Well, the 'Waterways World' guide book said "There's a real sense f achievement to bee gained by cruising the length of this arm. The round trip need only take 3½ hours." so I thought that, as I want to travel as much of the system as I have the time (and strength) to do it, I'd best give it a go and Tuesday seemed as good a time as any other!
Negotiating the odd tree trunk (one was a good 24" in diameter, albeit only about 4 feet long) was obviously going to be a part of the fun, the day was hot and sunny and I quite enjoyed it until I reached Bridge 6 and the doubled up moorings along the west bank by Highline boatyard. There was, to be honest, a fair bit of weed growing all along the arm, most of it being easily cleared from the prop by a burst of 'astern', but between Bridges 6 and 7 it was endemic; after going down the weed hatch (with my new arm-length rubber gloves, thank you my darling wife) seven times in as many boat lengths I was seriously thinking about bowhauling 'Wyrd' the rest of the length. Only 'thinking' about it though, as neither the ticker nor the leg would have been very happy about it in the heat - apart from the fact that I couldn't get close enough to the bank to get off with a line :-( It was quite horrific, there were floating islands and looking down into the water (remarkably clear it was as well) there were tails of weed at least eight feet long, and looking more like heavy ropes, providing cover for shoals of fish - all avoiding the occasional fishermen .. LOL! That short length took the best part of an hour; I actually stopped counting how many times I had to clear the prop and rudder after number seven as it was becoming quite depressing - still, I ended up with quite a collection of colourful plastic carrier bags, half a shirt and one long sock (I kept that separate, just in case I found its brother on the way back <g>). It was, by far, the worst section of the arm; I guess it had to have something to do with the 'humans' living along that particular stretch - what they were dumping into the water there I really don't know know :-(( With time passing, and no real desire to go through that stretch again (but with no other alternative available) I chugged on until I could wind and head back to the GU again. This time I decided that I would 'power through' rather than creep slowly past the moorings, it actually worked OK until I got to the bridge at the other end - which I just drifted through before I had to dive down the hatch for the last time that afternoon.... (I think the garden parasol I'd put up, to get some relief from the sun, helped as the wind was behind me.. LOL!) Trevor nb 'Wyrd' Cowley Rec. Ground [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
