UK Canals - Journey reports

The Blue Lias

We left Norton Junction at 7:40 in light rain and cold again.   Nuggler settled into an easy smooth and steady pace broken ony by having to slow down for the odd moored boat (Including Jannock!!).  We kept the pace up through Braunston Tunnel and emerged almost piling at full chat into the residue of a large landslip on the offside.   Opposite direction boats occurred going down the lock flight into Braunston, causing us to wait each time - and gave us cause to ponder the strange things other boaters do.  For example: You emerge from a lock with opposite direction traffic ascending in  the lock below.  You leave your gate(s) open for them as a courtesy don't you!   Not this boater who offered to help me.  "I shut them to save water".

At Braunston Pat ran up the hill to the local stores.  She must have ran because she was waiting for me when I came back from Tradline having purchased a new mooring rope.   At Calcutt we got entnagled with a couple who had just taken delivery of a rusty boat and who appeared to have never worked a lock before.   Talk about a baptism of fire.  Destined eventually for Saul, they will have Hatton to cope with in a couple of days.   We took them down the three and then they lagged behind and there was no sign of them by the top of Stockton Locks.   We shot down the first few, but then got held up again by the irritating practice of opposite direction boaters who have an outrider setting locks ahead.  Now we are moored at the Blue Lias, setting for the CUTWEB annual GIG, so named the Christmas Party.   If you are a boater and reading this, you must be computer literate enough to be a member, so if not already why not join.   Details here.

Blisworth tunnel

The tunnel was wet.  Wetter than I have seen it before with curtains of water coming down the ventilation shafts acting like an automatic boat wash.  We had left Yardley first thing, again in thick fog and with that damp chill in the air.  An hour and a quarter later we reached the bottom of Stoke Bruern flight and set off up, reaching the top an hour later.  Pat was on advance patrol as usual and she told be that she had met a delegation of BW types gazing at the rubbish in the water above the top lock.  She said that they didn't seem to have a clue about what they were looking at and one thought that our boat registration number was our telephone number.  She lent the same chap our boat hook to move a very large log out of the way.   Once through the tunnel we pressed on and shot up Wilton and Buckby Locks in good form arriving about 5 pm.  There was a convenient mooring for us near the water point in front of a Gayton Hire boat full of young lads.   After the remains of our last night's stew we repaired to the New Inn for a pint (or two).

Yardley Gobion

We stopped here once before.  Its a useful quiet mooring with good TV opposite Baxter Boat Services and about halfway from Cosgrove to Stoke Bruerne Lock Flight.   We left the Globe at 07:40 in fairly thick fog and bone chilling temperature.  We could barely see the next lock going down the Soulbury Three, but slowly it thinned, but no sunshine (promised) until around 1 pm.  Stopped at Willowbridge Marina for gas and coal.  I always find this a funny sort of place - covered in negative notices - obviously run by a Health & Safety freak.   Much as health & safety might be necessary, the notices could give the same message in a welcoming and positive way.   Then its very much a self service establishment as well.  So after asking for coal and gas in the shop it was "Would you like to help yourself".  Protesting ignorance and giving the impression of frailty I did at least have someone bring the coal, but I had to get the gas myself and switch cylinders.   Diesel was 45p though which is quite good in these parts.  (Serve yourself by the way).

Pat got off at Wolverton to get a paper and then boats appeared as if from nowhere.  There must have been 10 we saw moving between there and Yardley.    We decided to stop early in the warm sunshine at around 4 pm.   I sawed up my store of retrieved logs and washed the roof.   Need more enthusiasm to polish the brass Houdini Hatch though!

The Globe

Last night, boy racers in the Tesco car park kept me awake until 11:30.  They just sit there revving their engines and occasionally screeching round the car park.  What they need is some remote airfield site with obstacles to make it exciting and give them a chance to kill themselves without endangering others, because after a while they burn off up the roads and could be heard in the distance making lots of noise.   Why the police just don't wait outside the car park to feel their collars I just don't know.   So when Pat returned to the boat this morning we decided to move one lock down to the Globe pub and position ourselves for the tedious drag through Milton Keynes tomorrow - and get a peaceful night.   Bletchley was on hand to dispense diesel which should see me through until we get back to Harefield.   I reckon useage is about 1.3 litres per tacho hour.

Snow this morning

After a quiet night we awoke to find that it was snowing, the wind had dropped and it felt, in consequence , much milder.  Not being in a hurry we pigged out on the full english breakfast experience before dismantling the TV aerial and getting the boat ready for the short trip to Linslade.   Grove Lock was layered in snow, so we worked it one sided and rather than have the lock operative (Pat) slip trying to close the exit gate, we left it open.  Well - one has to do a risk assessment doesn't one.   By the time we got to Linslade the snow was almost gone.  We moored temporarily before the bridge so as to be able to check out the situation round the corner and much to our surprise there was a 14 day visitor mooring available by the Tesco Car Park.   

The Grove Pub

Up at the usual hour and after a porridge breakfast Pat set off to get a paper at the train station.   Then we pressed on.  A beautiful sunny morning and less wind, but freezing.  The wet ropes from yesterday were now solid.  Several of the lock gates have now been fitted with boater operated top paddle security locks.  Again, few locks were in our favour, but we only passed one moving boat as far as Cowroast which we reached at 10:15.  Soon we were at Marswoth Top.  Tring cutting was bathed in warm sunshine.  Such a change, it is usually dark and gloomy.  The White Lion was reached at 12:15, time for lunch on the move.   Our luck changed thereafter because there was a fair bit of opposite direction traffic culminating in a broadbeam, (they can't close gates) so all gates were open for us!   With this help, we reached Grove Lock (and pub) at 4 pm.  We are well within reach of Leighton Buzzard now, so will stay here the night.

Tree Down at Nash Mills

We awoke to a cold dark windy morning and still raining.   By the time we had finished breakfast and dressed in full cold/wet weather gear the sun was making a show, but the wind was bitter.  At Nash Mills we were met by the local BW lengthsman who advised us that a tree was down and blocking the canal.   There is a line of willows on the offside above Nash Mills top lock that have long been partly obstructing the canal.  They are the responsibility of the council, so the Council has been informed we are told, but also the BW contractors in case the Council are not quick enough.  The boat in the picture suffered some damage to the hatch and side.   It could have been worse.  Finally, at around 1 pm, the contractors had winched the tree far enough out for us to pass.  Two opposite direction boats were also waiting.   We pressed on, most gates being against us and finally reached Berkhamsted at about 5:30.  The day had been marked by repeated heavy snow/hail showers and was getting colder.

On the way to Blue Lias

We left home today on what might become a month's cruise. We are aiming for the Blue Lias pub where the CUTWEB Internet Boating Club is having its annual get together. After warn sunshine for the last week or so it has suddenly turned cold and so we are needing full protective clothing!.. We had a snow shower,  but otherwiswe decent weather, other than the very cold wind. After restocking the larder at Tesco Rickmansworth we met up with a tug Eiger at Batchworth. Harry,. the helmsman was on the way to S&P boatyard with some steel and then the plan is to refloat a sunken cruiser at Hunton Bridge and return it to the scrap yard. So we left him at Cassio and joined Elidir at Ironbridge Lock. Elidir is named after a mountain in Snowdonia. There is also said to be a railway engine of the same name. More research needed here. We stopped at Kings Langley and are looking forward to a snug evening. ----------------------------------------- Email sent from www.virginmedia.com/email Virus-checked using McAfee(R) Software and scanned for spam

Watford Weekend

Bristol & Argo were the last up the lock in the evening, so awaking at 6:30, the lock was ready for us with top gates open.   At 7.05, a community boat got there first!  So at around 8:00, having shut the bottom gates and filled the lock again, we set off.   At Cassio Lock there was no sign of the community boat, but the lock was almost full, so our fears of having the gate saga all over but in reverse were wrong.  The day was overcast and chilly with threatened rain and gales, so I was anxious to press on.  From Batchworth down there was quite a lot of other traffic.  We followed Lord Aragorn down - but he had a lockwheeler and left us in the dust after Coppermill.   No sign of them at all by Widewater.  But the rain did come, and after mooring up we decided to stay the night and leave in the morning for home.

Watford Weekend

As I have an evening meeting in Watford, the boat provides a simple solution to the problem of getting home at night as well as an opportunity for both of us to "get away" for the weekend.. We can moor it at the bottom of Cassiobury Park and then it is a short bike ride away.  So typically, we leave home at 6 am, arriving at the marina an hour later, then after transferring food and other sundries to the boat, set off up the canal.  This time we had the two aging labradors with us.  They grew up on the boat really, but are now so old that they cannot manage the stairs and getting on and off in anything other than ideal circumstances becomes a real problem.     This time we got away at 7:40.   Pat was not feeling very well, and as the lockside is not a place for anyone under the weather, I made her stay below and ran the boat single handed.   No problem to this at all, except that this time there was not a single lock in our favour and mostly with top gates both open as well.  I don't have a problem with this and indeed would prefer that leaving exit gates open was the norm.  It is a much more efficient way of working.   So I leave them as I find them .    It was raining when we left, but by Springwell Lock the sun came out and at Stockers Lock I was in shirtsleeves.   There was a boat ahead in the lock - not the one leaving the gates open, because they had only come down to wind and go back up.  It was a pretty widebeam inspection launch named Lord Aragorn.   The offered help which was gracefully received with thanks.    Going on further at Common Moor Lock I thought I spied the tail end of a narrowboat along with the still open top gates.   At Cassio Lock I caught up with them, but there was Bristol & Argo in the lock going up and almost certainly the reason for the open gates lower down.   So that's alright then.    I was on my own again at Ironbridge Lock, surely the slowest filler on the Grand Union.    Springwell Lock now has a new top gate with a beautiful array of gate paddles and Ironbridge desperately needs this treatment.   There is always a huge crowd of Gongoozlers here which Pat hates.  I, on the other hand can have some fun and always a chat.  Winding above the Lock, we found a mooring close above the lock landing - the only place we could get the boat in close enought for the dogs.