Home Counties Cruise: Day 8

 There was a misty start to the morning.  We started off a wash load while we had breakfast, and set off once the water heating part of the cycle had finished at around 8.15.  I walked down and set the lock.

This is the most industrialised and urban part of the Lee.  The locks come fairly regularly, with some being powered and others needing a windlass.  We finally managed to get rid of rubbish at Stonebridge lock, where there are bins nearby.  Then we stopped at Springfield Marina at Tottenham, to top up the diesel; it's best to have the tank full for the tidal Thames, so it doesn't slosh about too much and bring up debris from the bottom of the tank.  We needed just 44 litres, which was just as well because they do only a 60/40 split, with a price of £1.13 a litre (tax included)

As we went through Clapton, there was a big lump of foam bubbles floating along, and further ahead I could see foam drifting into the sky, at a point where water was being pumped into the river.  Looking at the weir alongside, it looked like a bubble bath, with massive amounts of foam filling the whole area.  It looked as though someone had emptied a whole pack of washing power into the weir.

We passed the end of the Hertford Union canal, from where we emerged on Monday.  Approaching Old Ford Lock, there's a lot of landscaping work going on alongside the towpath.  There's also a great view of the Olympic Stadium.

Once down the lock, we tied up at Three Mills and I went to Tesco just across the river to stock up.  It's really not far, so it's easy to carry heavy stuff.

Setting off again, we travelled down to the Limehouse Cut and into the basin.  It's quite busy here, but we've tied up on the wall fairly near the lock.  There's a great view from the side hatch.

We've been over to the lock keeper's office to confirm our booking for tomorrow afternoon; Adrian had got the anchor out of storage and had spliced a rope onto the chain; and I've been down the weedhatch to chech the prop is clear -- there was a bit of weed wrapped round it, plus some bits of plastic.  The VHF radio is charged up, and I've been reminding myself of what calls I need to make, especially if anything goes wrong.  A chap moored just behind who hasn't got a VHF licence has asked if he can follow us, and has also booked to go out of the lock tomorrow.

14 miles, 8 locks.  (86 miles, 75 locks)

Autumn Cruise - Day 10

It was a lovely sunny morning when we woke up after a quiet night in Paddington Basin.  We had a cooked breakfast (our first of the trip), and a relaxed start to the day.  We started a wash load, and set off at 9.30.  Our route took us along the Regent's Canal: though the Maida Hill Tunnel, Regent's Park with London Zoo, before we arrived at Camden Locks.

We stopped for lunch at Haggerston, where we spotted some mooring rings in the tow path.  It's been busy with walkers, runners, and cyclists.  Setting off again, we headed into east London, past Victoria Park, and down several locks.  There's lots of duckweed on the canal, making it look as though we were travelling though a green carpet.  Somewhat bizarrely, it closed up behind us so you couldn't even seen that we'd been through it.

On arrival at Limehouse Basin, we moored up alongside another boat, and set off to speak to the lock keeper about our trip tomorrow.  A large boat was being locked up into the marina, and then a narrowboat was locked down onto the river.  We watched as it headed out through London -- the trip we'll be making tomorrow.  The boat looked tiny on the river.

Once the lock keepers were back in their office, we went and got outselves into the diary for tomorrow afternoon.  Some boats moored on the visitor mooring were just leaving, so we moved to the space they'd vacated.  We went for a drink in a riverside pub where we could watch the Clippers speeding by, then had a walk around the area.  As we returned, a motor boat was coming in, which needed the road bridge to be swung.

9 miles, 12 locks.  (124 miles, 105 locks)