Hi Folks, Just a quick log of my past weeks activities:
I left Northolt at 9am on Monday, reached Bulls Bridge an hour later, and did a shop which ended up taking an hour, so it was 11am when I left. After a good run to Uxbridge I reached the lock and found a gravel barge just entering it as another boat was turning from the moorings above to head upstream. Had a nice chat to the barge operator who was a boatman of old. I reached Denham just as the other boat was leaving, and so had to turn the lock before going through it. The lack of boats above Denham meant I could get a move on. I saw in the distance down the Harefield straight the other boat, and thankfully they waited for me in the lock. I talked to the bloke who opened the gate for me, but later found out he was nothing to do with the boat, and was actually directing a load of scouts in the next direction for a cycle ride. The lady driving the boat asked if I wanted to go first, and I said it was up to her. What I didn't realise after she pulled out of the lock was that her two lads were walking the dog down the towpath, so a very slow run was had to Black Jacks lock. They were stopping at the pub below the next lock, so I went ahead, but as I was sorting out my ropes I managed to knock my broom into the water - that will teach me to clean the boat! I had to reverse to get it, which caused someone to pop out of a moored boat there to find out what was going on. I didn't meet another boat going up all the way, though had a couple of boats going down but never at a lock! I reached Casiobury Park locks just as it was getting dark, and after going up to the get the next one ready on my bike to speed things up a little, stopped just before the big bend after the Grove bridge for the night. Tuesday - I wanted to be off early as I still had a long way to go, and wanted to try and get onto the Aylesbury Arm before it go to late. I left as the light was returning, but it was still very cold, with frost on the grass. On reaching Fishery Lock I noticed a sign saying the Winkwell Bridge was faulty, and was only opening at certain times. I phoned the canalphone help line as the note didn't have a date on it, or even a number to call. I tried hard to get there as soon as possible, but it was just before 1pm before arriving at the bridge with no-one in sight. The next opening was at a very stupid 4pm and so had to waste 3 hours of good quality sunlit hours before BW arrived again. I was supposed to get a call from the local office about the bridge, but it was not forthcoming. Before 4pm I went up on my bike, and set the next few locks, a knock on the cabin side at 4pm asking if I wanted to be let through. All they had to do was open the panel on the other side of the canal and press the buttons in there, I'm sure they could have come by more often to do that, or even be called out as needed. It was 8pm when I reached Cowroast, but I continued along the top pound with many people looking out of their windows like they had never seen a boat moving at night. I decided to work down the main bulk of the locks since it was a nice night with a nearly full moon giving extra illumination. Again I biked down the towpath getting the locks ready, and then headed back to the boat and brought her down in one go. I stopped just above the last lock, squeezing in where the second lock used to be. Wednesday - Another early morning, and the grass was wet instead of frosty. Most of the locks were full down the arm, and this caused floods as I emptied the lock. I went down to the next lock on my bike, but having the top gate balance beam on the none towpath side doesn't help in these situations. I reached the bottom of the main flight before seeing another boat on the move, then two came along at once while I was stopped in the narrow bit where the reeds were growing, cooking bacon sarnies (saves mooring up when you'll single handed). Another boat was messing about in Broughton Lock (heading up) as I arrived, and after getting board of waiting mid channel moored up, and went to lift the other ground paddle the bloke seemed to stupid to lift - it was locked up with a BW key, but still... I left the gates open on leaving this and the rest of the locks, as I knew it wouldn't be long before I returned. I didn't stop at the end, but did have a good look around, and took some pictures as I turned. I headed straight back up, and was a little worried I might catch up the other boat, but thankfully didn't. Many locks on this arm need to be left empty which helped quite a bit, and used David Blagroves trick of letting the boat drift into the lock, close one of the bottom gates, run to the top and lift a ground paddle which stops the boat from hitting the cill, and then running back down the other side to close the other bottom gate (since you can't jump over the lock at the bottom). I was soon at the top again. It was just getting dark as I started up the Marsworth flight. Again I went ahead and set up all the locks, and was at the top in fairly short time. I continued along the summit, and decided to stop at the top of the dudswell two as I knew they would be empty, and so I could bike down in the morning to set them up ready. Thursday - I wanted to get to Winkwell before 12am, so another early morning - again just as it was getting light. I was fairly lucky with the locks after Northchurch lock, and managed to find some full locks on my down - some with open gates. The top lock of the Gas two was filling when I arrived, and was still filling when I biked down to get the second one ready. It was only when I passed the lock did I realise a paddle was still up, and so dropped it for him. As I approached Bourne End Bottom Lock a boat pulled out in front. We had to wait for a widebeam boat to mess about getting through the lock, but at least we found out that the bridge was working normally again. I had a rest as I shared with this other boat, mostly because I was waiting for them at each lock for them. They seemed to want to close the bottom gate instead of letting me doing it (very easy for me, and I was catching them up before the next lock) and so I ended up having to go ahead, and get the next lock ready for them which I often managed before they managed to arrive. They stopped at Aspley, and I continued down alone again. At Kings Langley a boat was just entering the lock as I turned the corner before the long straight above the lock. I flashed my lights, and beeped my horn but even though they went back to the top gates to pull them closed (I thought they were going to open one again for me, they were so close together he could reach the other one) but continued to empty the lock before finally noticing me. They did put the paddle down, and then fill it which I was glad as it is a slow filler. They were only going down to Hunton bridge, but they had miscounted the number of locks and so I was with them for more locks than they thought. It was just getting dark as I arrived at Iron Bridge lock, after passing Ten Bob Note setting up his satellite dish moored above the lock. I planned to stop above Common Moor Lock for the night, but it looked a little too exposed for my liking at 5:30pm, and so continued down the canal in the gloom. Other moorings were a little too noisy for my liking (next to the railways etc), and so I ended up continuing down to Ricky to moor below Tescos where I've stopped before. I had forgotten that the boats from Denham had setup here, and now is a continuous run down to the next lock. Thankfully the "visitor" moorings above the lock were free and so stayed there the night. I was surprised to be awoken at 10:30pm when a community boat came by - not sure why they were out so late. Friday - A late start for a change. Just before I set off a bloke came walking down the towpath taking pictures of signs, and noting a load of information on a computer entry system. It turned out he was doing a check of all the signage and towpath bits and pieces (like benches) on the southern GU up to Milton Keynes - he and two other ex-BW people were doing the work for this. The Batchworth trip boat came down, but didn't want to be through the lock, but waited while I moved my boat into the lock. He managed to get the 40ft boat around in one go above the lock, which was quite impressive. After a couple of locks I joined with continuous boaters on their way to winter at Copper Mill Lock and shared with them through to Harefield where they were filling up with diesel. They mentioned some people are replacing their solid fuel stoves with diesel ones so they could still get red design and "swap" the engine between the red tank, and the white tank. I told him that we didn't yet know how the government was going to deal with the problem, but it would probably not need two tanks anyway. I called Harefield to get the price of fuel - 50p/l against Uxbridge 53p/l - so I pulled in (the other boat said they would let me go first, and moored up on the towpath while I got the diesel). There was a boat filling with water on the mooring, but I pulled alongside (with their permission), and went to find someone. I thought I better ask again, and now he said 60p/l - I must have miss heard. I apologised for getting him out, but told him another boat was going to get some fuel anyway. I continued down to Uxbridge, and bought my 53p/l diesel - 295 litres, so quite a saving to be had. I arrived back at Northolt before it got dark, and after emptying the loo went to Lyons Dock to turn around and was soon back on my mooring. Phew! A little tiring at times, but still fun. Cheers, Mike nb. You'realongtimedead -- Michael Askin http://shoestring_DOT_zapto_DOT_org/
