Start of May Trip

Today's Canal : Grand Union

We were not able to leave home until just after 2 o'clock (Mike had a morning meeting in Truro) and it was very foggy as we drove over Bodmin Moor. Fortunately this did not last too long and cleared before we reached Exeter and the motorways. From there it was just the usual, long and rather uninteresting drive up to the turn off near Heathrow. Only a few traffic delays, mostly towards the end and we arrived at the marina just after 6:30. We checked what time the fish and chip shop stayed open until!

We followed our usual routine and it took the normal four trolleys loads to unload the car to the boat. We were pleased that we found nothing untoward with the boat which had by no means used up all of the electricity on the meter. What's left will go to the next moorer on that space - just as we received some when we arrived!

Mike went to the chip shop and returned with two sizeable (they were regular not large!) portions of cod and chips. The shop is run by an east European family (so said some of the many newspaper cuttings on the wall!) They were still hot by the time we unwrapped them and sat in front of the tv for the rest of the evening! Christine had had sufficient energy to unpack and stow some of the clothes and provisions but left the rest for the morning.

Today was a dry day, mainly overcast but much warmer than on our last trip. However at times there was a stiff breeze which made slow speed steering more of a challenge.

Mike walked to the shops for a newspaper and we untied from the mooring not long after 9.30. nb Chance was still next to us but they were both away. However we only went around the corner as Paul at the workshop was open for diesel and we felt it wisest to top up in case we did not find a fuel boat. There are not many canalside fuel facilities in this part of the system. It is never a quick stop here so it was after 10:30 before we were truly on our way.

The route northwards is quite familiar but even so there are stretches which seem less familiar. The main characteristic for much of this stretch is the number of moored boats - most of which do not look as though they move too often. In some places there were rather more than last year so perhaps some have been displaced out of London as a result of the stricter enforcement of the rules for 'boats without a home mooring' - a much debated matter amongst those affected, and others as well. The extreme pressure on housing in the London area makes this a very delicate matter for CRT. In the end they cannot hope to please everyone.

Uxbridge Lock

We shared Cowley Lock with another boat that had also just set off. Although it seemed that they were wanting to make best speed, they did not appear at Uxbridge Lock - they must have moored just back around the corner at the pub. They passed us at lunch time obviously in somewhat of a rush.

By 1 o'clock blue skies arrived and it was rather pleasant weather for cruising. As a result, at most of the locks for the rest of the day there were plenty of helpers!

Just above Widewater Lock (aka Harefield Lock depending on the reference source!) we pulled in for lunch.

At the first of the afternoon's locks the watching children were far to small to be of any help. Also rather sorry to see this notice about a rather precious totem pole stolen from the garden last year. It had been made by someone's dad just before he died.

However, at Copper Mill a young lad and his mum walked from well before the lock, obviously intent on taking a close look. He enthusiastically helped Mike set the lock but by the time the boat was ready to come up quite a crowd had joined him and so Mike had to work out ways of finding tasks - mainly holding ropes - to keep several children busy!

The occasional green stretches looked all the better for the warm sunshine.

Stockers was the last lock of the day. We noted the reason for the large house for the toll keeper beside the lock back in http://takefiveboat.blogspot.co.uk/2014/11/widewater.html but we seemed to have missed the distinctive marker post. There is a similar one not far from Packet Boat Marina which we spotted during winter walk from the boat.

Having looked up A church Year You, and read about St Mary's Rickmansworth which is close to the canal, we decided to moor for the night just below Batchworth Lock. We were not quite as close to the road bridge as we had hoped but when we found a suitable space at the previous footbridge we decided not to risk going further and finding all the spaces taken. Christine did take a walk up the towpath and although there might have been room the adjacent boat was playing rather loud music so perhaps it was as well to be where we were.

9.2 miles - 8 locks