TRIP REPORTS

THE RIVERS LEE & STORT

June & July 2006

Part 4 : Hertford to Limehouse Basin

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We resume the story at The Old Barge, Hertford.

We managed to make an earlier (07:56) start to try and catch up on the schedule (we didn't because once again it was too hot). We stopped at the facilities point at Dicker Mill to fill up with water (good fast tap), empty the Elsan and dispose of rubbish. Continuing, we saw a number of people & boats we knew, including crossing Paul on Angel of Islington II at Ware lock, and Coal Boy craned out at Stanstead Abbots Marina. We passed Fieldes Weir junction and went on to Broxbourne. Worn out with the heat, we tied up here at 13:55 without at first noticing that the boat a few yards ahead of us was Chérie. Eric & I went to the pub while Sally walked into the village and Wendy stayed on the boat to keep it aired. A bit later it came on to thunder and rain, and the four of us decided not to go any further today, to eat at the pub this evening and cruise together tomorrow. We came up with a plan for Chérie to join us on the tideway on Monday.

We set off on schedule at 08:58 with Chérie and had a pleasant run in grey weather with a sprinkling of rain, which kept the temperature comfortable. The pound between Aqueduct and Cheshunt locks was again over a foot down and the lengthsman was about to run a lot of water down. At Hazelmere Marina we stopped to take on water. Eric & Sally had waited for us at Rammey Marsh lock. At 11:50 both boats tied up outside The Greyhound, above Enfield lock and had a pub lunch.

I went to London early on Thursday afternoon. On Friday Wendy went into Enfield town centre - at least half an hour by bus. There she found a Waitrose and a Mothercare, where she bought some insect nets for the side-hatches. She also found a launderette just beyond Enfield Lock station but service washes are limited to Monday, Tuesday, Thursday & Friday mornings.

We got under way at 09:21. We were lucky and had a partner from the start - Petula with Peter & Ursula, experienced boaters who knew what they were doing. Above Stonebridge lock we stopped for a card-operated pump-out and to dispose of rubbish. Petula needed water, and the tap was so slow they decided to have lunch, so we waited for them. After Tottenham lock, Petula went ahead, as we planned to stop for diesel at Springfield Marina. They had diesel at a reasonable price, so we filled right up. They didn't have a chandlery, so we weren't able to get the bits of that sort we wanted - but they weren't urgent. The duckweed grew thicker as we approached Old Ford, and remained that way all the way to Three Mills, where we found the mooring a bit awkward with a high wall. We tied up at 15:50. Petula was here along with some other boats who moved off soon after we arrived. Wendy went to Tesco.

I went for a walk to photograph the new gates on City Mill Lock, while Wendy did some forgotten shopping. We set off at 13:06, running slowly because we picked up something on the blade, and the banks were too high to stop comfortably to clear it. By Bow Locks we joined the Limehouse Cut and tied up in Limehouse Basin at 14:04. Various other boats were moored here waiting for tomorrow's tide, including Chérie. Eric & I went to The Grapes for a few pints before Eric & Sally came to us for dinner.

The next stage of our cruise was to be on the tideway en route to the Kennet & Avon