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There and back again, to see how far it is.


junior

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I leave my mooring in London today to start my 2014 cruise. I thought it would be quite nice to document it and to share my journey with others, as I enjoyed reading other peoples cruise diaries last year.

 

After a quick trip into central London today and tomorrow I'll be heading north up the Grand Union. My plan is to arrive in Birmingham in time for the BCN Challenge, then head to Foxton Festival amd from there to the Braunston Historic Boat Show at the end of June. At the moment I plan to go from there to Manchester and meet up with the first owner of my boat and take it back to its birthplace. I also hope to recreate the photo below whilst I am there.

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I've never done a blog or anything like this so I've no idea how committed I'll be to it so it may just slide down the page into oblivion, but I'll do my best.

 

Apart from moving the boat from Braunston to London when I bought it, this will be my first major cruise and first summer on board. Once into the Midlands it will all be new territory for me, so I'm bound to have a million and one questions about where to go and where to moor etc., this thread will give me a way of keeping it all in one place.

 

I'm having lots of niggles with the boat as documented elsewhere, but this should all add to the fun and will give me plenty of content for this diary I expect. At this moment in time my batteries are not charging from the alternator, so I purely have my solar panels to keep me going. This should be the first source of amusement, but fingers crossed that will be sorted over the weekend.

 

Lastly, I hope to meet many new friends and forum members on my travels so be sure to say hello if you see me passing. Lets see if this CC'ing lark is as fun as everyone makes out!

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Are you still doing the job which requires fortnightly trips to Calais? Fitting that in with your boating perambulations should be a challenge.

Yes I am. I won't bore you with the details, but having thought it through on paper it should work quite easily. Only time will tell! I prefer to put the positive spin on it that my job enables me to do a lot more boating and cover a lot more distance than someone in a 'normal' job. The only thing that is likely to be a pain in the bum is the weekly car shuffle, but I like a challenge.

Edited by junior
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Yes I am. I won't bore you with the details, but having thought it through on paper it should work quite easily. Only time will tell! I prefer to put the positive spin on it that my job enables me to do a lot more boating and cover a lot more distance than someone in a 'normal' job. The only thing that is likely to be a pain in the bum is the weekly car shuffle, but I like a challenge.

I had not realised that a car would be involved - I was thinking that you would seek to moor within striking distance of main line railway stations with good services to London and thence to Le Shuttle (Milton Keynes, Brum and so on).
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I'm sure you will be factoring in a number of stoppages on the GU including......

 

http://canalrivertrust.org.uk/notice/39/nash-mills-lock-69

 

http://canalrivertrust.org.uk/notice/38/gas-locks-51-and-52

 

and what looks like the most restrictive.....

 

http://canalrivertrust.org.uk/notice/35/buckby-locks-7-to-13

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I'm sure you will be factoring in a number of stoppages on the GU including......

 

http://canalrivertrust.org.uk/notice/39/nash-mills-lock-69

 

http://canalrivertrust.org.uk/notice/38/gas-locks-51-and-52

 

and what looks like the most restrictive.....

 

http://canalrivertrust.org.uk/notice/35/buckby-locks-7-to-13

Yes got them. As I'm going to be leaving the boat regularly I'm going to try not to make it to obvious where, however those stoppages shouldn't affect me unless Black Jacks runs over. I've had conflicting reports of when Nash Mills will re-open but apparently someone has had it from the horses mouth today that it will be the 7th.

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So heres the riveting first installment.

 

I left my mooring moring in Northolt for the last time around mid morning. Although I've been paying for it since September I've hardly spent any time there, hence my decision to leave and when my new license arrives next month I'll be declared 'No Home Mooring'. Northolt is a lovely mooring location within a stones throw of central London and I wouldn't hesitate to recommend it to anyone looking for a reasonably priced London Mooring.

 

Here is a photo of my vacated mooring. Mine was the space next to the blue boat dead ahead.

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The journey started by heading in the wrong direction as i had to head down to Engineers Wharf to turn around as I was facing the wrong direction. For some reason on my mooring I could only get a phone signal on the boat if it was facing West and my only side hatch is on that side, so if I wanted it opening out to the canal I always moored the boat facing this way. This added 40 mins onto the trip, just to get back where I started.

 

Just past the mooring at Northolt and before Greenford VM's is this basin off to the south of the canal.

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Does anyone know what used to be in here in the old days? With such a lack of mooring in the London area it is a shame basins like this can't be utilised By CRT for LTM's.

 

The next point of interest on what is a pretty grim stretch of canal is the CRT moorings at Perivale. I've done a bit of a search online and can't find any previous listings for these moorings, so either they never come up or they are passed on without going on the CRT auction site. I guess these a genuine 'hens teeth' moorings. They look very well kept and in a lovely setting.

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At Alperton there are some new looking buildings with moorings and electric bollards outside.

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I'm always eyeing these up when passing and I've never seen a boat moored there. Again, it's such a shame to not make use of them when there is a shortage of serviced moorings in the area.

 

On passing the Fire Station in Acton that backs onto the canal the firefighters were chopping wood on the bank and asked if I wanted some. I politely declined as I don't burn wood. They then gave me a funny look and as I drew level shouted "go and have a wash crusty", which was nice of them.

 

The rest of the run into Little Venice is quite grim, although the sun was on my back and warming, plus I had the Epping roaring away by my feet.

 

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Clearly boaters rubbish dumped on the towpath. No wonder there is friction in London between residents and boater.

 

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Drowned Tuppaware boat

 

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Very drunk boat

 

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You don't see many of these left these days, especially not in this neck of the woods.

 

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Wembley Stadium.

 

I moored on the shopping moorings at Kensall for a comfort break and a spot of lunch. I love single handing but making a cup of tea is such a pain in the arse. I also made some peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and took them back up top with me to enjoy on the last leg into Paddington. The canal is very picturesque round here but mooring spaces are few and far between. My normal advice to people is to take the first spot they see that they can fit their boat in rather than keep looking for their ideal spot. I ignored my own advice and pushed on into the basin itself. I've never once found a space down here in my previous visits, but decided if I was unlucky again today I'd be naughty and moor by Rembrant Gardens as I'd be gone again by 8am in the morning.

As I came round the bend i was greeted by a perfect 'Albion' sized space on the visitor moorings. It seems such a waste to only stay one night now I've struck gold, but if I want to get to Birmingham by May I can't hang around. Plus I have a duty tomorrow at the Pirate Castle which is the reason for this trip into London.

I executed the purfect turn at the end of the basin to the disappointment of all the office workers who were outside having a fag break and are obviously used to watching boats getting pinned against the wall. Anyone who's been in Paddington Basin and experienced the wind tunnel effect will know what I mean.

 

I've been for a little walk this afternoon and spotted forum member 'Doodlebug's' tiny little boat on its winter mooring opposite me. What a cracking spot to spend the winter in. I didn't think I'd get a TV reception here but thankfully I do.

 

Here are a few more photos from today.

 

Lunch

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These interesting houses are on the Harrow Road and back right onto the canal

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Albion on the visitor mooring

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Paddington Basin. The pontoons on the left are all Winter Moorings and the few boats on the right are on the visitor moorings.

20140227_143449_zpshgfothch.jpg

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Nice one Junior check out the e canal map if you have an android tablet with gps . I cruised from Tring to Bromsgrove last month and found the app invaluable for planning and keeping me bang up to date on my progress and position with regards to services, facility's and moorings etc....... and it was less than six quid. Good reporting for the first day. After a few weeks your progress reports should be a staple digest for us here on the forum. Keep up the Good work Junior. May the forum be with you.

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  • 2 weeks later...

Been in France for the week and didn't want to make it obvious where I'd left the boat. I plan to cast off in the morning and head up towards Leighton Buzzard. Captain Fizz of this parish will be joining me for a stint as we start preparing for the BCN Challenge so I'm sure we'll get some photos.

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