Berkhamstead

The day started rather differently from our plan! We had been experiencing strange and worrying rattling sounds from the engine mountings which appeared to be loose. We made contact with the engineer at Cowroast marina (he works from the workshop and dock on the site but is a separate business). He agreed to take a look if we brought the boat back up through the last lock we went down yesterday and into the marina.

We started to organise this - it meant reversing for a hundred metres or so passed a few moored boats - and Christine went ahead to open the lock gates. Not long after casting off, the drive ceased and the boat headed straight into the bushes on the opposite bank!

Nothing for it but to punt as by now the boat was too far from the towpath to throw a line. Fortunately we do have a really effective long pole which meant that at least it was possible. Once around the moored boats, Mike could come alongside and complete the last bit by towing into the lock.

Above the lock we had to do much the same to back up to the marina entrance, turn and come into the dock side. Although a bit of an effort, it was essentially not difficult exercise but, at that stage, we still did not know what problems lay ahead.

Darren, the engineer, finished off the job he was doing - jet washing a boat that had just arrived for blacking - and then came to see what our problem was. As soon as Mike lifted the engine cover the immediate diagnosis was not difficult - there was clear space between the engine and the prop shaft as the bolts connecting the two together had vibrated loose.

He set about rectifying the problems and, in the process, re-aligning the engine to the shaft. The RCR annual inspection back in February, had noted a concern about this but we had not known quite what to do about it and all had seemed to well.

In any event, we were able to set off once more just before 12:30 - in the circumstances we were really rather pleased about that and can recommend Darren to anyone in the area needing help!

Lock 48

Another boat, from Bishop Stortford, had just arrived before we came out of the marina and we went down the lock with them. In fact we shared all but two locks with them for the rest of the day.

The morning had begun bright and sunny but gradually clouded over so we were with grey skies for the time cruising. Apart from a very small amount of drizzle, it kept dry until shortly before we moored.

Lock 52

The more observant of our readers may well wonder why we left lock 52 with a bottom paddle still raised. (the photo was included for the view not the technical quiz!) This would normally be against all good practice - to leave all gates and paddles closed to prevent loss of water - but several of the locks on this stretch have notices asking them to be left empty with a bottom paddle raised. We guess that this may be to combat a leaky bottom gate but the notice offers no explanation.

Pretty pictrure - leaves by the side of a lock

We arrived in the centre of Berkhamstead and, as we have done before, Christine popped to the nearby Waitrose whilst Mike filled up from the water point.

Extra railings on bridge 140B

When we were chatting with Darren he said that some bridge have had to have extended railings where they are cycleways - new Health and Safety recommendation to prevent cyclist from toppling over the edge! The footbridge (140B) from the park to the town centre has indeed such railings and they were not there in the photo we took last October.

Lock distance post

Below the next lock we spotted a Distance Marker - not too many of these are on the Grand Union but quite common on the Oxford. They indicate the point at which a boat gains the right to take the lock and so avoid, hopefully, controversy if a boat coming the other way claims it as theirs! Of course, this dates back to the time of commercial freight traffic when time was definitely money and every opportunity to cut precious minutes would be grasped.

Ravens Lane Lock

We came down Ravens Lane Lock on our own but our companions from earlier in the day were just leaving and they waited for us at the next lock. We stayed together until the light faded and we had to give in and moor for the night!

Many of the lock cottages from here down towards Bulls Bridge are built with their ground floor below the level of the lock, as here at Top Side Lock 56. We only hope that the lock walls do not start to leak as they have in other places!

Mooring was a little tricky tonight. The pound is fairly short and the level changed quite significantly when a lockful of water was added by another boat coming down after we stopped. Although the boats either side of us had managed to come right to the bank, we found a spot where piling repairs have left a very shallow shelf some distance out from firm land. Mike checked the mooring ropes after ark and found that the level had dropped sufficiently that the boat was at a distinct angle. It took some while to prise the boat back to a position in which it was floating freely but some distance out. Only just possible to clamber back aboard at one end. We shall see how things are in the morning!

3.4 miles - 10 locks