view is that they should have been containerised with hoppers that could be craned out and emptied by tipping to speed the turn round. As it is they are emptied with a grabber from the bank, a slow process. Once the lock had dropped, we opened the bottom gates, but then it seems as if the fit in the lock is so tight that the barge was unable to shift enough water back to propel itself out. It was necessary to open the top paddle to flush it out. We followed on and soon caught up with it, passing after the Mill Road Bridge only to find ourselves behind another one at Cowley Lock. So this time we helped the boat we had just passed, though the lock, and went into the Toll House Cafe for a bacon sandwich and cup of tea. Having given the two gravel boats a bit of a lead we then had a straightforward run through, first to Alperton for a visit to the supermarket, and then on to a good mooring in Paddington Basin. Today the weather has given us some torrential downpours. Our new jackets really do keep us dry!

Paddington Basin with spiral bridge in background

The Harefield Run

I left Paddington at 07:00 and then realised that I hadn't had the usual mug of coffee.  I had also forgotten to check the weed hatch, but some judicial use of reverse occasionally seemed to clear some plastic and things improved, however, nearing Alperton I had already nearly fallen asleep twice, so stopped outside Sainsburys for a mug of strong coffee.   Pressing on, the vibration from the tiller was getting unbearable, so I stopped mid stream to clear the weed hatch and had the satisfaction of a  good harvest of plastic.   After that the boat ran very smoothly and seemed faster. No other boats were moving until I passed a convoy just after Northolt and then one of those curious canal phenomena whereby never having seen sight of a boat in front for hours, you turn a corner and there one is, admittedly still some way in front.   Clearly, this boat was travelling very slowly and I was closing on it.   Fortunately, I came right up behind just at Bulls Bridge and it turned left.   I turned right and had a clear road again until the long straight past the gravel wharf when the same thing happened again.   This boat was so slow that when I caught up at West Drayton, tickover was still too fast.  So I overtook the boat at the first opportunity.  At Cowley this boat has disappeared and waiting for a gravel barge to emerge I was joined by Arundel, a 3 year old new working narrowboat boat also doing the Denham Gravel run.   Great to see a real working single handed boatman at work, quite put me to shame.  I asked if the gravel boats would prefer the exit gates left open.  "Of Course", he replied.  "Then you have a 50% chance of them being open when you arrive", looking at me as if questioning why I should ask such a stupid thing.  He was ahead of me at Uxbridge and the lock was full.   He just put the nose of the boat in the gates, left the boat in gear, and climbed forward through the bridge hole and worked the lock, opening just one gate and then moving over for me to enter.  Apart from shutting the gate I had nothing to do.   Again, he keeps the engine in gear with the boat just nudging the top gate.   After that, Denham Deep lock was no problem and arrival at the marina was at 14:15, 7-1/4 hours.

Next departure will be for the Beale Park IWA Festival leaving on 17th August.

Back to Paddington

Expecting guests for the return to Paddington this morning, we set about cleaning up after the night before, only to find the toilet blocked.  The macerator pump was jammed.  This is generally expected if some prohibited material has been dropped in, but nothing for it but to remove the toilet and dismantle the pump until the offending material can be removed.   This is a messy job.  First the toilet bowl has to be emptied for which purpose I managed to find a short length of tubing to act as a syphon, and No! I didn't suck on it.   The stack of "dog towels" usually reserved for wet dogs came in very handy and the offending material was a ball of toilet paper.   Clearly there must be suitable paper and unsuitable paper for electric macerator toilets.   More research required!

The trip back went very smoothly.   The weather was fine, Camden was as usual heaving with bodies and gongoozlers and once again I found the last vacant mooring at Paddington.  Here we properly met up with our fellow Braidbar boat "Sanity".   The guests left and I enjoyed some hospitality aboard Sanity before retiring to make the single handed journey back to Harefield tomorrow.

Limehouse (single handed)

Saturday 5th August

As I needed to be at Limehouse as early as possible (a) to help prepare for the evening party and (b) to get a mooring on the wall as near to the Cruising Association as possible, I left the Paddington mooring at 6:55.  Rather than disturb fellow moorers, I did a "stealth" departure, pushing the boat out into the basin by hand before starting the engine.  (What if it didn't start?!!!)  On arrival at the first lock - the paired Hampstead Road Lock - both gates were against me, so I selected the lock on the towpath side as this is potentially easier for running down to set the next lock.  However, the gates were sporting a BW notice with a red text highlighting the fact that as a single boat I MUST wait for another boat to share the lock with to avoid wasting water.  This was a little bizare because both a top and bottom paddle on the alternative lock were raised and water was gushing down the flight.   I decided to ignore the notice and continue and started to fill the lock.   At this point two other boats arrived to go down, and after helping the lock crew to close the bottom paddle with some difficulty (I remember this problem from before) suggested that they close both paddles on exit to conserve water as we had no indication as to who had opened them.    Now I had helpers to close gates behind me passage speeded up through the remaining two locks.  One was empty, the other full.   St Pancras was full and the bywash was massive here.   Entering Islington tunnel I found to my concern that the headlight was u/s.  Fortunately I found it was possible to line up the TV aerial with the light at the end of the tunnel rather like a gun sight and this proved perfectly effective in keeping me in the centre.   My worry was that a boat would attempt to enter the tunnel from the other end, because the slope of the roof tend to strike the handrail before the gunwale strikes the side and I doubt that two boats could pass even if they tried.   City Road Lock was empty with bottom paddles up and the self opening bottom gates I remembered still self open.   The towpath side ground paddle was faulty.   Proceeding on, a pattern was emerging.  Bottom gates open and paddles up.   My worry about a slow trip was put to rest when a up-coming boat announced itself and I was told that the next top gate was open for me.  Still water was rushing down the canal over the by-washes.  At Jonsons Lock, the bottom paddles were up again and so it remained until LImehouse, but the pound above Salmon Lane Lock was 9 inches down.   Was this the reason for the strong flows higher up the canal?

I found my mooring OK, right under the Cruising Association.   The boat was decorated with bunting and lights, the guests arrived, and the party was a great success.  You couldn't find a better venue if you tried - a balmy warm evening, great setting, excellent food provided - the staff couldn't have been more helpful, and finally a bed for the night just yards from the bar.

Paddington Basin (single handed)

Nuggler is on the move again, this time to Limehouse for the Nuggler's Lock Supervisor's 21 birthday party.  So this means leaving home early to beat the traffic, then to Little Venice or Paddington as a staging for the final leg to Limehouse.   There was much more canal traffic about than that we usually meet to the extent that I was lucky enough to find a boat just entering Denham Lock and so was able to join in.  Both of the locks below had the top gates open, so passage was fast.  As a single hander paired with a dual crewed boat I prefer to work my side just as if I was alone - so it worked out that although I allowed the other boat to leave first, I was first out of Cowley Lock because the other needed to stop to pick up crew, whereas I work from the lockside, rope the boat out and join it while moving having closed the gate. So I led down on to Bull's Bridge.  I turned off there in time to save having to follow a slower boat that I had caught up, and had no delays then on to Little Venice.   Mooring was a potential problem.  Nothing on the rings at Little Venice, and all the pontoons full at Paddington bar one which I took.   The mooring cleats on the pontoons are very badly positioned, so it is necessary to tie back and the boat is, in consequence not very secure.

Once moored, a quick visit to the TESCO local and then household chores.   Tomorrow I leave for Limehouse early.