TRIP REPORTS

SUMMER & AUTUMN 2003
The Thames and the Kennet & Avon

Part 1 : Uxbridge to the tideway and then up-river.

Click on a picture to see a bigger version with a caption

We'd had a short cruise at Easter (Trip report here), taken Felis Catus II to Canalway Cavalcade, and I'd done a couple of days in other people's boats. We set off in early August for a long (although not continuous) cruise taking in hte Great Internet Gathering and the National Waterways Festival, both on the Thames. After those two events we planned some Autumn boating on the Kennet and Avon.

We were late (13:07) getting to Felis Catus II on our mooring at Uxbridge because Tilly was difficult about her travelling box, and we had a slow cab journey because Hammersmith Flyover was closed. Ian came by tube and was delayed on the Metropolitan Line.

This was the first long trip with Tilly & Mandy together, so we'd decided on a new tactic of letting them out in the evening, but shutting them in at night, not giving them supper until they come in, to get them in before too late. The weather was very hot, so we'd opened the kitchen side-hatch and put an insect net over it to get some ventilation into the cabin without letting the cats out.

We headed south and turned off the main line at Bull's Bridge Junction to visit Willow Tree Marina for a pump-out. We checked gas & diesel but didn't need either. Then we went back to the main line at tied up at Bull's Bridge Tesco for provisioning. I had to go back to London for a Canal Museum Trustees' meeting, so we'd stay here for the night. It was a long shopping trip, partly because the only place we'd been able to moor was by the old dry dock, so we had quite a long and inconvenient walk and we couldn't use the trolley because of steps. We were moored the wrong way round to rig the netting over the other side-hatch.

The cats perversely didn't go out while the doors were open (until 22:30) but cavorted madly during the night. The netting over the side-hatch seems impervious to attack by the cats.

At 12:40, I 'phoned from Hayes station, and the others set off in the boat to meet me, which happened at Chair Dock, Hayes. We winded and set off southwards. It was another extremely hot day, and the cats were desperate to get out. At Osterley lock, one of the gates seem jammed solidly closed.

We stopped at a convenient spot at the foot of Clitheroe's lock for a barbecue, and I fixed netting over the bedroom side-hatch and the saloon window, so there's now a lot more ventilation for the cats during the day.

We started at 07:50 and shared one of the Gauging Locks with Petronella (by Harris of Bumblehole, 1921) while another couple of boats were using the other. We shared Thames Lock with Venice and Deimôs. At the mouth of Brentford Creek we joined the Thames Tideway, which was very placid, with some boats coming down-river from Limehouse or where-ever. We shared Teddington Launch lock with Wyvern's Ivory, Petronella, Joss and a Gin Palace. Above the lock we stopped to get a Thames licence, for which there was quite a queue. We were getting a month's licence now, then one for six days when we come of the K&A in the Autumn.

The extra ventilation seemed to work, as the cats were now much more relaxed in the cabin while we're under way.

We found the EA public mooring at Staines (just downstream of the pub, but not very easy to get on and off). Ian & I went for a quick drink and to try to buy some more fizzy mineral water as we're running out. The pub didn't keep large bottles, but told us of a Sainsbury's nearby, to which Ian went. After dinner I left for London for a few days. It was a long walk to the station.

They set off at 09:10. The heat was very exhausting, so they decided that a long day's cruising was not a good idea. They moored downstream of Maidenhead railway bridge at 15:00. Mysterious marquees were being erected. Wendy tried to shop for more fruit and liquid refreshment but didn't make it to any proper shops - too far \away and no buses. A convenient Texaco garage had orange juice and lager and a 2kg bag of ice, as the boat's fridge wasn't coping very well with the heat.

At about 20:30 an Official Person came along and said that he should have put op "no Mooring" signs because Maidenhead Regatta was to take place there next day, but as he hadn't, we could stay without charge but would need to be away by 08:30. Tilly stayed out until 03:00.

In consideration of the site crew's nerves, we started getting ready to move at 07:50. We expected a long wait at Boulter's Lock, but found it already being worked by nb Thistle, with whom we'd shared a water point the previous day. Nice people - Val, Michael and small dog Holly. We continued past Henley and Marsh Locks.

At 15:45 we moored at an EA free site at Lashbrook on an island formed by the river and a backwater. Helped to moor by Thistle. There was a lot of noise and movement, which may or may not have been the aftermath of a regatta, and fireworks. Before the last, Mandy ran up a tree and cried for help, which was impossible to give - but got herself down OK a few minutes later, only to leap at an insect and fall into the water. She levitated herself out and into safety within seconds. The fireworks brought the cats back in quite conveniently.

They set off at 08:50, a little before Thistle, who was with them in Shiplake Lock. We stopped together for water & rubbish, then Thistle went on while FC2 had a pump-out. They passed Kennet mouth and stopped at Reading Tesco for what turned out to be some disappointing shopping - they had no Retsina and were out of ice. Then they went on to just above Reading bridge where they moored at 17:00 near a kiddies' paddling pool and playground in Christchurch meadow - but it was quiet after dark.

I re-joined by train after spending the morning helping lead an IWA South London Tideway cruise.

We set off at 08:24 and stopped at Goring bridge for some shopping, but Wendy found the place fairly useless, apart from a pleasant ironmonger. It was another very hot day. We tied up 3/4 mile above Day's lock at 16:09. The book showed a considerable length of mooring here, which turned out to be not too bad for access, although we did need to use the boarding plank. We barbecued.