UK Canals - Journey reports

Limehouse to Harefield in a day

I think we have done this before, just, but it is highly dependent on an early tide.  Well today high tide at London Bridge was at 9.23 local time, but neaps.   This means that the duration of accessibility of Thames Lock Brentford is not so long.  Three and a half hours is allowed for the trip and we were advised to leave at 7 am.   Sure enough, just before 7 the lock keeper appeared and we got the green light.   Light rain started.   Exiting the lock under grey skies and rather murky conditions we made the customary radio call to London VTS and carried on.   All the trip boats are moored up, save for the catamaran "Clippers" and we only saw two of those moving, so the water is comparatively calm.   Strangely I think we saw more movement above Westminster Bridge than below with a small freighter, a barge train and a small water taxi moving at speed leaving a huge wake which caused us some fun.   We made such good progress as to have to wait 10 minutes or so for the Thames Lock Keeper to arrive and were tied up in the basin by 10:15.   Stopping briefly for a passing chat with the crew of Uncle Mort, two fellow Cutwebbers, who had almost simultaneously arrived from Teddington, we joined nb "Blue Mist" for the climb up to Norwood Top.  By now the sun had broken through as promised.  Thinking that our crew of enthusiastic young boys would be helpful we offered to go ahead, but found two volunteer lock keepers, Peter and David, waiting for us at the bottom of the Hanwell flight and who helped us up to the top.  Peter said that as retirees, they enjoyed the exercise and had been looking for something to do when the invitation for volunteers was made.  There are two on each weekday, but only one volunteers so far at the weekend.  Peter is a retired engineer by profession and could in theory do minor maintenance tasks as well but "Health and Safety" becomes the problem.  In my other guise as a volunteer railway track inspector, "Health and Safety" is taken seriously but has never been a hindrance, just a sensible set of ground rules to keep one out of trouble. 

Pressing on at the top, we reached the marina at 17:30.

Limehouse

We awoke to a dry morning.  Where was the rain?   The forecasters were promising heavy rain and had issued an "amber" warning of local flooding.  Well we needn't have worried.  As soon as I turned the key to start the engine the rain started.  I suppose it was heavy in comparison to our usual feeble downpours, but in real terms it was just rain.  I did need to put on my yaching jacket though after a while.  At Camden, we found the top gates open as is often the case and went down the lock.   The nexy lock was open too, and then a grumpy woman appeared and gave us an earfull for stealing their lock.   It was a trip boat going down to Limehouse then around the Lee to view the Olympic site and back to Camden.  They asked us to wait at the next lock which we were happy to do, but it was quite a long wait.   They asked us to swap sides for the third lock and then asked it we minded if they went first "as there are several tight corners and we need to take them wide".   A load of rubbish if I ever heard it, but we agreed.   We followed, but with rubbish on the prop stirred up by their passage in front found it hard to keep up.  However, rounding the corner at St Pancras they were closing the gates in front of us and had the paddles open before we could get ashore.  I was furious at the sneakiness of their behaviour and the frank rudeness.   Would it have been difficult to say that they had a boat full of passengers and a tight timetable to keep to and would we mind if they went on ahead.   No problem.  The irony of it was that we had to wait for them again at Commercial Road Lock just above Limehouse Basin, so they were no faster in the end.   There is a lot more blanket weed in the canal than I have seen before, particularly in these later pounds where the water is clear and we needed several weed hatch visits before we had finished.   Friends joined us in the evening for a meal at La Figa, an Italian restaurant.  Twice the price of Zizzi, but twice the portions!  Good service too.   The rain had ceased by the afternoon and tomorrow should be better for the Thames.

Paddington Basin

We set off early in the vain hope of finding a choice of moorings either at Little Venice or Paddington Basin.   We scarcely saw another boat all the way, so had high hopes.  However on reaching the road bridge before Little Venice stretch, we found boats moored right up to the bridge and not a single space for our 60 feet from there to the Toll House.   Moving on to the Paddington Arm the situation was similar, though the mix here appeared more as genuine cruising boats than at Little Venice where most looked like live aboards.   However, as we drifted down to turn at the end a space appeared on the hospital side pontoon which turned out to be 60ft 3 inches long and we tied up there.  Our guests were due late afternoon and Paddington is an easier spot to give directions too, so we were pleased.   A meal that evening in Zizzi's.   Rain had been promised for early evening, continuing tomorrow but there was no sign of it.

Back to Cowley

Up early and off to the Marina by just after 8 am.  There was a bit of boat reorganisation to do in preparation for the next few days when we will have guests abord; the wine cellar to stock, and cupboards to clear out.  Then off.  nb "Illusion" was just starting down in Denham Deep Lock and backed up again to allow us in and we joined them then all the way to Cowley.  There were moorings below the lock and we stopped there for the night to be in a position for a quick journey to Little Venice in the morning.  Unfortunately we had stopped under a beech tree and the intermittent banging from falling beech nuts was going to be an annoyance later on, so we moved one boat length before going off to the Toll House Tea Rooms for another excellent Sunday Lunch.   More cleaning in the afternoon!