UK Canals - Journey reports

Grand Union Canal:Bridge 99

Another misty morning. Our target today would probably have been Napton, however there is a stoppage at Lock 2 in the Braunston Flight for today. There were a couple of opposite directions on the Stoke Bruerne Flight which we started at 7:30 and the top lock was thronged with boats wanting to start down. Once the mist cleared it started to brighten up and on the other side of the tunnel we had sunshine. Just the long cruise then to the bottom of Buckby. No holdups here and very little traffic on the lock flight. There were no signs indicating any problems at Braunston suggesting that we should moor up and wait, so we carried on. Very few boats about. Exiting from Braunston Tunnel our hearts sank as we saw the end of the queue only about 100 yards from the tunnel exit. Nothing for it but to moor up and investigate, but whilst attempting to get to the bank in the shallow water a lock keeper appeared who said carry on. The locks are open and most of the people ahead are in the pub. So we went ahead straight into the top lock, joining nb Morpheus. So virtually no delay for us. Morpheus had been waiting since 8:30 this morning. Expecting a rally this week end, there were no mooring possibilities in Braunston, but we prefer to continue on past the puddle banks to a good bit of piling and a low hedge to get good TV reception from Sutton Coldfield and some wind for the wind-generator. Pat has had a casserole on the go in the slow cooker since this morning. Smells good!! Had to open another bottle of Il Papavero.

Grand Union Canal:Yardey Gobion

After descending Grove Lock, the first job was shopping at the canalside Tesco in Leighton Buzzard.     Then on to Leighton Lock where we waited for a Wyvern Shipping to come up.    Newbies it seemed returning after their first trip.  "How do you know when the lock is full?" asked the crew.    Pat's opinion was that if they didn't know after a week's boating, something was wrong.    All the three Soulbury locks were full when we arrived and the pounds too, so after draining two of them the overflow onto the terrace of the pub was interesting.     Pat raised a bottom paddle of the lower lock to let some of it away.    Interesting also was that the Stoke Hammond pound was down with a lot of shallows evident by "Tsunamis" as we passed.   So perhaps not enough traffic to keep it topped up.       Moving on we stopped at Willowbridge for the "full house" of coal, gas and diesel.    Then on once again, Pat needing,  a lettuce, so we stopped at Wolverton.    Still with time in hand we continued on to Yardley Gobion where a mooring was waiting for us.

Grand Union Canal:Grove Lock

Anxious to avoid Winkwell swing bridge in the rush hour - it's a busy minor road - we left early at 6:15 still with one lock to do before the bridge.  All went well.  We were getting on well until Berkhamsted when three boats appeared ready to take off in front of us.   We leapfrogged two and joined Braidbar "Ice Breaker" in the next lock.   Chatting with the sippers of the following boats it was agreed that we would then pair up with nb "Jasmine" as the single hander wanted to get on, needing to be in Stone in 9 days time.   Just as well as we lost the other after the next lock, making good time to Marsworth.   Two volunteer lock keepers greeted us and to my surprise followed us down leaving us with little to do until we reached the third lock.   We were waiting there for an opposite direction boat in vain.   Nobody could get the bottom gate closed properly.  Seemingly there was an obstruction at the bottom seal.   The volunteers called for help so we had to wait, but it did cross my mind that perhaps without the lock keepers with some skulduggery we could have cleared the problem.  However, talking to them all reasonable tricks had been tried.   After about an hour and a half, a man in blue appeared with a handy set of extensible metal tubes which with a bent fork arrangement (There must be a proper canal term for the bent fork thing) cleared it and we were on our way.    nb Jasmine left us at Marsworth services to attend to disposal of some personal material while we carried on.   The swingbridge after Pitsone Wharf jammed for Pat, so I had to moor and offer help.   We got it moving again by jumping up and down on it whilst attempting to push at the same time.   It was just skuffing on two bricks.   Amazingly, "our mooring" at Grove Lock was free, so putting the boat to be was achieved quickly, the wind turbine erected and the TV aerial set up to receive transmissions from Sandy.

There's mooring for 3 boats on rings above Grove Lock. We were lucky so late. Grove Lock Marina in background has WiFi.

   Supper was quickly sorted by Pat.    She does a lot of the preparation beforehand.

Grand Union Canal:Boxmoor Top Lock

Up early and left at 6:30.  Then it started to rain, drizzly sort, the "worst kind".  There was quite a flow on the river sections so a little extra welly needed.   So I was pushing up towards Springwell Lock and I could see quite a strong flow coming out of the river as it joins the canal just before the lock landing, which is on a corner.  So it needed a bit of power.   Then I saw a large sort of tented arrangement just by the river formed of tarpaulins and umbrellas possibly even a fisherman's tent.  Then I saw the rods.  There must have been 5 of them all arranged along the lock landing.   To late to change direection, so a toot on the horn and the effect was dramatic.   This guy, woke up,  threw the canvas aside and ran for his rods, but too late to save them all.   He wasn't best pleased, but it is a lock landing.    The lock was weiring over the bottom gates and it would have been very dodgy to stop there.   

After a while the rain stopped and by Kings Langley we had some sunshine.   We made good progress with very little conflicting traffic.   A curious scene at Apsley as a coal boat emerged with a narrowboat breasted up backwards.   It seemed the narrowboat had broken down after just one lock, so was returning  in tow.   Pity really because we could have done with a full house, gas diesel and coal but it would have been too disrutive to attempt a transaction at this point.

We stopped for the night above Boxmoor top lock.   It can be a bit shallow here but on the second attempt we are nicely moored.    Pizza and a bottle of Papavero tonight.

Grand Union Canal:Widewater

So, the journey has begun.  Our destination Bristol.   After a little rain, the Thames went onto yellow boards last week.  That we can cope with.   It would have meant struggling against the flow of course.  However yesterday just as were getting ready to sort the boat out the first few red boards appeared.  That means "no Go".    So what are we to do?    We have planned to pick up Chloe and Kai with Lilly in 2 weeks time at Devizes, but from past experience, when red boards appear it takes at least a week for things to settle down again and we still wouldn't be on the river.    So today, we made a decision to go NOW instead of Monday and take the northern route via the Grand Union and southern Oxford Canal to get to the river.   This would mean going downstream, assuming we were on yellow boards by then and we would get to Reading in a day to join the Kennet & Avon Canal.    This is a much longer route but if we have good luck we could do it.  So now we have sorted the boat and are sitting above our first lock and have enjoyed a Chinese from the brilliant kitchen of the Harefield Chinese Takeaway.