Rediscovery Cruise: Day 21

There was rain in the night (and I believe that’s a first for this trip), but it was dry by this morning.  The end of the Wendover Arm is a very quiet place to moor.  Yesterday evening, I took a walk to have a look at the next section of the canal, which is not yet in water.  Before setting off I had another look down the weed hatch, and removed a load of fishing line from the prop shaft, which would explain why yesterday’s journey along the arm was so juddery.  We set off at 8.30 and it it took about 40 minutes to get back to Bulbourne Junction.

The Tring Summit is the highest we’ve reached on this trip — it’s higher than the Braunston Summit and the Oxford Summit.  We had a short wait before we could start heading downhill again, as CRT were running water down the Marsworth Flight and had locked the top lock.  It was about 9.30 when the water shortages had been sorted and we could begin our decent.  It felt good to be doing a flight of locks, rather than having one every half a mile as we’ve had over the past few days.  The canal twists and turns, but is very pretty.

Half way down, a very good volunteer lock keeper joined us.  At each lock, he’d raise a bottom paddle then walk on to get the next lock ready.  He used to work for CRT, and really speeded our progress — with all seven locks taking just over an hour.  Towards the bottom of the flight is a nice mooring pound, next to the reservoirs; it always reminds me of Jaq and Les, because when Les was ill I spent a morning helping them move their boat, and that’s where Les wanted to moor, as it was one of his favourites.  Next we passed Marsworth Junction, where the newish houses look attractive.

At the next pair of locks two boats were coming up the top one, so I walked down and opened the lower one ready for us.  There’s a nice cottage with a canal outbuilding there.

At the boat club round the corner, someone is trying a novel way of selling their boat, by offering £5 tickets.  The way boat prices are at the moment, I’m sure they’d be better off doing it the conventional way.

Adrian got off to swing the bridge past Pitstone Wharf, but a woman walking a couple of dogs said she’d do it.  It turned out she wasn’t just a kind hearted dog walker, but was with a pair of boats coming up the next lock.  The middle Seabrook lock has one of the old pump engine buildings, which Adrian always thinks would make a nice house.  It would be difficult, as there appears to be no road access.

When we got to the Ivinghoe Locks, a single handed chap was just leaving the top lock.  He said he’d wait for us at the next one, although as it happened he’d also waited for a boat coming up.  We also shared the final lock of the day, Horton Lock.

It was lunchtime when we moored above Slapton Lock, and we got secure just as a shower started.  We reckoned we’d done well to get our planned day’s boating done in the dry.  No sooner had we tied up than the Jules Fuels boats came round the corner, so we flagged them down and took on 45 litres of diesel (at 70p, which is 20p less than on the Thames).

We had lunch and have spent the afternoon not doing much.  I keep meaning to pop out and look for some blackberries, as there were plenty as I was walking between locks earlier — but it keeps raining.  At times, it has hammered it down.

6 miles, 15 locks.  (278 miles, 183 locks)

Easter Cruise: Day 2

A really lovely warm and sunny day today.  We set off around 8.30 heading for the Soulbury Three Locks.  A widebeam was in the flight ahead, so we had to turn the bottom lock. At that time of day the pub alongside was deserted.

As we went into the middle lock, a boat moored at the bottom set off, so we waited for them.  I went and set the top lock while we waited.

Beyond Old Linslade, a very wide widebeam was coming towards us, just where another was moored.  He flashed his lights twice, but I had no idea what that meant.  Anyway, he waited as there was more room his side for us to pass each other.  There’s a floating market this weekend along fromThe Globe pub, which looked well attended.  We went up Leighton Lock with the same boat as before, then we both stopped on the Tesco mooring; we needed a trip to the supermarket to get things we hadn’t realised we needed yesterday, and because we have visitors this afternoon.

Setting off again, we reached Grove Lock to find a boat going up and a widebeam waiting.  I went to help with the lock to save the lady from the widebeam having to walk all the way round.  Before long it was our turn to come up.  I can’t remember operating a lock where so many people wanted to walk across the gates, with plenty of pub patrons opting for a walk along the canal.  The Grove pub has very attractive hanging baskets with narrowboat brackets.

There was a similar situation at Church lock but by the time we were in the lock we could see our companions from earlier heading our way, so we waited for them.  The widebeam moored up and our locking partners stopped for lunch before Slapton Lock meaning we were on our own again, but at least the lock was empty.  At the top, we turned in the winding hole beyond the bridge and I reversed along to moor up opposite the farm which has wooden holiday cabins, all of whose guests turned up during the afternoon.  We had a late lunch, then Adrian started making dinner while I washed the side of the boat.  At around 3.15 our visitors arrived: Adrian’s cousin, Fiona, husband, Mark, and children Caitlin and Findlay.  We spent the afternoon chatting, walking to Slapton Lock and Horton Lock and helping boats through at both, and generally trying to wear out the kids.  We had Adrian’s Good Friday macaroni cheese for dinner, before our guests left to continue their journey to Leicester, where they’ve visiting the National Space Centre tomorrow.

9 miles, 7 locks.  (24 miles, 10 locks)

Spring cruise - Day 7

We woke to another lovely sunny morning.  These moorings at Marsworth are really nice - views of fields through the trees across the canal, and views across the Buckinghamshire countryside on the towpath side.  We were in no hurry this morning, as we had an appointment at 10am.  Tim Garland from Garland Hoods was coming to measure up for a new cratch cover.  He arrived slightly ahead of schedule, and made a template with numerous markings on it.  The finished product should be ready in three or four weeks, in good time for Crick.

It was gone 11 by the time we set off.  We had a narrowboat and a widebeam in front of us, so the first couple of locks took a while, although we all helped each other.

The narrowboat stopped at Pitstone Wharf, and the widebeam crew kept the swing bridge open for us (which was good because it got stuck just like it did the other day).  At the next lock, I realised the widebeam was the one that was across the canal in the Tring Cutting the other night.  The owner said he'd really appreciated being alerted to the problem.  By the time the lock was ready for us the narrowboat, a Wyvern Shipping hire boat, had arrived, so we shared the next few locks, until we stopped for lunch below the Seabrook Locks.

The countryside round here really is very attractive, especially on a sunny day like today.  The stretch between Marsworth and Grove Lock is probably my favourite on the Grand Union.

We met a couple of boats coming up at the remaining locks of the day, then stopped just short of Slapton Lock at around 2.30pm.  We really aren't breaking any records this trip!

4 miles, 8 locks.  (54 miles, 54 locks)