Guildford (1)

After our night outside the Anchor Inn, on Wednesday (6/8) morning we reversed back to Pyrford Marina. It is a large marina with a very swish dry dock. We took on fuel, which was no problem except the increasing price and the fact that we needed 104 litres, but the pump-out was another matter. We seem to have a jinx when it comes to pump-outs. Last year on the Oxford Canal the pump-out at Heyford Wharf was blocked and this year the pump-out at Pyrford was also blocked. It took two men over half-an-hour to fix it. Still once fixed it did a great job and we were on our way by around 11:00.

Anchor Inn, Pyrford

Walsham Flood Gates

The trip up through Newark and Papercourt Locks was delightful although we still struggled with the strong flows and working the locks alone.

Newark Priory

However, we were soon joined by the cruiser Idler. Sharing the locks that have strong flows with a fibre-glass cruiser appeared a little daunting at first but we soon developed a technique which involved the use of bow and centre lines which kept Albert from moving across.

Send Church

The section of navigation between Send and Burpham was particularly pretty. It probably looked at its best in the summer sunshine. This section passes close to Sutton Place and is also very twisty with a particularly difficult turn and bridge (Broad Oak Bridge) which, just to make things more interesting, also incorporates a weir.

Damsel Fly

Egyptian Geese

Not wishing to travel through Guildford yet, since we are hopefully mooring here over the weekend, we stopped just below Stoke Lock. There are some delightful meadows here but earlier on this evening the A3 road just beyond was noisy. As we settled down for the evening Brian and Irene O’Neill came out of the lock going downstream on NB Rangitoto. From New Zealand, they moor their boat next to Albert at Kingfisher Marina. They left Yardley Gobion in June and are having a slow cruise. It appears their global average distance per day is a mere 2.1 miles per day. Brian explains there slow progress in terms of how much they are enjoying meeting people and admiring the countryside. It looks like we might see them again as they are planning to explore the Regents Canal. We will have to keep an eye out.

Byfleet & Pyrford

Two days worth of blogging in one: We left Teddington lock on Monday (4/8) morning, after Lucy had breakfast with us, and travelled up past Kingston in glorious sunshine. A classic Dutch barge overtook us close to Kingston Rowing Club.


Dutch Barge in the Kingston Reach

Molesey Lock was empty when we arrived and the Assistant Lock Keeper, wearing a jaunty feather in his cap opened up the lock for us. We eventually shared the lock with various cruisers who then overtook us in the Hampton reach. Passing Sunbury it rained heavily. We moored up in Walton for lunch and watched the parrots circling overhead.

After Desborough Island we turned into the narrow channel that leads to the Wey and Godalming Navigations. Thames Lock, at the start of the navigation is a charming place. We waited while two cruisers locked up ahead of us. The navigation books try to explain the purpose of the Stop Lock and its role in the operation of the Thames Lock. The lock keeper had the best explanation: it’s basically a staircase lock with flexible water levels. We paid our registration, received our special windlass (heavy and a very long throw) and then went up the lock.




Thames Lock: Wey & Goldalming Navigations

We had hoped to moor up close to the head of the navigation but we found it difficult to find suitable moorings. We eventually found a spot outside the Byfleet Boat Club (BBC), which although close to the M25, was relatively quiet. One of their members, Gordon, who was moored just ahead of us showed Steve around the boathouse. The BBC was founded back in the 1800s as a skiff club and still hires out rowing boats.

The weather on Tuesday (5/8) was grotty. We woke to heavy rain and it continued all morning. Steve caught up on his email traffic and editing while Maggie worked on her tapestry. After lunch the weather was slightly better so we moved on. We were going to get fuel and a pump-out at Pyrford Marina but we found it closed on Tuesdays! So, being in no hurry, plan B came into operation; we stopped outside the marina and Steve serviced Albert’s engine. We will sort out the fuel and the pump-out tomorrow. Because we are moored up outside the Anchor Inn we will try their fare this evening.

Teddington Lock

We spent Sunday (3/8) morning in Brentford waiting for the tide so we could travel up to Teddington. Lucy & Chris Fink (daughter & son-in-law) came over by bikes from their home close to Teddington Lock with the aim of travelling back by boat. The weather started bright and warm but quickly changed to light showers then heavy downpours. Lucy and Chris joined us about 1:00PM and we moved down the basin firstly to take on water and then to go through the Gauging Lock. The heavens opened as we went down the cut to Thames Lock! We locked onto the Thames at 3:00PM and had a bright and largely dry run up through Richmond with Chris at the helm.


Chris Fink at the helm on the Tidal Thames

At the Teddington we got a green light for the Barge Lock. Some narrow boats were already waiting and as more arrived there were narrow boats three abreast in front of us. Steve thought that we were likely to lock through using the middle gates of the lock, but a group of large cruisers coming up from London arrived behind us and before long the whole 650ft length of the lock was fully utilised. The scene was somewhat reminiscent of the classic Edwardian painting of Boulter’s Lock.


Crowded Teddington Barge Lock

We then realised that the 177ft Launch Lock was also in use. This created some difficulties leaving the lock since most of the narrowboats, like us, had to stop immediately after leaving the lock to get visitor licences and the cruisers behind them had to overtake and cross the traffic entering the Launch Lock. What fun!


On the new visitor moorings at Teddington Lock

We moored up temporarily just outside the lock (literally) and then moved onto the smart new visitor moorings as they became available. Whisky and Dundee cake was the order of the day. It went down well! That evening we enjoyed a good meal at Lucy & Chris’s favourite Indian restaurant in Teddington, Prem.

Brentford

We don’t often moan on our blog but yesterday (Saturday 2/8) we, along with other boaters, got decidedly grumpy about BW Moorings at Brentford and have decided to commit our views to “print”. Let’s be straight, we are not unhappy by about the excellent practical assistance we got from local BW staff, or the great facilities that they have installed (washing machines, pump-out, showers etc.) just how BW have set up their mooring arrangements; more later.

We left Cowley at 9:00 and had a relatively uneventful trip on the lock-free section to Norwood, although we did find that Ewen Hardie (Barefoot for Burma) had stopped overnight on a boat just before Cowley Peachey. He aims to reach Westminster by Monday. Close to the M4 we also passed the other end of the waterways’ aggregate operation.

We took on water from the wharf at the top of the Hanwell Flight (Norwood). It is a shame that since we came up the flight in 2003 the BW yard has closed and has a desolate air. The Hanwell flight is still pretty and well maintained. The interpretation boards are very informative and describe how the flight was used when the Victorian asylum was in operation. The description of the ramps to allow horses get out of the canal if they “take a look” was particularly interesting. However, one can’t help thinking about what a grim area it must have been a century ago.


Hanwell Flight Lock Cottage

We arrived at Brentford around 2:00PM and found very little space on visitor moorings. This was despite the fact that those going onto the Thames and had already left and we had been assured on the phone that there was space. In fact they were in total just two moorings; one 55ft long and the other about 40ft long. By talking to the BW local staff we eventually managed to move an unoccupied boat and enlarge the 55 ft mooring into 60ft to fit in Albert.


Brentford Basin

As the afternoon progressed, the only remaining mooring filled up. You might presume from this congestion was all caused by a lot craft planning to take a trip down onto the Thames. You would be wrong. The moorings are 14 day maximum and most of the boats here were unoccupied when we arrived and remained so overnight.

It is quite clear that many boaters are using the basin not as a staging post for entering or leaving the canal system but as a convenient mooring place to leave their boats in London for days on end. Why does BW restrict and enforce 2 day maximum mooring at rural Cosgrove on the basis that it is a “honey-spot”, and then allow 14 mooring in Brentford basin when the congestion by boats passing through is great and the new facilities so good? It makes no sense.

Although BW has indicated on signage that they want narrow boats to double-up it takes a brave boater to double-up against a boat with no crew on-board; protocol demands that you ask permission. Our views on these difficulties were reinforced when in the early evening around eight boats came up from the Thames and searched in vain for moorings. Some used unauthorised moorings close to the Gauging Lock, some travelled north and then moored close to the A4; hardly an ideal location and what a welcome to the canal system particularly given the improved EA moorings at Teddington! Surely the whole point of the Brentford developments, so far as boating is concerned, is to encourage boaters to travel to and from the Thames and get them to stop and explore Brentford as they pass through, not to encourage them to leave their boats unoccupied for some time.

Steve discovered the Boatmans Institute, where boat children were educated when they were not travelling. We enjoyed a good Italian meal at Prezzo which overlooks the basin and saw a Hindu wedding going on in the nearby Holiday Inn. Through the large plate windows we saw the bride in her beautiful ornate dress and the guests were enjoying dancing to bangra.

At the far end of the basin we had a quiet night.


Boatmans Institute, Brentford

Cowley Lock

After last night’s (31/7) heavy rain today (1/8)was sunshine and showers and a stiff breeze that made hovering outside locks less than straightforward. We travelled down to Cowley Lock. At Cooper Mill Lock we caught up with another boat going south to Harefield. Their toddler daughter was enjoying being on deck, safely fenced in and wearing a life-jacket but she also wanted to have a go at steering. This made their progress rather slow but we shared the locks till they reached their destination.


Low Emmision Zone for Waterways?

Near Bridge 183 we found NB Arundel reversing back from the winding hole to the aggregates wharf (marked in Pearson). Later on, after we had moored up below Cowley Lock, we were able to watch Arundel negotiate the lock single-handed. By then she was loaded with 30 tonnes of aggregate which set her extremely low in the water as seen in some photographs of the old working boats.


NB Arundel at Cowley Lock

Arundel’s skipper used a set of long strings to select reverse to pull open the bottom gate and then close it behind him. We have previously only seen this technique used in old film footage. It was fascinating to watch and worthy of a round of applause. Within minutes he was on his way again.


In complete contrast we saw Land and Water’s modern wide beam barge Frays going north through the same lock. The barge totally filled the lock and two little boys watched in awe and wonder at the huge Tonka toy. Maggie watched in amazement as this skipper sprung up from the deck to the lock side in one mighty bound; she offered him a place in the British team for Beijing!


Wide beam barge Frays filling Cowley Lock

We had a delicious lunch at the Toll House Tea Room at Cowley Lock. They have an imaginative menu and a good selection of vegetarian dishes.