Lobsters

Original post 08/06/08

Set off from our mooring at Hanwell by about 11.30am and finished off the flight in Blazing sunshine. Nora steered us into the first lock....a first, and she intended to do the next few as part of her helm training but then a boat hove into view behind us and we held the lock for them.

Not wishing to have to try to many odd maneuvers she decided to hand back to me...at least she is getting there and proving very good at the attempts she makes.

We enjoyed the flight in company with our fellow boaters who decided to stop at the fox PH at the bottom of the flight while we carried on to Brentford managing to pick up something on the prop just after Osterly lock. Nora, However had retaken the tiller and managed the last two locks to Brentford with apparant ease, although she states she was a bag of nerves.

Arrival at Brentford and topped up with water and gave the roof garden a good dousing as they were looking rather dry.

I then noticed Nora run to the stern and have a look inside and then come back all forlorn......"my hat has blown into the water" my laughter was soon brought to an end by the look on her face and her declaring, "I love that hat"

I looked over the Bow and sure enough there was the hat enjoying a marvelous adventure on the water making its way across the dock with the aid of the breeze towards the residential moorings. I handed her the extending boat hook and suggested she toddle off over the other side to await the hats arrival. I meanwhile dived down into the weed hatch to clear another copious amount of clinging weed and a large plastic taybrite coal sack.....only a boater couldve let that get in the water...tut!

I then planned to get the Video camera out and film Nora's search and rescue attempt, but, a knight in shining armour had already been to the rescue in the form of our friendly BW Lock keeper who recovered the wayward head gear with minimum of fuss and she was all ready heading back towards Lady Elgar Looking very chuffed. She asked him if he fancied a cold beer and he gracefully declined as he was 'on duty' so, come 1715hrs we promptly arrived at Thames lock and handed him the said beer for when he booked off at 1800hrs.

Turned right, onto the Thames and plodded on towards tedders as we approached Richmond bridge the GPS showed we had lost a full MPH. The tide was at its max and the obvious flow from the river was pushing against us, But, the Perkins did us proud and battled with the flow to see us safely at Teddington.

We are now moored for free in the lock cut and the Lockie fully expects yellow boards to be displayed on the river by tomorrow morning, so I am off outside to loosen our lines in anticipation of some drop in the level.

We went for an Indian down Tedders High st......Nora is as red as red can be and my forehead is hot. We now have to cover our bodies up for the rest of the week to let the sunburn go down.

Our mooring tonight by the weir.......whats the point in a pic like this???????