Mike Stevens' UK Inland Waterways Pages

TRIP REPORTS : THE FELIS CATUS II YEARS

EARLY SEASON, 1991

Including Canalway Cavalcade and the Wendover Arm Rally

Felis Catus II had been built the previous Autumn , (Click here for some information about the boat.), so this was the beginning of our first full year with her. The story begins at our home mooring at High Line Yachting, Cowley Peachey, on the GU main line south of Uxbridge.

EASTER MINI-CRUISE

Paul, the boatyard caretaker/handyman, had fitted new Paloma water 'otter after ice damage because we'd not winterised the original one properly,. We had a pump-out and set off at 14:16 for what proved to be a pleasant run into London in comfortable, dry weather. We passed through Bull's Bridge junction onto the to Paddington Branch and went the whole length of it to Paddington Basin where we moored at 18:51 outboard our friend Adrian Steinkamp's boat Chyna Too to have a conference with him about Canalway Cavalcade. We found a leaking joint in the hot water system. We went home overnight to fetch the cats.

We came back on board at lunchtime with the cats, in very pleasant weather. I couldn't sort out the leaky T-junction below the boiler. We set off at 12:53 after squeezing out from a boat that had moored outboards of us overnight. At Sainsbury's, Kensall Green we winded then moored for some shopping. The cats hadn't stirred from the bunks for most of the time.

Setting off back at 17:14, we encountered some small boys with catapults under the Westway. We stopped for water at Paddington Stop then continued through Browning's Pool and in to the Regent's Canal. We winded before Camden top lock. Dido was now happy in the well-deck as long as there was a person there she could snuggle up to. Arlecchino was more wary - driven inside in disgust when we went past the antelope paddocks in the Zoo. Both cats seemed to think that ducks cheat. We tied up at Camden visitor moorings at 18:57.

The cats were up & down on the bunks during the night. Warning - do not buy coriander in Camden - you will be done. We set off at 09:55, back the way we'd come the day before, and picked up lots of polythene on the blade just before Maida Hill tunnel, just like old times! We passed through Browning's Pool onto the Paddington Branch and made a lunch stop opposite High Line moorings at Northolt.

Off again, we turned south at Bull's Bridge junction. The cats were getting calmer and were fairly happy outside in the afternoon. We saw many beautiful cats on houseboats at Norwood. We winded outside Adelaide Dock and moored between bridges 201 & 202 at 16:48. The cats were very relaxed through the evening. They had their first experience of a real fire and gave us a slightly quieter night.

It was a cold, windy morning, and we we were glad of the fire. We set off at 09:34 and arrived back at our mooring at Cowley Peachey at 10:59. Backing into the mooring was a bit tricky, but getting on & off the boat was easier that way round. Paul fixed the leaking joint - a joint had popped out, possibly in the freeze. Our friends John Fletcher & Alison, Ron & Mrs Hurn visited & we looked at the Hurns' boat Triangulum (they were in High Line's covered dock for painting). Then we went home.

CANALWAY CAVALCADE

We set off from Cowley Peachey at 13:58, joined the Paddington Branch at Bull's Bridge and stopped at Sainsbury's, Kensall Green for a huge shopping stop. Then we went on to Paddington Stop to take on water and use the sani station. At 19:58 we moored in Browning's Pool outboard of our friends Dave & Ann's boat Albatross on Rembrandt Gardens. Wendy left for home (she was working the next day). Ann Hancox came on board for the Rally. Ann Tilman (from Albatrossjoined us for dinner & cooked, from joint resources. Much gin was consumed.

In the morning we moved onto the south side of the pool. The day was spent getting ready for Rally, including using FC2 as a tug to move the pontoon bridge. We ended up moored almost under the horse bridge. A couple of my work friends visited in the evening.

Wendy rejoined early in the morning. The rally public address base was on board. Various people were coming & going all day. Mike was busy for the middle of the day being the Lord Mayor's minder. Gas & Coalite were delivered to us on site. Visitors today (other than those involved with the Rally) included Ian, a past colleague and former partner in our old boat, Jill, my former secretary, Bill, a recent client, and Bernard, a friend from the Drama Club we used to belong to.

Another day spent as p.a. the base for the Rally. Peter, an ex-colleague and long-standing boasting friend, & family came on board for most of the day. Fireworks etc in the evening. Dave Dent was marshalling the illuminated boats with what turned out to be a broken leg.

The last day of the Rally was just as hectic as the rest. Wendy left for home early evening. All of the rally staff went off for a pub meal later. We returned to find Wendy on Albatross, having left her keys on FC2. She stayed overnight after all, as did Anne-Marie and Ann H. It was the first time we'd slept 4 on the boat. There seemed to be a slight leak from somewhere in the water pump assembly. A hinge on one of the side hatches was broken.

Wendy went off to work before the rest of us stirred. It was a tidying-up day, both of the rally site and of the boat. Breakfast was bacon butties on board Adrian's Chyna Too. Anne-Marie left with Andy Norton to take the work-boat Stanley back to Brentford. Ann H left at tea-time. More Coalite was delivered. I spent much of the evening in the Bridge House, first with Martin Whelehan, a work colleague, later with boaters Dave & Sue from Blott on the Landscape.

I set off at 11:23 single-handed, glad to be away from crowds. At Sainsbury's, Kensall Green, I stopped tu use the money machine. Later, by the Hamborough Tavern in Southall I found myself very hard aground trying to moor for a bite to eat and needed the help of a passer-by to shaft off. The rest of run run was uneventful and I arrived back at out Cowley Peachey mooring at 16:00 0 53 3.8 0 0 0

A WEEKEND TRIP

It was a cloudy day with a little drizzle at times. we set off northwards from Cowley Peachey at 10:55. At Cowley lock (our first of the year) we took on water but the sani station was u/s. We stopped at Uxbridge Boat Centre, whence Wendy went to the shops for provisioning while Mike I diesel & some chandlery, including a new shorter chimney. Uxbridge has a trendy shopping centre with M&S, Body Shop, Evans (without the O-word), but Uxbridge appears to import all its vegetables from Kidsgrove.

In the afternoon we found a working sani station below Batchworth lock then continued to moor at 19:25 Watford, above bridge 168.

The day was overcast but dry & warm as we set off at 06:38. We stopped for breakfast at Hunton Bridge, past bridge 162, then continued. At Nash Mills top lock we chatted en passant with Charlie Green, formerly of BW staff at Little Venice, who then lived in retirement at the lock cottage. We were an extraordinary attraction to local Sunday walkers at Fishery lock, at Winkwell and at Berka. We tied up at Castle Wharf, Berkhamsted at 16:24, to a great welcome at Mike & Lindy's. I worked with Lindy on her campaign against some clauses of the BW Bill. Wendy tidied up. We went home on the 19:31 train.

MAY HALF-TERM
(INCLUDING THE WENDOVER ARM RALLY)

We were disappointed not to have been able to come on the Friday. We shopped before we started. Waitrose wasn't what it had been. We used the boatyard's loo-point and water and rubbish facilities, then left at 12:00 and had a nice run up the first five locks with hire-boat Skimbleshanks. Later we noticed that the Bulbourne water-point was no longer by the junction but back in the lay-by. We passed on to Wendover Arm and tied up on our rally mooring before Gammel bridge at 16:55 We were the 126^th boat to arrive, so they'd almost reached their target number for the Rally, and there was time yet.

We were at the Wendover Arm Trust Rally. Ian (not a lover of rallies) joined us in the evening.

We stayed at the rally until the evening. At 18:33 we came out of the arm as a pushmipullyu, behind Albatross, with FC2 (unpowered) trying to overtake every time Dave cut his revs. Back on the main line, we tied up half way to the Grand Junction Arms at 19:00 and went for dinner in the pub with the London IWA crowd (Chris Port, Adrian Steinkamp & Libby Bradshaw) plus the Dent/Tilman tribe. We still had a small leak near the water-pump.

We set off at 08:26 to Cowroast Marina for a pump-out. The water leak had increased & we could trace it to the pump casing itself. Cowroast replaced the pump (this time with a stop-cock between it and the tank) & did a few odd jobs. We'd emptied the water tank to change the pump, so now refilled it. At the chandlery we bought a clock, longer mooring-pins & new ropes. We set off back and tied up in Bulbourne lay-by at 18:35. Arlecchino went walk-about on the towpath & came back OK at about 23:00.

After early drinks we went back to sleep and didn't start until 08:43. We stopped below Startopsend lock, whence I went back to London. Ian cooked a late breakfast, then they continued via Marsworth junction onto the Aylesbury Arm, which was shallow in many places and windy on open stretches. There was reasonable traffic. They tied up in Aylesbury basin at 17:10, receiving the usual good welcome from the Aylesbury Canal Society, then went off shopping: medium-distance &-size Sainsbury's. Ian had a shower and the lights were a bit yellow by the end of the evening. They played Scrabble after dinner.

They started at 09:58. It was windy, so direction of their turn was forced on them. They found it quite tiring work on the lower part of the Branch, and the weather was dingy. Ian noticed that one attachment of the front fender was detached and repaired it in a lock. At Marsworth junction they re-joined the main line and stopped at once. While they were clearing the weed-hatch, Lizzy Jane went into Startopsend lock and waited for them, so they continued, sharing locks with her. They tied up by Tring Station bridge at 16:15 and Ian went back to London for a rehearsal: he was playing God in Sloane Square. I rejoined in the evening.

We had a leisurely breakfast before starting at 09:45,because we wanted to see if Midland Chandlers had a fixing for the fender chain (which they didn't). We locked through with Berkhamsted hire-boat McCavity at first (nice people from Cornwall), and then with an anonymous boat from Cowley Peachey. We arrived at Castle Wharf, Berkhamsted, at 12:52. I did some more work with Lindy on evidence for the House of Lords, while Wendy shopped & did the first part of the washing.

I continued working with Lindy while Wendy went to the launderette. Then we both "cleaned ship" & left for home. Note for future reference : the best access from the cut to the launderette is the footbridge between Gas Two & King's Road lock.

WEEKEND RUN BACK HOME

The boatyard had given us a pump-out during the week. We came on board on the Friday afternoon. Wendy went shopping while Lindy & I were post-morteming day we'd spent recently giving evidence to the House of Lords Committee on the BW Bill : we rated it a success. The weather was rather grey so we decided not to set off that evening.

It was a cool day, never quite raining. We left Berkhamsted at 07:34 and stopped below Winkwell bottom lock for breakfast. After that we locked through with Hermes for the middle part of the day. Before Fishery lock we were stopped for about 40 minutes by the lengthsman who was running water down where someone had done a silly. Later we dealt with the porta-potti & rubbish at Apsley without stopping appreciably. Before Kings Langley lock we made a latish lunch stop. The shop here no longer seemed to sell solid fuel. The last part of the day was quite windy. We tied up for the night before Hunton Bridge locks at 17:38.

We were woken by a passing boat at 04:12. They'd pulled a BW lighter off its mooring, so I had to re-moor it before we could start at 05:23. We were joined by Timaru single-handing. We had a good road in sunny weather, although windy later. We stopped for breakfast below Common Moor lock, and Timaru went on. After breakfast we found ourselves locking with Buckthorn (single-handed) from Batchworth to Coppermill, & various others from time to time. We got back to our mooring at Cowley Peachey at 14:35, cleared up and went home.