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.
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