River Thames:Caversham

We left our rural mooring early as usual and had Benson Lock all to ourselves.  Then the long reach to Cleve Lock, passing Wallingford.   Just before the mainline railway bridge there is an unmarked left turn easily missed although it doesn't look as if failure to take it would result in too much trouble, just make negotiating the bridge a little difficult with a goof flow running.   By the time we reached Cleve Lock the lock-keeper was on duty.   Below we encountered the swimmer and man on a board again and the board paddler joined us in Goring Lock.  The swimmer has to get out and walk!.  The female swimmer wants to carry on to Southend, but the Port of London Authority won't let her.  Does not sound a very good idea to me.  The fast catarmarans, the other trip boats, the tide, and the water itself do not make for a safe experience.   Putney is their limit.   Our planned destination was Mapledurham, but we need shopping, so carried on to Tesco at Kings Meadow Reading.   A narrowboat was just leaving as we needed a mooring and the whole exercise took us two hours.   Being now ahead of schedule and there being no convenience mooring downstream we returned through Caversham Lock to the moorings by the park on the Caversham side.

Comments

[Deb]

Sounds like the trip is as adventurous as usual!
Looks like u are making good progress.
Really looking forward to seeing you both on the bank holiday.