The morning was rather grey but during the afternoon the sky cleared somewhat although it was not very clear. However, the temperature was surprisingly mild for the end of October.
We did not make an early start! Whilst the girls and Christine were still getting up and having their showers, Mike popped once more to Waitrose for a paper, milk, cheese and bread. After returning to the boat he took it across to the opposite bank for the water point and to fill up.
Whilst we were waiting the girls again exercised themselves on the nearby training equipment. Alice was so vigorous on the swing thing that she ran it into the end stops!
Berkhampsted was the original destination for the canal out of London and worked with barges that fully occupied each lock. (The wide locks further north were mainly intended to take a pair if narrow boats and the bridges are not as wide.)
The locks all come at much the same intervals, around three to the mile. Occasionally some are a little closer. In the towns, a number have quite old pubs alongside.
Below Lock 68 is a group of cottages that look as if they had some canal use at one time. One of them has a date plaque, although perhaps not original!
A few locks before Winkwell we caught up with another boat and shared the locks until we passed through the swing bridge. We were still looking for somewhere to repair the rear door. Christine rang earlier but could not get a reply but tried again as we hovered alongside. Yes they could take a look at it and we pulled into the very tight space between all the other moored boats.
Two men came to take a look but they needed to clear it with the boss and also they were just stopping for their lunch break. This meant that we too had lunch whilst we waited.
Before long the two men returned with the OK and a price (£30 for half an hour's work) which we readily accepted. After collecting the necessary equipment one of them welded the hinge back on the boat and all that remained was for Christine to go and pay!
For most of the afternoon Alice and Jess took to the towpath and helped with the locks. As both top gates have a tendency to drift open if not held in place, their help was especially useful.
As we passed through Fishery Lock the sun was already quite low in the sky and we started to think about finding a night's mooring. We had wanted to get as far as the elsan point (there is nothing in Berkhamsted surprisingly) but we were unsure of a mooring close to the facility in the centre of Hemel. Instead we opted to pull in above Boxmoor Lock despite the improbability of a tv signal!
4.9 miles - 11 locks
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