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for information about our boat of those days, Felis Catus
Over the winter we made several
visits to charge up the boat's battery. On an old wooden boat one had to keep a
well-charged battery and a bilge-pump on a float-switch. By March the weather
was good enough for us to do a bit of local pottering. The serious boating
began at Easter, when we had to leave our winter-only mooring at Little Venice.
In fact we'd taken the boat off that mooring and round the corner to the Little
Venice visitor moorings a few days before the main cruise began.
FRIDAY 13 th APRIL - GOOD
FRIDAY |
Roger, Chris, cat Lucky
Little Venice to
Denham |
They left Little Venice at 11:10 and headed for Bull's
Bridge junction and the Grand Junction main line. Then they stopped at what
was then Grand Union Cruisers, before Packet Boat Lane to buy diesel and again
a few yards further on to visit George Forrest who'd done some work on the boat
for us over the winter. They moored for the night at Denham, bridge 182, at
19:25. DAY'S RUN : 20.2 miles, 3 locks in 7 hrs 15 min
SATURDAY 14th APRIL |
Roger, Chris, cat Lucky
Denham to King's
Langley |
Setting off at 09:10, they filled up with water and then
had to wait for the missing cat. They ate lunch on the move - not a good
idea 2-handed among locks. (Cold pizza again!). They used the sani station by
Batchworth lock and continued, to moor overnight above King's Langley lock at
18:15. DAY'S RUN : 12.7 miles, 18 locks in 7 hrs 20 min
SUNDAY 15th APRIL - EASTER
SUNDAY |
Roger, Chris, cat Lucky
King's Langley to
Marsworth |
Boundary
|
They started at 09:00 and stopped (for a late
breakfast ?) at Boxmoor, bridge 148, then went on to Castle wharf, Berkhamsted
where they bought gas. Their next stop was above Northchurch top lock. Above
Cowroast lock they used the sani station and took on water. They finished the
day below Startopsend lock at Marsworth at 20:10. DAY'S RUN : 13.2
miles, 31 locks in 8 hrs 40 min |
MONDAY 16th APRIL - BANK
HOLIDAY |
Roger, Chris, cat Lucky
Marsworth to
Soulbury |
Monday's start was at 09:30, with stops below
Ivinghoe locks and below Soulbury top lock (the latter to take on water). Then
they came back up the top lock and tied up for the night at 18:20.
DAY'S RUN : 11.8 miles, 14 locks in 6 hrs 20 min
TUESDAY 17th APRIL |
Roger, Chris, Mike, Wendy, Tony, Maureen, cat
Lucky
Soulbury to Leighton Buzzard & Simpson |
|
They set off at 09:00 and ran to Leighton
Buzzard where they used the sani station and Chris went back to work. Roger
shopped, then Wendy & I arrived with Tony & Maureen Kay. Tony was a
colleague of ours who taught in the Technology Department and had given us a
hand with various jobs for the boat. We had lunch at the Golden Bell
(Aylesbury Brewery Company but draught Bass on gravity). We continued in cold
weather to The Plough at Simpson, mooring there at 18:53. Roger cooked
dinner, then we went to the pub - Charles Wells on top pressure. |
Sitting at the stern
|
DAY'S RUN : 12.6 miles, 7 locks in 4 hrs 36
min
WEDNESDAY 18th APRIL |
Roger, Mike, Wendy, Tony, Maureen , cat Lucky
Simpson to Stoke Bruerne |
Target Turn
|
We set off at 07:55 on a good, bright morning
that stayed good all day. Tony & I were hung over. We stopped at Linford
wharf and I cooked breakfast. Above Cosgrove lock we used the sani station and
watered, then went on to The Navigation, beyond Cosgrove for a pub lunch
: small choice but good quality. |
New
Bradwell
|
We moored for the night at Stoke Bruerne at 16:27 and
visited the museum. Roger & Wendy did some painting. Tony, Roger & I
went to The Boat (Free house : we drank County) while Wendy cooked. Then
we played the London Game. I won.
Cosgrove
lock
|
Stoke Bruerne locks
|
Stoke Bruerne
|
DAY'S RUN : 16.8 miles, 8 locks in 6 hrs 23
min
THURSDAY 19th APRIL |
Roger, Mike, Wendy, Tony, Maureen , cat Lucky
Stoke Bruerne to Fenny Stratford |
We made a late (09:20) late start because Wendy went for
a long walk. We winded before the tunnel and headed back south. Wendy
cooked breakfast below Stoke bottom lock The weather was cold and grey again.
We used the facilities again at Cosgrove sani station. Roger cooked lunch on
the move. At 17:16 we tied up before Fenny Stratford lock. Tony & Maureen
cooked dinner. Roger, Tony & I went to the Red Lion pre-dinner, Tony
& I to the Bridge after. Neither was very inspiring. The other three
played Scrabble. Wendy won .
Cosgrove Aqueduct
|
Cosgrove Aqueduct
|
Willen Lake
|
DAY'S RUN : 18.6 miles, 8 locks in 6 hours 37
min
FRIDAY 20th APRIL |
Roger, Mike, Wendy, Tony, Maureen , Ian, cat
Lucky
Fenny Stratford to Marsworth |
In Milton
Keynes
|
We started at 08:49. Roger cooked breakfast as
we worked up Soulbury locks and we stopped at the top to eat it. Then we went
on to Leighton Buzzard for beer at the Golden Bell (ABC) before Tony
& Maureen left. We shopped and Ian arrived. Once we moved off Wendy made a
sandwich lunch under way. We tied up at 19:40 at the Ship Stores, Marsworth and
went for beer at the Red Lion. I cooked dinner then the other three
played board games, Ian won. |
DAY'S RUN : 15.5 miles, 17 locks in 6 hours 56
min
SATURDAY 21st APRIL |
Roger, Mike, Wendy, Ian , cat Lucky
Marsworth
to Berkhamsted |
|
We set off southwards at 08:03. Ian cooked
breakfast as we worked up Marsworth locks, and we moored at Bulbourne to eat
it. Then Roger walked part of the Wendover Arm. When we set off again we shared
most of the locks with a small Ricky. We stopped at the Rising Sun,
Berkhamsted, for a beer here (just in time before they closed for the
afternoon). Roger cooked lunch, then I walked round the town, while Ian &
Wendy slept. Then we had a painting session. |
Ducks
|
Later we went down one lock, winded and came back up
two locks to Bridgewater Boats, once they'd sent their fleet out. We tied up at
their wharf at 18:32 and spent some time socialising with Mike & Lindy
before Wendy cooked dinner. DAY'S RUN : 7.6 miles, 19 locks in 4
hrs 55 min
SUNDAY 22nd APRIL |
Roger, Mike, Wendy, Ian , cat Lucky
Berkhamsted
to Bulbourne |
Berkhamsted
|
We had a lazy morning, used the facilities at the
boatyard and finally set off at 13:05. We stopped above Cowroast lock for a
late lunch (cooked by Roger & Wendy on the move), then went on to Tring
station, where Roger & Lucky left for London by train. The rest of us had
planned to go to Marsworth but were stopped at Bulbourne at 17:34 by a storm,
so we had a snack supper there & an early night. |
DAY'S RUN : 5.7 miles, 8 locks in 2 hrs 57
min
MONDAY 23rd APRIL |
Mike, Wendy, Ian
Bulbourne to Leighton
Buzzard |
|
Monday brought windy, showery weather. I was laid
low a with stomach bug. After an 07:05 start, we were delayed while the
lock-keeper filled a leaky pound. We made a brunch stop below Peter's Two, then
went on to Leighton Buzzard where we moored at 16:01, used the sani station,
did the laundry and shopped. DAY'S RUN : 9.3 miles, 18 locks in 6
hrs 19 min |
Spring !
|
TUESDAY 24th APRIL |
Mike, Wendy, Ian
Leighton Buzzard to Great
Linford |
Wendy shopped again then cooked breakfast. We set off
at 11:41 stopping at Wyvern Shipping, for water and gas. Our next stop was at
The Globe, Linslade for beer. We ate lunch on the move at Stoke Hammond
The weather was showery again. We moored at the Black Horse, Linford, at
18:45. Ian & I went for beer at the pub (ABC with Ind Coop on hand-pump)
while Wendy cooked dinner. DAY'S RUN : 14.8 miles, 6 locks in 5 hrs
37 min
WEDNESDAY 25th APRIL |
Mike, Wendy, Ian
Great Linford to
Weedon |
We set off in good sunny weather at 06:00 with Wendy
at the helm and the other two still in bed. We tied up before Cosgrove aqueduct
and Ian woke up surprised to see the cut on the wrong side of the boat. Wendy
cooked breakfast while Ian & I photographed the aqueduct. We used Cosgrove
sani station again and went on to Stoke Bruerne where we had a good bar lunch
at The Boat - choice of 3 real ales and good food. The weather was now
showery & windy. We only crossed one boat in the tunnel. We moored at Lower
Weedon, bridge 24, at 18:33, where Ian & I had a couple of pints of fizzy
Grotney's at The Wheatsheaf while Wendy cooked dinner.
Solomon's
Bridge,
Cosgrove
|
The Navigation,
Castlethorpe
|
Stoke Bruerne
|
DAY'S RUN : 22.5 miles, 8 locks in 8 hrs 10
mins
THURSDAY 26th APRIL |
Mike, Wendy, Ian
Weedon to Buckby |
Brockhall Spinneys
|
We set off at 08:18 and stopped at Brockhall,
bridge 16, where Wendy cooked breakfast. We arrived above Buckby top lock at
12:02, just before the first shower of the day. We packed up and walked to Long
Buckby station (too far for comfort) to catch a train home. DAY'S
RUN : 4.6 miles, 7 locks in 2 hours 36 min |
CRUISE TOTALS : 185.8 miles, 172 locks in 84
hrs 41 min over 14 days' boating
|
