Hi Folks, Part 2 of my journey, and this time the fun starts even before I get to the boat. The train journey from work to Tring should be a simple one, involving 1 change at either Harrow, or Watford. The train was jam packed, but a squeezed on (along with my little folding bike), and hoped that things would improve on the next train. There was a delay as the train converted from third rail power to overhead power, but then I thought that would be it. Then another delay as we reached the west coast main line, I thought just to squeeze us into the busy schedule of trains on the line - it wasn't though. A signal had failed, and trains were having to pass at danger and trundling slowing along to the next.
I had missed my connecting train, so kept on the service until the last common station for the Tring service. While travelling to Berko a few more people joined at Watford, one of them a train driver on the East Coast Main Line (who told me about the signalling problems). I was quite relieved when the electronic signs now showed it was stopping at Tring, but was informed it wouldn't be stopping (especially after an announcement over the tannoy didn't include Tring). Someone else who overhead us talking mentioned that they were getting a cab at Berkhamptead, and in the end I decided I might as well join them to avoid the bike ride in the dark to Bulborne. I hadn't quite realised just how far Tring is from Berko - it never really feels very far by canal. There were three of us in the cab, one a search engine placement specialist (someone who improves rankings of webpages on the likes of Google). What didn't help was that he lived in the sticks south east of Tring, which meant a long run up to Bulborne, but calls over the cab radio indicated that the problems on the trains were getting more serious. In the end it cost me £11 which is probably what it would have cost me had I got my own cab - at least I got to see something of Tring, though I was not that impressed. I managed to get off from the mooring at 20:00, and working in the dark, cycling ahead to get the locks ready, made it to the bottom at 21:45. I was using all the tricks, including thumblining, but having to go back and shut gates and paddles really slows things down. I thought I would refresh the water in the can, so decided to pull into to the sanitary station. As I approached it, I was quite surprised to find someone fishing on the bank opposite, and I think he was a little surprised to see any boats moving at that time - he was looking for some peace and quiet, but I guess I spoiled that for a short while. It took me ages to find the water taps in the dark, they are not sign posted and just stuck to the brick wall of the elsan emptying facility. I moored up for the night above the two locks close together just after the junction, labeled as "Marsworth Lock No 38", at 22:12. I had a good nights sleep, and after getting the next two locks ready set off on my merry way again at 08:00. I didn't share a single lock all weekend, though there was some minor traffic coming the other way. The weather was really nice, and at one point there wasn't a breath of wind as the wind backed Northerly. At the Seabrook Swing Bridge I was getting worried about how I was going to manage it since there is little room for a 70 footer on the offside moorings, but thankfully someone was walking their dog and they ended up doing the bridge for me. I stopped for shopping, and lunch at Leighton at 12:46, and set off again at 13:39. While stopped, a group of 20 somethings were asking about the canal and boat and I spent about 15 minutes answering their questions. As I was passing the Wyvern Shipping wharf, a boat was reversing down the canal, with a boatyard like person steering and the group of inquisitive people aboard - they didn't tell me they were going on a boat (I'm guessing they were maybe hiring for the day). I was lucky at the Stoke Hammond three, when after getting the second lock ready, a couple of people came from a boat above with windlasses in hand. I asked if they were coming through, but they wanted to show their son/daughter and daughter/son-in-law the locks in action, so I was through them in 15 minutes! The other swing bridge of the day at Fenny wasn't a problem, and I've heard some people have trouble with this, but I've never had a problem - though normally the bridge isn't locked up - so that's been good money wasted! I was going to get the stove started up at the lock, but forgot. I stopped in the next convenient arch bridge to get it going, and then just as I was getting off again someone started following me. They were stopped, talking to another boater on the towpath when I stopped, but I thought they were stopping there for the night - obviously not. They were making good speed, and slowly over the next couple of miles they caught up with me, but slowed down before getting very close so I assumed they were happy following. In the meanwhile the fire had gone back out again, and I couldn't easily stop, so had to continue on. They pulled in at Pear Tree bridge, but after stopping again in a bridge hole to get the fire going again they were following again. This time the fire took, but I was getting cold by the time I arrived at Giffard Park (18:55) where I stopped for the night. The other boat also pulled in here. I had a nice meal in the pub on a "hot skillet", but the desert was a little to frozen (more so than the ice cream they served it with!). Bumps and noises during the night (animals I think) awoke me a couple of times, but at least I could keep the fire going so it was nice and warm in the morning. I got myself off early, at 07:00, and I was glad I did. Most of the rest of the journey up to Stoke was really slow, the pound above Cosgrove (08:35) was down a good couple of inches, which makes all the difference in such a deep boat. I pulled into the lock moorings below Stoke Bruerne, using the rope to strap it to a stop like I normally do when stopping on the right. Jules, and Richard were in the hold of Towcester watching me - I got 9 out 10 for my efforts which is high praise indeed! I worked through the bottom lock, and then moored up below the next while emptying that and the next two. There was a boat in the top lock of the "thick", so I got the second to top ready for them and went up to ask them to leave the gates open. They were waiting for another boat which had come down the last two locks with them, but had I known how long they were going to wait I would have turned all the locks in my favour. While waiting for them to come down the top lock (yes they were still in that lock) I had a late breakfast, but the bloke worked me through that lock as he was waiting for another boat which had in the meanwhile reached the top lock. By the time I was through, a second boat had joined the boat at the top, so I waved my arms about showing there were now two boats for this lock! The next lock found a lockwheeler just arriving and he decided to get the lock ready in my favour which was good, and though their boat (with two people onboard) didn't bother reopening the bottom gates of the top lock even though they were waiting under the bridge, I was soon entering into the lock. Imagine my surprise when I saw Ryan (who was helping Jules on Towcester on the Jam Ole) standing on the lock side. He was taking Indian Chief out later in the day, and had just arrived. He helped me through the lock, and was soon on my way through Blisworth Tunnel. I forgot to set my stopwatch, but my GPS recorded 4.49 mph through the tunnel (23mins 20secs) - Victoria was running beautifully through the deep wide new section. I forgotten to put my titch pipe (the only chimney I have with a cutter on), but hadn't quite appreciated just how mucky the roof of that tunnel is, and after a good soaking to boot (far wetting than at New Year), I arrived in the sunlight covered in soot and muck. I thought I had better do some cleaning before I went any further and rested the bow in the bank while mopping down the cabin. Another boat, who had just reversed up to the winding hole as I was passing earlier, had caught up with me, so I set off again. After a good clean run (overtaking 1 boat out for a slow jolly from Buckby), and chatting to Tim on George+Mary (other Royalty boats), I arrived at the bottom of Buckby at 16:08. There was a boat going up three locks ahead, but a) I couldn't be bothered to bike right up there, and b) I didn't want to ask them wait while I caught them up, I went up on my own. I never caught them up, but of course all the locks were against me. Some of the pounds were low, and even lower after I filled the lock - I bumped over the bottom, but never actually came to a stop but it was touch and go. After some rather tiring biking up and down the towpath I arrived at the top at 17:54. I was going to moor just above the locks, but these were only 48 hours moorings (has it always been?) even though there was only one boat on the long moorings. I continued around to the Leicester arm, but there were many boats moored down here (probably displaced from the other moorings), so ended up a few hundred yards down the arm at 18:02. At least it was deep enough to get alongside, which is rare. After shutting up, I biked down to Long Buckby station, and caught the train. It was only at Northampton that things started to go wrong. The service I wanted to original catch was cancelled due to lack of staff, so had to wait 1/2 hour for the next through train, thankfully they added Harrow as an extra stop, but the train was full of strange people, all strangers, that started up odd personal conversations - most were drinking something however! It was quite late when I arrived back home, about 21:30, but earlier than I usually arrive when I visit the folks in Hull. Cheers, Mike -- Michael Askin http://shoestring_DOT_zapto_DOT_org/
