Mike Stevens' UK Inland Waterways Pages

TRIP REPORTS : THE FELIS CATUS II YEARS

Spring & Early Summer 1992 :
FOUR WATERWAYS EVENTS

PART 3 : LONDON RING CRUISE & BRENTFORD RALLY

Click here for information about our boat , Felis Catus II

We resume the story back at our home mooring at Cowley Peachey.

LONDON RING CRUISE

All four of us came on board for the night. Plans for a London Ring Cruise had been on an off a few times, but we were planning to do it, weather permitting, ending up at Brentford for the rally there the following week-end.

Early in the morning Dave set off to do a car shuffle, taking the car to Brentford and meeting us later by rail. We set off at 07:14 , passed through Bull's Bridge junction and continued to Sainsbury's, at Alperton, where Dave re-joined. The others shopped while I cooked a late breakfast. Continuing, we used the sani station at Paddington Stop, near to which we saw our friend Tim Clarkson on Isis. We joined the Regent's Canal. At Hampstead Road lock we crossed with the Russells on Auntie Barb, also heading to Brentford by the other route. The crowds here were less dreadful than they are on a Sunday.

We waited before Islington tunnel for unidentifiable boat movement in the tunnel. A covey of police arrived, in response to a report of a person in the tunnel. We took two of them through to check. We found nothing in the tunnel, but when we got to the other end we discovered that David & Elizabeth Wood on Anker no.5 had found a body. We waited a while at Islington visitor mooring while things were sorted out with the police, then set off again, now locking with Anker. Passed through Angel Day at City Road with Eric Garland & Rosie Limming on the IWA London Branch Stand. We moored next to Victoria Park at 16:54, a short way above Old Ford Lock, in company with Anker & a Caribbean cruiser, Maid of Morven. Anker went for a run down Duckett's & came back for the night. It was too wet for a barbecue, so we cooked and ate inside. Overnight Dave & I were suspicious of some youths on the towpath, who we thought might cast us adrift, but our fears proved groundless.

An unpromising weather forecast led us to work out other plans in case conditions on the tideway weren't good. If we decided by about 14:00, we could get back to Delamere Terrace at a reasonable hour tonight. Dave was uncertain whether he'd come on the tideway in any case. We set off after breakfast at 10:15, once again locking with Anker. Several locks had only one top paddle in use.

Limehouse Basin

We stopped in Limehouse tide lock . The threatened wind hadn't arrived, although there was some rain. We tied up in the lock with Anker and were later joined by Maid of Morven and Meridian, both bound for Teddington. Mike Adams' river tug Silverlit was waiting below the lock to act as our escort boat. Having talked to David and Elizabeth, Silverlit went to wait on the barge roads. We weren't totally certain whether to expect Libby Bradshaw on Panacea or on foot. She had planned for us to lock out at 14:30, but Meridian was keen to get away earlier. By about 14:00 the weir by Commercial Road lock showed that a boat was on its way. At about 14:10 two boats appeared and we decided that since they wouldn't fit in with the rest of us, we'd lock out. Actually I believe they turned up the Limehouse Cut.

Since the River still looked pretty calm, Dave decided to come with us and was elected helmsman. We locked out onto the tideway at 14:16. It was a bit lumpy to start with, but nothing like as bad as our worst imaginings. Even the water buses showed some consideration for us. We were in convoy with the other three boats at normal canal-type revs until (near Wandsworth) Dave decided to give FC2 a bit of a speed trial. We got up a pretty good pace with plenty of power to spare and shot past first Anker and then Meridian who had previously been well ahead. Soon we throttled back as we realised we'd run ahead of the tide and would have to wait at Brentford.

At 16:46 we tied up below Thames lock at Brentford until lock-opening time. Silverlit couldn't get right up the creek for lack of water. While waiting, we were joined by Libby Bradshaw & Adrian Steinkamp on Chyna Too, who'd been delayed en route by a hearse-race on the Regent's. At 17:20 we locked through Thames Lock and shortly (at 17:51) tied up just above the Gauging Lock, where Auntie Barb had already arrived. Dave & Ann , David & Elizabeth went off home : Mike, Wendy, Adrian & Libby went to the Six Bells to find Jim Mason and Marion Scott for some Rally business. Then we all crept home quite late

BRENTFORD RALLY

We came up from home, bringing most of our provisions with us, plus the stuff I'd printed for Waterways for Youth. The lock-keeper locked us down the Gauging Lock and back again before she went off duty, so that we could use the water point. Then we went to our rally mooring, near the foot-bridge to Boston Manor Park, where we tied up at 18:00. We spent some time socialising with other boaters, WfY folk, WRGies, Civil War Society (in full period costume) etc. I went to the beer tent.

The day started with chores : me cleaning brass & delivering the quiz papers etc to site, Wendy doing a few last-minute bits of shopping. Then we were busy all day at the rally working on WfY events: me on knot-tying and Wendy on Beastie-spotting. Later I went to the beer-tent while Wendy rested. We'd hoped for fish & chips or something on site, but had no luck, so I cooked a late supper.

After-breakfast we again did the chores : me on the brass (again!), Wendy cleaning-ship inside. My brother Derek & his family arrived at around 10:30. The rest of morning & early afternoon were spent on the Rally site, the kids doing the WfY passport activities. We bought lunch from on-site traders. The older kids, Samara & Josh, did enough of the WfY activities to win hats.

At 14:42 we set off up the locks to give the family a ride. Samara was locking quite enthusiastically. At Hayes Station Derek & I left to do a car-shuffle and meet the boat back at its home mooring. We found a mini-cab office very close to Hayes & Harlington station. We and the boat arrived at Cowley Peachey virtually simultaneously at 19:00. We had supper on board, before the family left. Wendy & I decided to sleep on board & go home on a very early train next day.