UK Canals - Journey reports

Anderton Boat Lift

We awoke to an overcast windy looking sky after overnight rain.  Today's task was to find a lauderette - and there was one listed at the Anderton BW Services.   By the time we got there it was raining heavily, I was soaked through, not having put on the heavy weather gear in the first place.  The mooring was occupied by a boat taking water.  So we breasted up and waited a few moments to finish, and then moored up in front of the pump out machine.   The washing machine was flagged "out of order".  So - went below and put on the full wet weather gear and a change of clothes, which instantly caused the rain to cease.  It always does!   I ran the pump out and filled the water tank, maybe our last fill before the festival and we moved on looking for a mooring.  We found one just before the Anderton Lift and the sun came out.   After lunch we strolled up to the bridge overlooking the lift access arm and was surprised to see steam boat President with its butty appear out of the lift covered of course with its "hangers on" (literally of course).   The two boats, breasted up, started to emerge from the bridge.  A blast on its whistle is meant to mean "All other boats keep out of the way - this is President coming", but the oldtimer on "Druid" (Warship Class the nameplate says) was having none of it and stood his ground.  Picture, taken from the bridge, by mobile phone, so apologies for quality.   President gave way and continued to the winding hole and turned.      I must say that I found the lift, and visitor centre excellent.   I didn't realise that the control centre is in the visitor centre itself and not in the little hut on the top, and how modern and sophisticated it is.   The whole area is beautifully landscaped and the old weights from the 1908 conversion made up as a maze in the grounds.  Amazingly, we could have been accommodated in the lift today, but consultation with the crew turned the offer down, so we will have to keep a visit to the River Weaver for another day.   It now looks as if we will reach the festival site a day early, unless we can find another mooring site on the way tomorrow.

Middlewich

We left Wheelock late, nearly 9 am.   Well it was only a few miles to our next destination and only a few locks.   However, after reaching Elton Moss Bridge we caught up behind an incredibly slow boat, so slow that I had to go into neutral at times to keep pace.   Then it ran aground briefly, slowing us further - not that we were in any hurry of course.   Anyway, by the time we reached Crows Nest Lock 67 we he was at the head of a queue of six boats, and for the next 4 locks we hit the up traffic taking locks ahead of us, so it was midday when we reached the outskirts of Middlewich.   I had, some weeks ago, downloaded supermarket info from the Narrowboatworld web site and this informed us that there was a good TESCO store to be found from bridge Cledford Bridge 168.   Nicholsons lists the bridge as 166, but reassured by the road names we found concurring with the directions, we headed off, only to find that it was only a TESCO Express, and of little use to the sophisticated culinary needs of the head chef.   Plan B was to try the Somerfield supermarket accessed from below bridge 172, but it took us about 3 hours to get there.  Firstly, traffic at the junction was milling around, secondly I found DIESEL at 41p/litre at King's Lock Boatyard too good the turn down, and thirdly there was a long queue at the three locks not helped by a dead shell being bow-hauled though the locks.    Somerfield was definitely the better of the two and we settled in for the night.    Talking of vegetation growing in lock gates, I couldn't resist a photo of this tree (a beech I think) growing in the gate of lock 68. (Click on photo to enlarge)

Barlaston

To our surprise, there were quite a few boats moving when we set off at 7:30.   So we were second in the queue at the first lock.   At Haywood Junction the reason was apparent, all the hire boats returning.   However, the queues persisted from then on, so progress was slow.   At Stone, Pat & Gemma went shopping while Chloe and I continued up the flight watched, of course, by countless gongoozlers.  At Meaford we were following a single handed boater - a teacher on a six week cruise - so she went ahead for him and we made excellent time with little coming the other way.   Barlaston was the chosen site for our night mooring today.   It is within reasonable timing for Gemma to catch her train home tomorrow morning.   Then we will have to slow down to reach Preston Brook on Friday.

Wolesey

A long day finishing off the Coventry Canal, Fradley at 13:00 and on through Rugeley to a rural mooring for overnight at Wolesey.    A hot day in the end, with a crowd of purposeless teenagers at the sharp corner by the aqueduct over the Trent.   They were throwing stones at the BW notice on the otherside of the canal, but not seemingly at boats.  We escaped unscathed for which I am glad, otherwise I would have had to have gone to the enormous and possible fruitless task of getting a crime number from the local plod, before reporting it all over again on the BW form.   Supper in house again with a delicious lasagne and salad with real plum pie for afters.   Mouthwatering!

Polesworth

Given that we have to be in Stoke-on-Trent early on Sunday there is some pressure to speed up progress.   So we left our overnight moorings at 7:00hrs and pressed on.   It is, however, difficult to make any real speed over 3 mph, so progress was slow.   Nowhere near as slow as Atherstone locks.   We joined a queue of two boats at the top, interlaced by upcoming boats.   The locks empty fast enough, but filling is as slow as I remember from our last visit.   There were so many upcoming boats that closing gates was largely unnecessary.   This placed us at the bottom at about 15:30 and with a decision as to how far to go before finding an overnight mooring.   I did not want to stop in Tamworth and it seemd unlikely that we would make Hopwas, so Polesworth it was.   Good moorings there.   We have two questions today like: Why are bridge holes always on bends? (We have had several emergency stops today);  Why do BW yards look so derelict? (These appear as prime sites for BW Customer service bases) 

Braunston

Lovely weather today.   After the initial cruise to the bottom of Buckby flight we met an almost constant stream of opposite diection boats, so that at pretty well every lock we were waiting.  We stopped at the top for lunch at the New Inn.   Seemingly there had been a death there last Friday.  Apparently after a fight on the lockside, the victim fell in the lock not to re-emerge alive.   Continuing on we passed 4 boats in the tunnel and again down the Braunston flight a continuous stream of boats going south.   Moorings at Braunston were empty.   A raiding party has been sent out to investigate the pub scene.

Yardley Gobion

A very leisurely journey today.  We left Great Linton early, visited TESCO at Wolverton and picked up crew as planned.   Then at tickover to Cosgrove where the water tank was filled, the lock negotiated and the Barley Mow pub visiyed for lunch.  A slow ride to the moorings at Yardley Gobion opposite Baxters Boat Services and two visits to The Coffee Pot pub in the village.  Supper on board was salmon rosti, fillet steak with orange and madeira sauce, saute potatoes and vegetables, and cholate fondants with ice cream.  Several bottles of wine.   Well we push the boat out for our guests!  Oh dear!

Grove Lock

I had a quick look around the BW yard to see if pump out facilities are there.   In a word, No!   The office is now vacated, but the yard itself seems operational still.  I would say a bit of development in customer facilites here might be a good thing.   Not that we are desperate yet.   So we continued out meanderings down the hill and arrived at Grove Lock at lunch time.   There is a nice bit of new mooring here above the lock with space for two or three boats, one space occupied by a certain nb Two Hoots which was there last time we passed.   I expect the chap has paid for a permanent mooring, but there are no signs.   We had the unusual experience of lunch on the grass bank, in the sunshine, after which I put a bit of black on the gunwale.   Looks much better now.  In the evening we patronised Grove Lock pub-restaurant.   More a restaurant than a pub, from recent beginnings when the building was aquired from BW and renovated it seems to be doing very well for business now.  Interesting really because it appears to be in the back of beyond from a road perspective, so little passing trade I suspect.

Marsworth

Coming down Marsworth flight this afternoon the locks were against us.  So flush with crew, Pat volunteered to walk down and set one lock at a time ahead for us whilst Chloe worked the locks leaving me being bored at the helm.  Halfway down, lock 42 is at a sharp angle, thus invisible from the lock above.  I had just entered the lock above and Chloe had just started draining the lock when a woman appeared at "our" bottom gate and a boat appeared to shoot out of this invisble lock below coming to a screeching halt on the corner finding the lock against it.  Chloe then gets a mouthfull of abuse from this woman saying "Tell that friend of yours to look properly before wasting a lockfull of water". I found out later that this was a mild rebuke in comparison to what Pat had had to endure as the two had passed at the lock below.
Quite apart from the rudeness, was she right to say that we had "wasted a lockful of water"?  My contention is that it makes no difference where or how the boat's paths cross.   A boat takes a lockful of water with it on its journey along the canal when descending, so if we did waste water it was by filling the top lock and not waiting for an upcoming boat to do it for us.  Meeting a boat coming the other way is irrelevant IMHO.

No problem mooring up at the bottom of the flight and very little traffic passed us after 3pm.  Whilst preparing supper later on we heard a bang from the boat in front and saw a drop of water rise up to land on the boat.  Curious we went forward to see a man climbing out of the canal.   He was too embarrassed to look at us, in spite of our expressions of concern.  He must have hurt himself, though, to have made the bang, but didn't appear to be injured.   His partner came to the rescue.

Berkhamsted

A very slow start this morning - we left Hunton Bridge at 08:00 having done some housework sorting out the store cupboard. Dawdling along, doing the locks the slow way, we got to Apsley at 10:10 where Pat went shopping and I filled the water tank. We gave two overtaking boats a head start and then continued on to Winkwell for Diesel. 48p per litre. They had just had a new delivery of £4000 worth. I asked them what the plans are likely to be come the end of red diesel and they had no idea and really didn't seem to have given the problem much thought. Stopped at Winkwell for lunch then on to Berhamsted. No problems. One thing that has struck us is the paucity of traffic. The Apsley moorings were empty and we must have passed less that a dozen boats opposite direction. We are moored nearly outside the Crystal Palace pub. Quite a bit of noise from the railway line here, but it doesn't usually bother us much. It has been quite a hot day. Much discussion about how to take two days to get to Leighton Buzzard. Perhaps we'll stop for the night at the bottom of Marsworth. Stopping early does at least give me a chance to do the boat maintenance - today I cleaned the brass. Rain now guaranteed.

Coy Carp

As we were suffering withdrawal symptoms, a decision was quickly arrived at on Friday to visit the boat and go for a short cruise.   By short, we mean enough to warm the engine through.  So we pitched up just after 9 and crept out of the marina to join a boat in Widewater Lock.   These folk were celebrating a 30th birthday of their son and had the boat decorated with balloons and such.  We stayed with them until the next lock (Black Jack's) and then peeled of just before the road bridge at Coppermill Lock to moor outside the Coy Carp pub.    This has extensive gardens as well as a large interior seating/restaurant area and serves half decent food at reasonable prices.

So we had lunch and returned.   There is an awful lot more weed in the canal along this river stretch than I can ever remember and today, not much flow either, so expecting to be able to back into the winding hole and have the flow turn the boat for me, I was disappointed.   It just got stuck in the weed.   So I had to resort to the bow thruster which in turn got jammed up with weed in the grills, so although I did successfully turn the boat in the end, it was another lesson learned.   I should have reversed the boat past the winding hole and then done a conventional bow in turn, driving the stern round on the engine against the feeble flow in the river stream.   So a gentle return to base and a pleasant day all in all.

Harefield Marina and home

Up early as usual with the intention of being first up the Hanwell flight in isolation so that I could go at my own pace.   It was evident on leaving that two of the boats I had followed out of Teddington had the same idea and would not be far behind me.  The first lock two locks were in my favour and although the following boats were able to help with the first, I had left them behind by the second.  At Hanwell bottom lock I picked up with WILLPOWER.  Ruby and Cliff had just opened one gate and were entering as I pitched up, so I stopped at the lock landing, opened the other gate and joined them.   They seemed to be a little dismayed to find that I was single handed, but with single gate working and setting locks ahead we made a formidable team and reached Norwood Top Lock in 3 hours from Brentford.   They appreciated my need for haste but left me to carry on for the remaining two and a half hours of the journey as they needed water. 

I met the two Denham gravel boats at Uxbridge.  With the moored boats there, especially at Uxbridge Boat Centre where they are sometimes two abreast, the canal is pretty tight.  There is quite a surge of water pushing sideways when these vessels pass and then everything is sucked back after, so being near moored boats is difficult to manage.   I just missed one guy's outboard motor with about a foot to spare with a feeling of helplessness as the boat was pushed towards it.

Back at Harefield, the car battery was flat again, but this time I came prepared with jump leads to charge it up on the boat.   Next time I will disconnect the battery before leaving I think.

Brentford

No rush this morning.   There are only two locks to Teddington where I must wait for the tide, so I set off at 8:50 to guarantee a lock-keeper at Sunbury Lock.  I was the only boat waiting and just as I was entering the lock a long blast on a horn from behind (round the corner, so out of sight of the lock keeper) preceeded the arrival of tug ASH with a flat in tow.   I love the way the workmen just asually toss a heavy rope with a large eye in the end over a bollard to stop the barge.   As I approached Molesey Lock the gates were against me, but the paddles were up and I could see a chink of light between the gates.   No sign of any boats inside, so I continued ahead slowly aiming for the centre of the gates, and the gates duly opened - to reveal two narrowboats, one each side of the lock.   A hasty sideways manoeuvre followed to the startled look on the lock-keepers face.  I entered the lock, alone again, and apologised. The lock-keeper must have been so perplexed that he forgot the top paddles were still up.   With no further incidents I arrived at Teddington super new moorings at 11:15.   At 13:45, three other boats that had turned up behind me started off for the lock and I joined them.   Being a bit early it was Richmond before we started to pick up some useful tide to speed progress and by Kew Gardens I recorded a mind-blowing speed of 6.8 mph (having risen from 4.8 mph above Richmond), so 2 mph of tide half an hour after high water. 

The blocks of flats opposite the moorings at Brentford Basin are pretty well finished now and look absolutely cheerless.  There is another block being built on the towpath side by the little swing bridge and this appears to be so close to the path that the area is beginning to resemble a canyon.  I just hope that the ambience improves in future because it looks absolutely sterile at the mopment.  There is lots of commuter traffic, both pedestrian and cycle on the towpath here.   Nonethless, a quiet night

Walton-on-Thames

We were out walking last night and came to Boveney Lock where we saw the bottom gates were open which is contrary to instructions for the unmanned lock (it was 8 pm).  Shortly after a sequence of evening party trip boats came through.  These guys cheat.  They have a key to turn the power on, whereas oiks like ourselves have to wind the handle hundreds of times when the lock is unmanned.  Later that evening our youngest daughter phoned to say that she thinks she has mumps.  Help!  This morning Pat phoned again and now feels duty bound to return home ASAP.  So we set off at about 7:50, did Boveney Lock the hard way, and carried on to Staines where we reckoned a good train service should be available.   Very little traffic on the river, so we were there by 11:30.   Pat was home in an hour and a half!  I did the remaining three locks solo in all respects, solo crew and solo boat.  I just use a centre rope to steady the boat and put a stern line on to stop it drifting, then sit on the wall holding both ropes.  Sneaky positioning by the steps helps getting back on with deep locks, but most of the Thames locks are not that deep.  I arrived at Walton-on-Thames at 14:00 and found a space by the Anglers.  I have warned Thames Lock at Brentford to expect me tomorrow.  Strictly speaking its not necessary to phone ahead during normal hours, but the Brentford guys are very helpful and they are more likely to have the gates open ready.  The high tide tomorrow is at 14:30, so I will appear at Teddington Lock at 14:00.   Am looking forward to Hanwell flight on Tuesday (not!).

Boveney

We left our moorings at 7:50 and descended Fobney Lock and County Lock.  County Lock is in much better condition that last year, so no problem there.  There is a notice under the bridge before the lock which invites boaters to "alight here" to work the lock.  I could not because the wooden top to the piling is so high that it would have damaged the cabin paint and side doors.   There is a pontoon just round the corner which is quite useful.   Because of the narrow channel and the strong current, the next section known as the Brewery Gut is controlled by traffic lights. We got a green traffic light immediately on pressing the button and proceeded down the Brewery Gut with no suggestion of any difficulty with the stream.   Blakes Lock was unmanned, so we dealt with that ourselves and made Sonning Lock exactly at opening time to get a visitor's licence.  The three day licence was an amazing £48.60.   We could make Teddington in 2 days we were told, but that takes no account of the tides.  We will need to be at Teddington for the 14:15 high tide according to my information.

  We had also worked out that the Henley Royal Regatta was still on and that must mean further delay.  At Marsh Lock we were given an instruction sheet, and all through traffic is herded to the west bank past the boom marked course.  Never having "done" the Regatta it was very interesting to see several races at various stages as were moved along.  The most impressive were the female 8's, all looking tanned and incredibly fit, though more noisy that the men.   One could almost smell the hormones!  We also noticed the gradual transition in the spectators from the smart hatted ladies and well dressed men at the town end in the grandstand to the more informal gatherings with beer tents and icecream vans at the farm end.   A day's mooring on the opposite bank we noted will cost you £50.00 inc VAT.

Fortunately thereafter, most of the traffic was opposite direction, so no real hold-ups along the way and we found good moorings for the night at "the hangar" by Boveney.

Positioning for the Thames Dash

The list got very much worse this morning as Reading Marine hire boaters filled the lock in readiness to beat the Aldermaston Bridge rush hour closure and drained the pound down.   So at the first opportunity we moved the boat off the rock or whatever the centre was sitting on and took up position nearer the lock.  Armed with walkie talkies we established a procedure for exiting the lock across the strong cross stream, as the river joins here, and making sure the swing bridge is open.   The strong current makes a good procedure critical and as a single handed boater, this is a spot to avoid if a prolonged obstruction to the traffic is to be averted.  We were joined for this by another Reading Marine hire boat, but whereas I moored up below the bridge to pick up Pat, this skipper just sailed on leaving two of his crew to run all the way to Aldermaston Lock.  Perhaps this was normal for them.  They didn't seem put out at all.  A stroke of luck!  The large Aldermaston Bridge on the A 340 was being serviced, so the workmen took the opportunity to work it for us.  We hate doing this ourselves as the motorists are so impatient.  Carrying on past Aldermaston the tone of the canal changes.  The locks have seen little of the lockgear modifications troubling us on the rest of the canal and most of the traffic disappears leaving only a few "long distance" boaters coming off the Thames.  We moored up near Fobney Lock in a place shown to me last year by Terry & June (Pluto).   It has started to rain.   Lets hope we have a wet weekend for the Thames which might keep the lock queues shorter.  We will have Henley to contend with as it happens, but the aim is Teddington in 2 and a half days.

Woolhampton

Pat is anxious to get home as soon as possible, so we must press on.  Today we moved on down to Newbury (by lunchtime) for shopping, diesel and gas, then on to Woolhampton.   There was no sign of locked gates on the way down, but why should there be a water shortage on this section to Copse Lock?  A clue might be found in the state of the weir above Drewat's Lock.   It is choked up with weed, but a lot of water seems to be leaking through the wooden planking at the bottom of the structure.   Just a thought!   We were joined by a reading hire boat at Copse Lock and enjoyed the newbies humour as far as Newbury.  After shopping and boat needs we carried on, mixing up with a number of different boats on the way to Woolhampton.  Unfortunately we were too late to get on the 48 hour moorings and had to be content with tying up in the prolific vegetation further up.  These we will call the beggars moorings.  After tying up, the water level dropped a few inches which led to quite a list.   Investigations at the lock revealed no problems and the bywash was overtopping gently, so no need to be worried. 

Looking at the state of some of the bottom lock gates, bursting with prolific vegetation, it struck me that if we can persuade some boaters early in the season to chuck a few tomato seeds onto the gates, later in the year this could prove a very useful resource of ripe tomatoes.

Kintbury

Just a short trip today.  Took water at Hungerford and then pottered down to Kintbury.  Met 10 boats opposite direction for the three locks, so not a lot to do really.   One boater told me that he had been trapped in a lock because BW are locking gates overnight below Kintbury because of shortage of water.   After the rain last night things should be OK then!    After mooring up, treated a few rust spots and slapped a bit of paint on.   Waiting for Pat.

The last two days I have been getting to grips with the new gear boxes that BW have attached to most of the lock mechanisms along the canal.   Pat says that it takes 54 winds to open bottom gate paddles, but the real problem is that the direction of rotation is reversed by the gear boxes which makes the process ergonomically much less efficient.   The shoulder is not adapted to lifting with the arm at a stretch.   This is particularly evident with some of the ground paddle gear which is positioned in such a way that the lifting action has to take place over water making it almost impossible for the less muscular boater to operate.   Much more to the point though the new gearing has a bodged look to it.  I have always been impressed by the simplicity, efficiency and even cunning in the design of lock furniture which has stood the test of time for 200 years.  Yes, it has been showing its age in some cases, and the gears are worn.  Surely though, that does not justify what I would call industrial vandalism on such a vast scale.  A targeted rebuild of some of the worst cases would have been enough.  What is so sad with the BW solution is that just as many paddles are difficult to operate and the gear boxes have solved nothing, in my opinion.

Hungerford

A fairly straightforward single handed journey down to Hungerford.  A few lock maintenance issues have been reported on the NABO site.   Pretty well all the locks on this section are "Leave Lock Empty", so progress was slow taking typically 20 minutes per lock.  Lovely weather though - until late evening when moored up when I enjoyed a good thunderstorm from the comfort of the interior!

Bedwyn

I have to confess to messing up the grand plan and somewhere lost a day.  This means that in order to return the crew home as promised from Bedwyn (our nearest convenient railhead) we had to do two days cruise in one.   So we did the leap from Devizes to Bedwyn at a gallop.   Very little traffic about.  One thing seems very obvious and that is the different standard of maintenance on this side of the summit.    The gates are sticky and wobbly, some ground paddles with the new gearing have been tightened up so much that they are stiffer than the unreconstructed ones must have been, and some of the original geared gate gear is still unchanged.   Also lots of irritating "Leave Lock Empty" signs, one hand written citing leaking lower gates.    I am resolved to report on each lock as I progress further, initially single handed until refreshed crew arrives at Kintbury.

BTW there is no Orange signal at Bedwyn to post by GPRS, or make calls even.

Bradford-on Avon

From Bathampton to Bradford on Avon is really not a long journey.  But it is not one to be rushed as it includes what I think is the most spectacular scenery of the canal running first on one side of the Avon Valley, then the other, and including the two famous aqueducts at Dundas and Avoncliffe.  But one could not rush it anyway because it is almost wall to wall moored boats.   We did it in 3 hours at little over tickover and moored up below the lock at Bradford.   We discovered the Budgeons Supermarket:  walk the towpath to Underwoods Bridge 171, up to the road and cross the canal, turn left at the roundabout.   The badly sited interpretation board which I commented on on our last visit has been removed, I notice, and the lock beautified with sensible railings to keep the gongoozlers from interfering with locking duties.   Our schedule for the rest of the journey home will be Seend; Devizes; Pewsey; Crofton; Hungerford; Newbury; Woolhampton; Theale; Reading - then the Thames in 3 days to Teddington and Brentford.

Bristol

Yes! We made it today.   Up at 2:45 am, a dawn departure from Sharpness, flat calm conditions all the way, into Portishead Marina for 5 hours, then on up the Avon (tidal) to the Floating Harbour.   There's lots more to tell, but its very hot weather, we are badly in need of a drink (or two).....

The alarm went off at 2:45 and we stumbled out of bed for a slightly non-routine start.  After seeing to the dogs and a cup of strong coffee we began final preparations not knowing what lay ahead.  The water tank vent opens inside the front locker, so that needed taping up to avoid possible ingress of dirty estuary water, the front doors would be taped too, but not until we left the tidal basin moorings.  The cratch cover was put down in case of rough water.   At 3:50 am our companion boat, Spuyten Duyvel with Harvey and Ellen aboard, appeared moving silently down the canal looking impressive with all navigation lights on in the darkness.  We joined them and crept towards the low swing bridge at the entrance to the docks.  There was relief as an impressive screeching and scraping sound signalled movement and soon we were creeping across the dock basin looking for the lock.  We breasted up at the lock and our long lines were tied off on the dock-side.   An initial relaxed atmosphere suddenly racked up a notch as it appeared that a freighter due in that morning was earlier than expected and the lock was needed, so without our pilot the lock was drawn down - a long way.   As the gates opened we had the impressive sight of the bows of a very large boat passing the entrance of the tidal basin in order to turn and stem the tide prior to entering.   We did as instructed and waited on the pontoon for high tide and our pilot, some 45 minutes away but with the interest of seeing this huge ship inch its way into the dock. The dawn light and clear sky gave it all a magical air.  The freighter was the largest the docks could accept and it was interesting to see it have to move across the lock so that one gate could be closed at a time.   With five minutes to go our pilot appeared over the top of the wall and climbed down the ladder to join us.  He introduced himself as Ken and we elected he should join Harvey and Ellen because they did not have VHF and were only two up.  First a question about our engine sizes, preferred settings and speeds and within a minute we were on our way.  I had previously programmed the route into a Garmin GPS72 and was intrigued to find that Ken didn't follow the route to the letter, but kept close to the Eastern shore line initially.  This I found out later was to take advantage of eddy currents in the last of the rising tide.   There is obviously plenty of water then.  Past the power station we crossed to the Western side and the bridges came into view.   It was reassuring to see the lead markers and various buoys we had been instructed about in the video, but again we did not follow them exactly as again Ken was, as he put it, "following the water" to get the best speed.  Our peak speed over the ground was 10.3 mph on the approach to the upper Severn Bridge where we saw whirlpools and lots of upwelling in the water, but none of this affected the boat.   It was a flat calm all the way.   The "Shoots" were really much the same but our speed was less, about 9 mph.   Ken then took a direct line Portishead Marina from the new bridge.   Harvey said afterwards that he was on the mobile phone quite a lot, so I guess that he had cleared this route with Bristol VTS.  (I used my VHF to confirm no traffic as technically I was responsible for my boat, not the pilot).   Perhaps the most dodgy part was the approach to Portishead Marina as the channel is quite narrow with mud banks on one side.  It would also be quite easy to get swept past by the falling tide.  The lock chamber is impressively large and deep, with mooring pontoons inside.  Having sector gates, the inrush of water is impressive.   The front of our boat got covered in foam.    Portishead Marina charges £15.50 for the privilege of going up and down for 5 hours stay and at 14:00 we were in the lock again this time to be let out into a rising tide for our cruise up the Avon.   Once out into the tidal stream, we set course for the South Pier Lighthouse and when close enough to avoid the shallows, turned up river.  The approach to the City Docks at Bristol from the tidal Avon must be  the most attractive in the country through the steep sided gorge and with Brunel's magnificent bridge as the final flourish.  Having radioed ahead, the lock was ready for us, and once up through into the floating harbour we found the dockside and water buzzing with activity.  Our most exiting and ambitious trip yet thus ended with us mooring on the wall in Bathurst Basin, now home to the Cabot Cruising Club.

Six go

The morning we woke at 6:30 to a clear blue sky and no wind.  The sky soon clouded over, but the wind has backed to SE and dropped, although moored behind the hill conditions might be a bit deceptive.   Given this, there was much discussion amongst the "non-pilot" group and given a good weather forecast for this afternnon a decision was made for them to go.   The situation for the rest of us remains the same - we await the decision of the pilots.  Nuggler and Spuyten Duyvel expect to go at 4 am tomorrow, the remainder tomorrow afternnon.  At 15:30 the departing group moved off to await the swing bridge and begin the slow process of waiting until 17:30 for high tide outside the lock.

Sharpness

Three NABO Bristol Channel Cruise participants stayed overnight at Gloucester Docks. We had arranged with LLantony Bridge to use the 08:15 opening time, so at the appointed hour we fired up and left.  We were joined by another boat.   However when we arrived at Hempsted Bridge it did not open for us and a telephone call revealed that we had not read the small print.   The bridge will not open during the rush hour, so we had to wait until 09:00.   Thereafter, bridges opened and green lights appeared until Splatt Bridge.  There, there was no keeper on duty and one had to leapfrog us by car, so there was a delay.   We passed Saul Junction after about 3 hours and carried on to Sharpness, meeting a line of boats on the run in to the junction with the old lock arm.   Recognising a number of our group we saw a space near the junction and came to a screeching stop and ducked in.   Actually, it wasn't quite like that as we were wrongly positioned in the middle of the channel for a neat mooring manoeuvre, however, with help from Tony and Muriel on the bank we got there.

Giving the dogs some exercise brought us down to the old sea basin and the wonderful views it affords of the Severn Estuary with the two Severn Bridges visible on the horizon.   The wind was blowing hard and clearly not suitable for us to leave on that tide.   The forecast was not good either, talking of poor visibilty and winds of force 3 or 4.   Sunday could be better.   Then we met our leader and were told of trouble with the river pilots.   Originally we were expecting (for the last 9 months) that one pilot could be responsible for the entire flotilla of 12 boats.   As of the last 12 hours, the rules had changed and one pilot will only accept responsibilty for two boats, and as there are only two pilots on duty, and commercial shipping has priority, a flotilla is out of the question.   Although only 6 boats require pilotage according to their insurance conditions, should the remainder try to tag along, not needing a pilot, the pilots would down tools, so as to speak.    So the group is to be broken up!    It looks as if we will be going on Sunday morning at 04:00.

In the evening there was a lifesaving practice competition to practice the accuracy of throwing life buoys.  Good fun and very instructive.  In the middle of this our third crewmember, Gemma, arrived.

Gloucester Docks

The promised rain arrived this morning as intermittent heavy bursts.  Pat had some shopping to do to experiment a new recipe (crab ravioli).  So we popped in to the Abbey to pay our respects.  Such a magnificent structure and visible for miles around.  Shopping done, I came clean with the lock-keeper and paid the mooring fee for the overnight and then set about installing the mast and aerial for the VHF.  This done we informed the lock-keeper of our intention to leave and set off for Gloucester.  Rounding the corner we saw the red light for Upper Lode Lock and the light immediately started flashing, so the Lock Keeper was not asleep!   It seemed to take ages for the green, but when we got inside we saw the reason why.  The lock is massive.   Instructions for the Gloucester approach were let down to us in a bucket and we went on our way.   The River Severn is impressive and the wind, quite strong made the water quite choppy, though not enough to disturb a 60 foot narrowboat.   We were totally alone again with no sign of life for the entire trip, until that is, we came up behind two other boats making for the docks.   A call was made to the lock-keeper to christen the VHF and we were reassured to know that the lock was ready for the three boats.  I was warned to keep well to the left when approaching the lock and when we reached it it is obvious why.  The current is quite strong and sweeps across the front of the lock, so if you were to line up with the right hand side you would simply get taken with the current and miss it.  Here we are on a convenient pontoon right in front of a bar.   There is beautiful dog walking across the river quite nearby and our register of fellow cruise participants has now risen to 4.

Bidford to Tewkesbury

We awoke this morning at our usual time and took the opportunity of giving the dogs a proper walk on the adjacent open parkland to our mooring.  The picture shows the excellent state of the standard free public moorings on the upper river (click to enlarge).  A different story on the lower Avon as we will see.  In the background is the ancient Bidford Bridge dating from 1482.   Realising that we still has two hours to go to reach Evesham with its manned lock not open until 9 am, we set off at around 7 am.   I wanted to visit a chandlery to purchase some more rope, so kept a lookout for Evesham Marina.  However, to reach the only visible vacant moorings we would have had to negotiate the marina entrance and carry out some narrowboat ballet.   I didn't need the rope that badly.  Then the approach to Evesham Lock.   The official handbook which I bought in Stratford mentions the risks associated with the unprotected weirs and Evesham was no exception.   From  a distance upstream the weir is invisible, the boats moored below giving an illusion of a continuity of level, and only when quite near does the weir become apparent.   We had a very kind welcome from the lock-keeper at Evesham who checked our licence and was doubtful about the serviceability of the pumpout station further on near the railway bridge, but was worth a try.   So moving on, we sounded the three toots on the horn as the signal to the Hampton Ferryman, but saw no sign of life and stopped at the sanitary station.   The (free) pumpout was indeed working.   There was very little traffic on the river.   Only after lunch did we meet any other boats, but never any delay at locks other of course than having to fill about half of them prior to use.   The lock gear on the Lower Avon is a little more variable, but not the nice low geared French boxes as on the upper river.   One even has the lock handles permanently attached.  No problem with vandals here then!   Pershore lock is very deep and has the only ground paddle on the river - not by the head of the lock but at the side some distance away.    There are very few public moorings on the lower river and after passing Eckingtom Bridge while thinking about where to moor for the night, realised that there is nothing marked until Tewkesbury itself.  The Fleet Inn near Bredon was out last chance, but this single mooring was taken, so Tewkesbury it was.   A phone call to the lock keeper confirmed that there was a space after the bridge and this was where we met up with the first of our fellow boaters booked for the Bristol Channel Cruise.   A foray into town found us enjoying an excellent meal in the Berkeley Arms.

Another catalogue of disasters

This morning we awoke to find this - the pumps keeping the lock dry for the remedial work had sunk and the lock was full up to the lower pound level. Conversations later with various people seemed to indicate that the pumps sank around 6 pm the evening before and had been reported by one of the nearby residents.   The work supervisor had hoped that the work would be finished by midday today, but had spent the evening begging a replacement pump from his contacts and now late afternoon was a possibility.  More bad news came later when the replacement pump was diverted to deal with a sewage overspill somewhere else.  So it was not until early afternoon that a replacement became available, made all the worse by the fact that there is no road access to Leighton Lock and all material has to be transported onto site by boat from the Globe at Linslade.   As I write this the stop planks are being removed and we may be able to resume navigation.  Negotiating the lock will not be easy as one of the pumps is still partly blocking access to the lock.   Our problem now is to make up time, so very long days and there will be little time for lengthy reports from now on.   The boat by the way has been polished and looks good.    We are aiming for Cosgrove tonight when I expect it will be dark, and an early start in the morning.

Dodswell to Leighton Buzzard

Creatures of habit, as we are, we left Dodswell Top Lock overnight mooring (quiet enough as the West Coast Main line is in a shallow cutting nearby) at 7:05.  Cowroast Lock was empty of course because it is one of those that must be drained after use because of lock cottage flooding problems.  (What a waste of water?).  Then the long dismal summit pound.  A moored boat out in the early morning sunshine told us about the stoppage further on at Leighton Lock, but we know already.   The Marsworth Flight was running well having had its early morning check from the lock keepers so no problems there.  A following boat joined us down the last two locks and we paired as far as Slapton Wharf.   Carianne was being positioned to Northampton and the two crew were very concerned about the length of the stoppage as this would seriously affect their plans.   We carried on to Leighton Buzzard where bridge works at (114) delayed us for 20 minutes while a working platform was moved.  We were amazed to find mooring available outside TESCO, so after the shooping spree I got out the folding bike and wobbled down to Leighton Lock top see how things were progressing.    Nothing!   Nobody there.  The lock was stopped off and drained, the offending paddle was on the side but nothing else to see.  There were only two boats waiting there and space for more, so we moved down.   A good mooring, and quiet.   So scope for boat cleaning and some low grade maintenance.   And early to bed.

Swan fight and a catalogue of disasters.

Batchworth Visitor Moorings to Dudswell top lock (13 hours)

Swans can be very aggressive at this time of the year when nesting.  Whilst mother sits on her nest, father keeps guard.  They are very territorial and locks seem to provide an obvious frontier.   So we have mother on a nest just upstream of the offside topgates at Lot Mead lock, father in the (full) lock (top gates open) and another swan cruising backwards and forwards below the lock.   Attempts to entice the swan out of the lock failed, so it was drained and the lower gate opened which lets bottom swan in.  The (I presume) father swan is then terrorised by the bottom swan and takes refuge on the cill where he seems safe for the moment, but as soon as the water is let in again the two are on the same level and he is viciously attacked by the lower swan.   I have not seen anything like this before, but the dominant one tries to smother the other with beating wings, riding up onto its back and attempts to hold the head under water.  After a short while, with these two racing up and down in the lock, father swan was cornered right under the top gate where I was standing and I found, rather to my amazement, that the boat hook gently lifted under the more aggressive bottom swan's neck pacified it and allowed me to lead it away to the other side of the boat where it exited the lock by jumping off the bottom gate.   Mother seemed unperturbed by all this and father left the lock at the top busily getting his feathers back in order.

We were not really in a hurry because there was a stoppage notice for lock 71 between 9.am and 12 noon.  We arrived at 11:30 and the work was finished, so the stoppage was stopped!!

And the catalogue of disasters.   Well, picking up so much rubbish off the bottom in reverse gear at Cassiobury lock that we bumped the gate (gently!); losing the stern nearly to the other side of the canal while draining Hunton Bridge Bottom lock - this has happened to me before, there must be some curious eddies there; snapping the centre rope at Nash Mills, again while draining the lock and moored on the bollard; getting the button caught on the top gate and snapping a link at Boxmoor Top Lock, getting a already shredded car tyre on the prop at Sewer Lock, immobilising me in mid stream and finally, not wanting to stop in Berkhamsted, because of the vandal protection measures in force whereby the lock paddles are locked (locks 47 to 51) between 9 p.m. and 8 a.m.  We didn't want to get trapped there.

This evening I learn of another stoppage until Thursday at Leighton Lock, just the other side of Leighton Buzzard Tesco.   Looks like someone is trying to tell me something I reckon.

NABO Bristol Channel Cruise - First day

Departure Harefield Marina 19:10. Yes, so late! Because of various commitments we could not leave earlier which means that we are cutting things a bit fine to get to Sharpness to meet up with the other participants by Friday 17th. We unloaded the car and just left our mooring leaving all the sorting out and stowing of gear along the way. We were pleased to find the bottom gate at Widewater lock open and rather expected to have the canal to ourselves. However, when nearly ready to leave the lock, a lone boater appeared below asking if we would mind waiting for him at Black Jack's Lock. This of course we did, but it slowed us down a little I suppose, although the company made up for it. David was positioning "Jolly Roger" for an 8 day summer holiday with his son later in the summer, going via the Oxford Canal, Thames and River Lee back to their base at Bishops Stortford. Our plan today was to cruise until nightfall, which he was happy with, and we reached Batchworth visitor moorings as daylight was fading. David asked us what time we were expecting to set off tomorrow. 7 o'clock was my reply and he thought that was a bit late for him as he wanted to get to Cowroast by Wednesday. He must have been joking, because we were rather hoping to get there tomorrow! At Batchworth I have to say that we were a bit surprised how shallow the mooring was, but then Nuggler is a deep draughted boat. Pat excelled herself with a fantastic meal of smoked salmon, new potatoes and salad within 1/2 hour of docking. The labradors were exhausted and settled down to sleep soon after arrival. An early start tomorrow then!