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

[junior]

Beware cross flow before Coppermill Lock

You should have posted that a week ago, t'was very exciting!!

[Beaker]

You should have posted that a week ago, t'was very exciting!!

 

Thanks for all the pics junior, looking forward to more.

[debbifiggy]

I think you will find that the moorings at Perivale at Horsenden Hill aren't CRT moorings at all which is why they never come up on the auction list. Thanks for sharing your trip :-)

Debbi

[junior]

I guess it is about time for an update. Last time I wrote I was in Paddington Basin having just left my mooring and become a CC'er. Although only a few weeks down the line, I am loving it. Having different scenery outside the window every day is so refreshing. Even the car shuffle is exciting at the moment as I like the challenge of working out how to get from one random place to another random place I've never been before using only buses, trains and shanks's pony!

 

On my travels I have met several forum members, Debbie Figgy outside the Rising Sun in Berko, Serenity near Seabrook somebody on a grey W/b in Milton Keynes who wanted to remain anonymous but said he's on here. I also had Captain Fizz on board for a few days in preparation for becoming Albion's Chief Engineering Officer for the BCN Challenge. I was lucky to have him on board as he got some early practice in fixing a few leaks in the engine room and more importantly took about 6 inches of water out of my back cabin bilge, which instantly raised the stern by a few inches and cured the mysterious list I've been posting about for a while. I still have a list of faults as long as your arm and growing. Sadly all the tiles behind my SFS fell off over the course of 2 days this week and as posted about this morning, my water pump seal has failed giving me a new water leak. I have bodged this with silicone. Talking of bodges, my exhaust bodge is holding up to some hard work which is a relief. This had been top of the list of things to fix on pay day but has now dropped back behind the water pump.

 

No matter what the bilge monster decides to throw at me, you still can't beat the feeling of standing at the tiller and watching the world go by at 3mph.

 

So since my last post I've managed to get up to Cosgrove. I've done some serious days boating, but also had a few leisurely days more recently while the sun was shining. Saturday saw me return to London on the train from Leighton Buzzard as I has 2 boat trips to do for the Pirate Castle, my first since qualifying as a skipper at the end of last year. The first one in the morning on the 70ft 'Pirate Viscount' (built by Graham Edgson) and an afternoon trip on the 57ft x very wide widebeam. Both went without incident and the groups were very lucky with the weather and I got my legs out for the first time this year.

 

So the journey went something like this:

 

Friday 28th February. Paddington Basin - City Road Lock - Little Venice - Pirate Castle. After the night in Paddington Basin I moved up to the Pirate Castle to pick up one of the other volunteers plus the boating manager. We spent the day cruising in London and taking photos that will for part of a 'then and now' wall inside one of the community boats. I moored over night on the Pirate Castle moorings in Camden Town and got a full charge into my batteries using the hook up. This was quite important as my alternator isn't charging my batteries at the moment.

 

SATURDAY 1ST MARCH. Camden Town - Swan & Bottle moorings, Uxbridge. Quite an uneventful day on a stretch of canal I've boated lots over the winter. Late afternoon saw a flurry of activity at Cowley Lock where I met 4 boats who were all going to CC in London having bought their boats in the midlands. At the time I found it strange that they should all appear at once, but later I realised they must have been stuck north of the Black Jacks stoppage which ended yesterday afternoon.

 

SUNDAY 2ND MARCH. Uxbridge - Cassio Bridge. Much fun was had today between Harefield and Rickmansworth as there was a strong flow on the canal. Copper Mill lock was particularly wild and my inexperience cought me out here and I got slammed into the bank. Even though I was expecting a bit of fun, I wasn't prepared for that outcome. I had been sharing locks with a single handed lady on a small boat with a tiny single cylinder engine. I think she told me it was a 'Book 10'??? She was having terrible problems with it overheating and eventually she didn't appear at Batchworth Lock. She had warned me earlier that if she didn't appear at a lock I was to go on without her. I found a nice little single 24hr mooring just before P&S Marine at Watford and decided to stop for the day.

 

A parrot on a boat.

 

Seen this a few times now but it still amuses me.

 

Albion in Black Jacks, if only you could see the millions of tiny flies.

 

Strange things at Springwell. Can anyone tell me what the building used to be used for?

 

A sad sight. Can we not persuade Alan Fincher this is the boat for him.....

 

Is this a Hudson?

 

Having a break in Northolt.

 

 

MONDAY 3RD MARCH. Cassio Bridge - Kings Langley. Just a short hop today to where I had planned to leave the boat whilst I went to work. Forum member Ben C was kind enough to keep an eye on the boat while I was away. What a cracking old working pair he has, very jelous! A car shuffle took place today with me returning to my old mooring in Northolt to collect the car.

 

The view from my mooring in Kings Langley.

 

WEDNESDAY 12TH MARCH. Kings Langley - Berkampstead. After a week away I was itching to get back to the boat and get moving. I set off about 10am having already done a car shuffle and moved my car up to Fisheries Inn, the location chosen to meet up with Captain Fizz (Simon) where he would be joining me for a few days. Once we had met up we did another car shuffle moving his up to the Globe in Leighton Buzzard. We had a good days boating and eventually arrived in Berko having stopped in the Rising Sun lock for a pint with Phil off Hyperion and a couple of forum members. That evening we enjoyed Chish & Fips from the shop by the station as recommended to me by Jenlyn last year.

 

CRT are starting the lock keepers young in Apsley

 

Ben C's beautiful boat. One day......

 

 

 

THURSDAY 13TH MARCH. Berkampstead - The Globe, Leighton Buzzard. A mammoth day by my standards. I calculated 15 miles and 27 locks. We got in a bit of practice for the BCN Challenge and worked out out 'lock time'. Lots of interesting boats and wildlife were seen today. On arrival at the Globe I discovered I couldn't get phone or television reception.

 

I think this is my new favourite boat.

 

Anyone lost a ferret in Seabrook?

 

Some sort of camel type thing.

 

Sad sight of a sunken wooden boat near Cheddington.

 

Captain Fizz steering in the fog.

 

http://i1333.photobucket.com/albums/w626/martincatterall1/Mobile%20Uploads/20140313_071423_zpsgwrzwgft.jpg

Nice tug in Berko

 

http://i1333.photobucket.com/albums/w626/martincatterall1/Mobile%20Uploads/20140313_090025_zpsda5x66l5.jpg

There is a boat out there somewhere.

 

http://i1333.photobucket.com/albums/w626/martincatterall1/Mobile%20Uploads/20140313_071330_zpsoc98uqma.jpg

Leaving Berko at 7am. I'm always in a rush when I'm here. I might consider winter mooring here this year.

 

 

 

FRIDAY 14TH MARCH. The Globe - Leighton Buzzard VM's. After a morning of tinkering with the boat with Simon he departed and I decided to double back on myself into town where I hoped I would be able to get phone & TV signal. I would also be closer to the station where I needed to get the train into London tomorrow. The sun came out so I spent the afternoon polishing the brass and watching people on the towpath watching me. I also ID'd the local Drug Dealer and witnessed countless transactions taking place, several involving uniformed Tesco employees.

 

http://i1333.photobucket.com/albums/w626/martincatterall1/Mobile%20Uploads/20140314_120728_zpsfc5ahptl.jpg

Retracing my steps in search of a tv signal.

 

SATURDAY 15TH MARCH. Today I caught the train to Euston and walked up to the Pirate Castle in Camden Town. The day was spent on the community boats in glorious sunshine.

 

http://i1333.photobucket.com/albums/w626/martincatterall1/Mobile%20Uploads/FB_IMG_13949043060849668_zps2fdpeypq.jpg

Steering the thin boat through Little Venice

 

http://i1333.photobucket.com/albums/w626/martincatterall1/Mobile%20Uploads/20140315_105712_zpskfyvm759.jpg

Steering the fat boat through Little Venice.

 

SUNDAY 16TH MARCH. Leighton Buzzard VM's to Soulbury Three Locks. I started the day with a car shuffle up to Fenny Stratford as I had a German lady friend joining me for the day. I parked the car and walked up to the station to catch a train back to Leighton Buzzard. So I waited......and waited.....and waited...... eventually I used the help point and the helpful person at the other end told me the next train would be there on MONDAY. I mean seriously, what sort of town has a population that don't want to go anywhere on a Sunday! So I moved the car back to Soulbury Three Locks and then walked from there back to the boat. I spent a couple of hours sat on the tug deck with a cold beer and then my friend joined me for the afternoon.

We boated up to the Three Locks pub and then spent the rest of the day in the beer garden overlooking the locks. Plenty of Wyvern hire boats knocking around and we enjoyed shorts and t-shirt weather right into early evening.

 

MONDAY 17TH MARCH. Soulbury to Cosgrove. An early start today as I had the long Milton Keynes pound to endure plus another car shuffle which I thought might involve a very long walk. It's a bit of a strange stretch of canal through MK, with some picturesque scenery and some not so picturesque. It reminds me a bit of London but with less boat, or maybe more space. There are small communities of boats living in the dark under bridges, which is something that is common in London and I just don't get it. This pound seems to go on and on for ever with only the welcome relief of Fenny Stratford Lock (if you can call it that) early on. I know some people find long lock free pounds quite appealing, I find them boring and much prefer a lock or to to keep me busy.

Cosgrove was reached mid afternoon and I bagged a lovely spot on the 14 day VM's. I remember passing through here last September in a bit of a hurry to get to London. I thought at the time it looked like a nice place I would like to return to at some point, so I think I might stay here a few days.

I walked back to Wolverton train station and managed to jump straight on a train to LB. As I walked out of the station the number 70 bus was just pulling up, which meant im was back at my car in Soulbury within about 40 mins of leaving the boat. Quite impressive!

 

http://i1333.photobucket.com/albums/w626/martincatterall1/Mobile%20Uploads/20140317_165135_zpsqodqokib.jpg

Old Narrow Guage track in Cosgrove. Anyone know the history of it?

 

http://i1333.photobucket.com/albums/w626/martincatterall1/Mobile%20Uploads/20140317_140631_zpsworp3syi.jpg

Is this what I think it is? If so, I wonder what it'll fetch once deemed surplus to requirements?

 

http://i1333.photobucket.com/albums/w626/martincatterall1/Mobile%20Uploads/20140317_134323_zpsy0h156rz.jpg

Interesting art in MK.

 

Next week I plan to move on to Weedon and then Braunston. I'm looking forward to getting to Braunston as this is where I bought the boat last autumn. As soon as I pass Midland Swindlers it will all be new canals to me! I'm also looking forward to getting to Weedon as one of my best mates lives there who re-homed my working dogs for me when I started my new career. I've not seen them for a year so that might be emotional! Stand by for doggy pictures in the next update.

 

(Im going to post this now so I don't loose it, but photos will be added over the next hour)

Edited March 19, 2014 by junior

[mark99]

Good report! look forward to the photo's.

 

I'm currently bimbling about at the mo between Ricky and Harefield. The flows reduced a lot now on the flowing pounds.

[junior]

Strangely it has only included half the photos in the post. Is this an error on my behalf or is there a limit to how many photos I can put in one post?

[mark99]

I think the old building was an asbestos works.

 

Flies are still there at Black Jacks - I'm moored there at the mo and walked through them tonight - hard not to inhale the beggars.

[Rob-M]

Looking forward to meeting up with you soon. Keep enjoying your trip.

[alan_fincher]

The photo thing is strange.

 

There was once definitely a limit on how many you can put in a post, (and possibly even a thread), but that manifest itself as you couldn't post at all, unless you removed them.

 

I've not seen the symptom where the early ones show, but later ones are just links, (which is what I'm seeing).

 

As to the tugs, (have you guessed I like tugs?).........

 

"Sudbury" is a "Large Northwich" "Town", that was cut down as a maintenance boat, but not until the 1970s, (It was formerly one of the boats repossessed from Willow Wren CTS that was dumped on the Wendover Arm - the only one BW retained, and one of the few not to survive as full length).

 

"Batavia" is owned by a forum member - he also owns "Daedelus" that it it tied alongside. Ask him why the cabin has "rivets", but the hull doesn't!

 

"Arcas" is a "Small Woolwich" "Star", and survived well into the 1970s as one of 6 boats retained by BW to work the Roses Lime Juice pulp traffic from Brentford to Boxmoor, (this being after all the long distance coal contracts had finished several years earlier). Also then cut to a maintenance boat very late on in it's life. I can't see the CRT guys wanting to see it sold off - it is the last "proper" tug they have, except maybe the more modern ice-breaker "Snowdrop", and still regularly used by them. It is interesting also because the half ton weights in its hold are former gauging weights, used when the actual data was being collared for the gauging sheets. (Not easy to move if you want to paint underneath them, though!).

 

Arcas (and Actis) on the Lime Juice, (photos copyright Mike Fincher)

 

 

 

Comparison between "Small Woolwich" "Arcas" (still at work) and "Middle Northwich" "Sickle" (retired).

 

 

 

Edited March 19, 2014 by alan_fincher

[Mendip-Locks]

Nice update that, looking forward to more.

[Janet S]

Great report...thoroughly enjoyed reading it and reliving our trips down there.

 

Keep 'em coming!

 

Janet

[Paul's Nulife4-2]

Hey,,welldone so far Junior,

It's been nearly a month now,

You've got the better weather to come, Hope you keep enjoying your cruise,

safe trip.

[mark99]

"I also ID'd the local Drug Dealer and witnessed countless transactions taking place, several involving uniformed Tesco employees"

 

 

 

Every little helps.

[junior]

Well I've just got back to the boat after a week away and am pleased to find it where I left it in Cosgrove. It hadn't sunk from the water pump that sprung a leak just before I left. I took it apart and filled it with silicone and that seems to have done the trick. It is also still functioning as well which is handy as I was hoping to be able to wait until pay day to get the replacement.

 

I quite like it here and get good TV and 4G on the phone/internet. I'm going to try and work out whether I could come back here for a winter mooring in November. 'Keeping Up' (Alan) is coming round this morning to give me a hand getting my satellite dish tuned in which will be handy as it's next stop Stoke Bruerne and if I remember rightly from last year, there is no TV signal there.

 

I'm hoping to make Braunston on Friday and will be hanging around there for a while. Friday we have a meeting of Albions BCN challenge crew where we will be bashing out some 'Standard Operating Procedures' and finalising our route. If anyone is in town at the moment do say hello if you see me! I'll also be doing a car shuffle sometime before next Tuesday so if there are any other CC'ers in the area who also have theirs to do, I'm happy to link up.

[matty40s]

Let me know if you need to get your car at some point, working in Weedon all week.

[junior]

F**k sake.

 

I arrived back from France at 4am this morning and parked my car next to the facilities block at Cosgrove and walked back to the boat. I've just gone back to the car to get something and found it has a parking ticket on it issued by Cosgrove Marina.

After some investigation it seems to have been administered by the lady from the lockeepers cottage. I've apologised and moved my car and explained that I got back from France at 4am and didn't see any signs. She told me "it's on the gate as you come down". Now I've just walked back down the route into the car park and can't find any sign. The only signs IN the car park are an official CRT one saying "please do not block the bins" and a very old one in a bush saying something like "British Waterways Board accepts no responsibility for cars left here" or words to that effect.

 

Anyone any local knowledge of the situation? I'm not one for making a fuss and have already moved the car, but if they are taking the piss I am going to move my car back there and draw a 'V'sign on a piece of paper and stick it in the windscreen.

Let me know if you need to get your car at some point, working in Weedon all week.

I was going to ring you this morning to see where you are. I'll try and catch up with you when passing maybe.

[Athy]

Fascinating reading and viewing!

The lady's engine would be a Bukh: from memory, they came as 10hp single-cylinder and 20 hp twin.

 

The camel-type thing would probably be a llama. It looks very calm, hence the slogan "We won't make a llama out of a crisis".

[Mike Tee]

There was a thread on this some time ago, and as we used to park there (but no longer due to ticketing threats) so I emailed C&RT. Extract of answer below. They did also send a map which was as useful as a f**t in a colander. Contact Nigel Wade as I'm sure the parking next to the facilities is for the use of boaters.

 

Thank you for contacting Canal & River Trust, I have spoken further with Nigel Wade (Estate Surveyor) who handles the lease with Cosgrove Marina. He has agreed to speak to Mike Palmer (lease holder) and make him aware of exactly where his boundaries start and end and what car parking he is entitled to and what also belongs to Canal & River Trust. I have also attached the map which shows the area you are able to park (confirmed by Nigel)

If you have any further issues please do not hesitate to contact Nigel Wade Nigel.Wade@canalrivertrust.org.uk and he will endeavour to resolve the issue.

 

 

[Naughty Cal]

Fascinating reading and viewing!

The lady's engine would be a Bukh: from memory, they came as 10hp single-cylinder and 20 hp twin.

 

The camel-type thing would probably be a llama. It looks very calm, hence the slogan "We won't make a llama out of a crisis".

Could be an Alpaca.

[alan_fincher]

[adam1uk]

"Sudbury" is a "Large Northwich" "Town", that was cut down as a maintenance boat, but not until the 1970s, (It was formerly one of the boats repossessed from Willow Wren CTS that was dumped on the Wendover Arm - the only one BW retained, and one of the few not to survive as full length).

 

I see Sudbury has been repainted. I belongs (at least, I assume he hasn't sold it) to a former colleague of mine who took redundancy a few years ago. He went on to become a skipper of water bus from Little Venice to Camden.

[alan_fincher]

 

I see Sudbury has been repainted. I belongs (at least, I assume he hasn't sold it) to a former colleague of mine who took redundancy a few years ago. He went on to become a skipper of water bus from Little Venice to Camden.

I failed to spot that, but yes, clearly it now carries "Willow Wren CTS" lettering, rather than his own name.

 

I've only met Rory once, before I owned Sickle, and was hankering after such a boat. I found him a really nice down to earth chap, and we had a long and interesting chat about his ownership of Sudbury, including the woes of a period spent with an older engine, and a decision to replace it with a "modern" HA.

 

He didn't mention what his role at the BBC had been, and I didn't recognise him as the person I had seen many times on TV, but when I thought about it afterwards it all fitted into place. A gentleman, I felt.

[adam1uk]

I failed to spot that, but yes, clearly it now carries "Willow Wren CTS" lettering, rather than his own name.

 

I've only met Rory once, before I owned Sickle, and was hankering after such a boat. I found him a really nice down to earth chap, and we had a long and interesting chat about his ownership of Sudbury, including the woes of a period spent with an older engine, and a decision to replace it with a "modern" HA.

 

He didn't mention what his role at the BBC had been, and I didn't recognise him as the person I had seen many times on TV, but when I thought about it afterwards it all fitted into place. A gentleman, I felt.

 

Yes he's great. We spent a whole day on one occasion at the God forsaken Woolwich Crown Court talking boats, as there wasn't enough room for either of us to go into the actual court room! Last time I saw him was at the Braunston rally a couple of years ago.

[Kendal]

Anyone any local knowledge of the situation? I'm not one for making a fuss and have already moved the car, but if they are taking the piss I am going to move my car back there and draw a 'V'sign on a piece of paper and stick it in the windscreen.

 

I have no local knowledge but if it's a private parking ticket (Cosgrove Marina) and unfairly issued (which from your description it seems to be) it's pretty easy to 'fight' it (I have done so on a number of occasions and not had to pay - you need to tough it out though as they will keep writing threatening letters but eventually they give up if you have responded in writing confirming you were not the driver). Private tickets are a breach of contract between the driver and the issuer, and if it wasn't you that was driving at the time then it's not up to your to pay. The issuer cannot force you to reveal who the driver was, so there's no way they can make you pay if you are able to use the 'it wasn't me that was driving my car' defence. Of course if you have already admitted you were driving then that avenue of defence is closed to you. This defence will not work for tickets issued by Local Authorities or the police, just private companies. This may help http://www.moneysavingexpert.com/reclaim/private-parking-tickets

[matty40s]

you will find that the motorway services use registration plate recognition cameras on their entry and exit slip roads to issue tickets nowadays.

So you will get a letter showing two pics of your vehicle at nearly 70mph, one from the front and one from the rear. This is produced if the two triggers are more than two hours apart. They then assume that you have parked in between those hours and not paid the £15 - £25 parking charge......or stayed in the on site "hotel"

Unfortunately, they seem to miss the fact that there are slip roads to the local area, not always with barriers, so you can nip out, and come back next day to get back on the motorway.

Have they proved I was parked for over two hours??Would it stand up in court.....

 

The last person to get tha barriers fixed at Watford Gap services on the M1 was me as the serving Operations Manager, 7 years ago, they were rammed again off soon afterwards........

not saying anyone should use this quick route to Braunston mind...