Thursday 4 December 2008

Roy Orbison

Original Post 28/06/08

Day 21

ITS OVER.
Our original plan for this day was to cruise down to Denham Country Park and find a little spot for 1 final barbie before doing the last 3 and a bit hours back to base camp. The day dawned overcast and very breezey and a few showers accompanied our meanderings through the locks.

At Batchworth we were aided by orange lifejacketed children who were visiting the canal centre and getting instruction on locks and boats....Geoff, one of the staff was telling Nora that when these groups were being shown around the motorboat 'Roger', the question was asked of them what they thought the boat wouldve carried in its hold. Not one of them thought of Coal, Televisions being the favourite guess. I guess not many kids these days have any concept of coal. Funny the way the world changes.

It was about 3pm as we descended Widewater lock and onto the Denham stretch, Looking at the sky we decided to plod on towards the Slough Arm.

At Cowley Peachey juction, my turn was restricted by a boat moored a few feet too close to the opening so a bit of jiggery pokery was needed to complete the swing onto the arm while the boat owners enjoyed the spectacle from the comfort of their chairs on the towpath.

Just over half an hour later saw us at Highline. We decided not to continue up to the winding hole as is our usual thing, but to tie up for a change on the outside of Herbie as Neil and Cath are heading out for the River Wey on sunday and being alongside the bank will be better for them loading up etc.

Our neighbour Lydia waved us in and kindly took the stern rope and we were promptly visited by 3 of her cats who had apparantly been missing their treats due to a lack of Lady Elgar being alongside.
All finally secure and engine shut down and shore line connected saw us relaxing with a chinese takeaway.

All in all it was an excellent trip with fantastic weather. We met some lovely people, maffi and bones by name others just as faces. Visted some excellent pubs and eating places. Enjoyed the drama's of boaters antics and behaviours which although sometimes are frustrating, they are nothing compared to the behaviour of people on our roads, and what may seem like moans by me about folk, are not really moans...just observations on different behaviours, as im sure other folk would observe on our behaviour.

Valuable hands on knowlegde was learned re the boat such as the starter problem and the prop shaft, but even those incidents all added to the enjoyment of the trip and the experience of owning and running your own boat without the need to call on expert help.
These problems were really very minor, the starter problem only being compounded by the fact we were on the Thames and had to shut down the engine at every lock.

Laura's highlights of the trip were the hundreds of baby fowl and animals that all benefitted from her tesco value bread bag, The Blisworth tunnel. Having her hat rescued by the lockie at Brentford and the memory of the Garlic Mushrooms at the Wharf Inn at Fenny Compton.

For me, just being together in our home cruising through varied and changing landscapes is enough. No bad memories and thats for sure.

The log shows the following data
Engine Hours 132
Distance 250miles
Locks 175
2 Tunnels

back to work Wednesday

5 comments:

Vallypee said...

I already feel quite sad that it's over, even though I know it was all months ago. I have so enjoyed your account of your journey and am quite impressed that you travelled so far and did so many locks...175 is no small number!

Well, I shall now be looking forward to your adventures next year..unless of course you have any Christmas cruising planned!

saltysplash said...

sadly no cruising plans for over christmas due to us going off to visit family.
I am itching to get out and about again but at the moment the canal is frozen so nobody is going anywhere

Vallypee said...

I can well imagine that. We've just had the coldest day I can remember in the last five years or so. Thick ice in my buckets, and the east wind keeping the tide out so far that getting off the barge is a real adventure! I've posted some pics if you're interested.

Am still curious to know what your connection is with Rotterdam??

Vallypee said...

Hope all's well, Geoff. I miss your posts!

saltysplash said...

Hi Val


My Connection with Rotterdam was during a previous life with a rather special Dutch girl called Annemeike. The wonderful days we spent cycling the country and boating and visiting her parents in Vlissingen where halcyon days. The downside was a long distance relationship, all my money spent on flights with easy jet and KLM and she being an Artist renting a loft with no money meant it was doomed. When the money ran out for Air fares we drifted apart and both moved on as folk do, but Rotterdam will always have a place in my heart for all the best reasons