TRIP REPORTS

EARLY SUMMER 2007 - NORTHWARDS FROM LONDON

Part 1 : Little Venice to Berkhamsted

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We'd been hanging about in and around London for quite a while, partly because of the Bow Back River cruise I've already reported, partly because I had quite a lot to do at the London Canal Museum, and partly because Wendy wanted to spend some time starting clearing our flat ready for sale. So it wasn't until the beginning of July that we were ready to start moving North again, and the first stages of that journey were to suffer several interruptions.

We set off from the Little Venice visitor moorings at 10:53, almost as soon as Wendy returned from a few days at the flat, now very worried about how near the bottom of the diesel tank we were. By Scrubs Lane Bridge we filled up with diesel from Liz on nb Indus (329 litres!). Just before we re-started we were hit by a rain storm which got dramatically heavy. As the contents of the fridge were down to bacon and eggs, we decided to stop at the Black Horse, Greenford, (which we reached at 13:42) and eat there again.

We set off at 11:27, turned north at Bull's Bridge Junction, reached the Hillingdon Canal Club (our old mooring with the previous boat) at 14:53, and tied up on the clubhouse mooring, where we took on water.

I was working at the museum for much of the week. I returned to the boat on Saturday afternoon, too tired to fancy any boating, so we went to the clubhouse in the evening and stayed rather later than we'd intended, in good company.

After the previous late night, we woke up late and weren't away as soon as we'd hoped - in fact at 10:52. We knew we'd need a pump-out soon, but there was a boat on the service mooring at Denham Marina, so we didn't go in there. We had a bad road all day, and only shared one lock (Denham, with TWW Montgomery on its way from its Uxbridge mooring to Harefield Marina). At several locks we had to wait quite a time for downhill boats. By the time we reached Cassio Marina, Frank had closed for the day. So we'd still not had a pump-out.

We stopped at 19:05 just above Ironbridge lock, but neither the weather nor our state of tiredness was amenable to the barbecue we'd hoped for. After the cats had enjoyed a good run ashore, they came back for a rest and we closed the cat-flap in the hope of an early start the next morning.

Earlyish, anyway, 7:53. We had a better road this time. At what BW call North Grove lock (and we know as Home Park Farm lock), there was a boat behind us as we were leaving, so we waited for them at 5-Paddle (Home Park Mill) lock. The boat was called Here There Everywhere, and was two-handed with an experienced crew that it was a pleasure to work with. At King's Langley we were quite badly weeded. We stopped the engine to clear the blade, and the chap off the other boat got there first to do it for us! It was the usual load of poly bags tied on with angling line. At Apsley BW yard our partners stopped for water and some shopping at Sainsbury's. Loth to part company with an efficient partner, we tied to a mud-lighter on the off side and waited for them. Then we went on together until the other boat tied up above Fishery Lock to meet family the next day.

We reached Winkwell boatyard before 16:00, so expected them to be open and to get a pump-out, but we were told by another boater (on Clayton's Dart) that they were closed on Mondays. We moored at 15:55 on the 48-hour moorings above the swing bridge. I was due at the museum for the rest of the week, but could come back for some boating on Wednesday afternoon, so we'd get our pump-out then and press on to Berkhamsted. Wendy went to the pub and got a 'phone number for me to book a cab to Hemel station for the morning. It was a good mooring for the cats and they brought back a number of trophies.

Up in good time, which was just as well, as my cab arrived well ahead of the booked time. Wendy found that a filling station nearby sold a few newspapers - neither of our preferred ones so she had to put up with The Times. She lunched at the Three Horseshoes - not outstanding.

I came back at lunchtime after a morning session at the Museum. As I was about to leave Hemel station, I was hailed by our friend Roger Alsop, who gave me a lift to the boat. He was on his way from delivering a barge-load of balconies to Kings Place on the Regents to a BSS inspection at Aylesbury. His boat, Comet, was at Berkhamsted, so we might see him there. At 14:55 we backed through the bridge to the boatyard (managing accidentally to wash the feet of some people outside the pub while I was manoeuvring). We had the necessary pump-out - expensive at £18 - and set off northwards.

The boat ahead of us at Winkwell top lock saw us and waited for us at Bourne End lock (which was wiering over its bottom gates as usual). No sign of anybody on board Parglena - presumably Julian & Caro were at work. Ditto for Debbi & Simon on Tiami. We tied up outboard of our friends Bryan & Lindy's boat Berkhamsted moored to their garden in Berko. They were away in France. Wendy met Lindy's friend Jen who checked we were harmless and e-mailed Lindy to say we'd arrived. I went to the Rising Sun in the evening for a few drinks with Debbi & Simon.

I went off to the Museum very early on Thursday morning, as I had a certain amount of equipment to get out for a busy day with three school visits. There was another visit on Friday morning, after which we'd hoped to get in some boating, but a problem on the tube combined with my having painfully cracked skin on my heels put paid to that.

On Friday & Saturday, Tilly decided she wanted to stay in Lindy's garden (she found a favourite place in a tree by the boat), so we were stuck. Bryan & Lindy arrived back from holiday late on Saturday evening. I had to be back at the museum on Monday, and when I came back that evening we ate in the house with Bryan, while Lindy was at a council meeting. She joined us for drinks later, elated with having got a resolution about waterside planning through the Council. When we got back to the boat about midnight, both cats were in, so we closed the cat-flap in order to be sure of getting away next morning.