Black and shiny

What a wet weekend! I went up to pick up Herbie from Bulbourne dry dock. The hull looks a lot better as you can see in these before and after pics

Before

and after

The oil leak is fized, so that's good too. However the renewal of the tiller bearing has left it a bit stiff to move. Jem Bates at the dry dock thinks the rudder might be a bit out of alignment between top and bottom bearings and this didn't show when the old tiller bearing was worn. We'll try it for a bit to see if it eases, but if not, they'll have to have another look.

Next job is to do something about the TV arial which clutters up the roof. I've taken it to bits so the top can stow out of sight in our newly decorated roof box. At the moment it obscures half of the front of the box. Can't have that! I just need to sort out a new arrangement for the poles and guy lines for quick assembly.

See the wide beam boat across the canal from Herbie. He had a neat way of delivering some visitors back to the towpath on my side. He just untied the front of his boat and swung it across the canal like a bridge. His visitors hopped ashore and that was that!

Before the heavens opened I cruised down to Cowroast through the thickly wooded Tring cutting stopping for a spot of fishing on Saturday night. All the ducks now seem to have lots of ducklings and I also saw some moorhen chicks. The swans are still incubating by the looks of it.

Next week, the Wendover Arm canal festival. I hope the weather improves!

Rooftop refurb

Herbie currently lies up at Bulbourne awaiting a replacement oil seal (hopefully today or tomorrow), but in the meantime we have not been idle. One thing that we inherited with Herbie was a heavy wooden box which sits on the roof and holds coal, wood and any other junk. Its made of 2inch thick timbers, unplaned and untreated. At first we planned to ditch it, but it could be handy if smartened up so we brought it home for a lick of paint. Anyway, I realised it would be a good practice piece for boat decoration skills, so I've done it up a traditional diamond pattern. I wouldn't like to think how many hours it took, but I'm pretty pleased with it now, and it should be an asset to the boat. Here it is before and after

I've also given the gangplank a good paint, blue with red edges and it to is transformed from a scruffy old plank into something smart.

Now I've learned a few of the skills, I'm going to have a go at repainting the front of the cratch in a diamond pattern.

A new colour scheme for Herbie?

We're not too keen on Herbie's pale blue name panel, and have been thinking about a new colour scheme for the boat with a minimum of repainting. Here she is in her present livery.



With a bit of (somewhat rough) computer work, here she is in two alternatives

With red and white trim

With grey trim

We'd be very grateful for your opinions on which looks best. Please click on Comments at the foot of this posting to reply.

Stoppages, snake, and sunsets - our trip to Bulbourne for blacking

1. Stoppages, a mysterious death and other complications

We were booked in at Bulbourne dry dock on Friday to have Herbie's bottom pressure washed and blacked, so it was with some alarm last week when we discovered that the canal had been closed at Cowley, just north of our moorings at Iver. A dredger had pushed a hole in a culvert under the canal's bottom and millions of gallons of precious water was disappearing down the hole. Until they fixed it we had no prospect of getting to Bulbourne.

Luckily BW pulled out all the stops (er, somewhat inappropriate metaphor there) and fixed it in the nick of time, so on Tuesday morning we were on our way. Interestingly it was a bad week all round for the Grand Union as they had to drain the canal at Stoke Bruerne to recover a dead body in a car!

A further potential delay was that Kath had to go home on Wednesday afternoon for an unavoidable appointment. Luckily we found a volunteer to crew us through the locks that day. Adele, Neil's former boss from Surrey CC was persuaded to join us and put in a hard days locking, having had no previous experience at all. Watching her helping us in the morning we wondered how she would manage in the afternoon without Kath's help. However, we needn't have worried and she rose valiantly to the challenge, working nine heavy locks in very warm conditions. I confess a certain satisfaction to having her work for me after the years I worked for her! Here she is pulling her weight -

2. Snakes (well one snake anyway)

This grass snake was writhing its way up the canal as we approached the M25 . Actually it was very close to the spot where I saw a mink on our last trip. It just goes to show you don't have to go to the wilderness to see wildlife.

The snake would have made a nice meal for one of the many herons we saw, our favourite being the resident heron at Berkhamsted lock. He takes no notice of boats at all, or the passing commuters over the bridge.

3. Dry docking

Thanks to Adele's help earlier on we arrived at Bulbourne in plenty of time for our dry dock appointment, and that evening we walked down the superb Marsworth lock flight to the Anglers Rest for a meal and a pint. Walking back up in the sunset was incredibly beautiful looking out over the reservoirs and all their wildfowl. A more perfect evening would be hard to find. Naturally I didn't have the camera with me! Next morning we had an extra treat to be surrounded by loads of large carp basking in the warm water, and spent some time feeding them bread.

Just after nine o'clock Herbie went into the dock and we had a nervous couple of hours wondering what they would find when they pressure washed the hull. We needn't have worried, because when we returned Ben at the dock pronounced the conditions of the starboard side as "good" and the port side as "very good", as were the anodes. Here's Herbie in the dock, prior to washing. The two coats of blacking could now go on. However the tiller/ rudder bearing was a bit worn so we decided to have that refurbished (not a big job). While we were in a spending mood I also asked Jem the owner of the dock to attend to the oil leak from Herbie's engine, so is going to fit a new sump gasket.

And so we abandoned Herbie to await her overhaul and set off for home by road. Next weekend we'll go and mover her to await our visit to the nearby Tring Canal Festival on Bank Holiday weekend.

Herbie's Easter Cruise

Just back from a fortnight's cruise from Iver to Milton Keynes and back -sounds exotic doesn't it! Actually this southern section of the Grand Union is pretty nice. Of course the rural bits are always fine, especially now that the springtime is emerging, but the towns are OK too. Our pics above show typical scenes in the centre of Berkhamsted.

Admittedly, we only enjoyed fine weather like that for a minority of the time. When we descended the seven locks in the Marsworth reservoirs flight it was blowing a gale! How we didn't come to grief I'll never know, the boat was all over the place.

Here's Kath preparing to go back up the flight on the way home. The trouble with Marsworth is that the pub is so far to walk from the canal as you can see here!

Speaking of pubs, we had highly enjoyable visits to the Cowroast Inn - a strange mixture of typical village inn, real ales, and a Thai restaurant, the Angler's Retreat at Marsworth -very friendly, good food and Tring Brewery beers, and the very modern Papermill Inn at Apsley where the food and beer(Fullers) was also on top form. I could also mention the picture postcard Globe Inn at Old Linslade where you see us moored here,

and the Fishery at Hemel Hempstead -one to revisit when we have more time.

We also got ourselves a 9 pint tin of Tring beer by walking a mile or so from the canal at Bulbourne down into Tring and to the little shop at the brewery. We've been there before and the lady recognised us as soon as we went in, "Oh hello, you're the boat people".

Whilke we were at Bulbourne we also popped in to see the people at Bulbourne dry dock where we are taking Herbie to have her bottom blacked next month. Despite being cheaper than a lot of places, they seem very good. We'll find out soon enough.

Jacob was with us for most of the first week and he did some fishing in the evenings, catching amongst other things a decent Bream. However the one that got away, a carp I think, was the biggest. The rod bent double, the fish went under the boat, and that was that!

I do hope the bird flue doesn't get embedded in our water fowl, they are so friendly to boaters and are constant companions. Lots of ducks, swans and moorhens are now builiding nests, but we only saw one batch of new ducklings, nineteen (yes nineteen) paddling furiously along behind mum. A kind kingfisher also posed on a branch for us as we passed quite nearby. Unfortunately, the camera, as ever, was not to hand.

However our most "friendly " creature was the yellow butterfly that followed us along the towpath all the way from Leighton Buzzard to Fenny Stratford, several miles!

The wildlife highlight for me though was seeing a mink on the towpath in front of me when I was walking ahead to set up Lady Capel's lock, only a couple of hundred yards from the M25. I don't think it saw me at all but pottered off into the scrub alongside the canal.

There are some amazing boats about. Is this the only canal boat with a tiled roof? (spotted at Rickmansworth)

Lastly, the other thing we enjoyed was the company of other boaters we paired up with through locks, sometimes for a half day at a time. By the time you part, you have exchanged life stories!

The whole trip was 14 days (including a couple of rest days), 98 miles and 138 locks. We're now quite tired!

Discretion being the better part of Valour . . .

Potential trip out cancelled this weekend because of the forecasts of strong winds. Typing this on Sunday afternoon with the wind roaring outside our house, I think we made the right decision. Next Sunday however, we are setting out on a fortnight's trip up to Milton Keynes -ish and back. Over Easter, if all goes to plan, we'll be entertaining various visitors (relatives) up there for short tips. Not many locks up there so we can just cruise and enjoy the view.

We decided the top of the boat needs a sort out, to get rid of the storage pallette which the previous owners built, and do something about the TV ariel which gets in the way. We're investigating going to free-to-air satellite which is cheap to set up, free to run, and although fiddly each time you stop for the night, is reputed to get a good signal on a small dish. All the clag on the roof has caused quite a few scratches and rusty spots, so its our first priority for painting (not counting getting the hull blacked, which we are due to get done early May at Bulbourne Dry Dock). The roof is a good place to learn the art of painting, because we'll be looking for a non slip finish rather than high gloss, which requires more skill and preparation. Anyway, we can't paint until the weather is more suitable.

and so to "home"

Last day of Herbie's homeward trip. We awoke in Paddington basin to the sound of splashing and shouting, and peering through the windows we saw alongside us a group of Kayakers playing a sort of water polo.

Anyway, the sun was shining although it was still cold, and we quickly got ready, turned the boat (now getting good at this) and headed back to Little Venice to turn left and head for home.



No locks today, just 17 miles of cruising.


Soon we passed the wonderfully gothic (and huge) Kensal Green cemetary with some decent visitor moorings opposite - not to mention a big canalside Sainsbury's.
















Then it was on past the Old Oak Common railway works, over the North Circular aqueduct


(not sure why it has a pedestrian island in the middle)

and through Greenford and Southall.

Surprisingly the landscape immediately alongside the canal is green and rural feeling except for the warehouse and workshops dotted along the way. I imagine in summer, its quite nice.



Eventually we reached Bulls Bridge, the junction with the Grand Union Canal main line. After a short stop outside Tescos for a spot of lunch we headed North, keeping an eye out for decent pubs for future reference, as this will be quite near our home base. One such pub advertises daily striptease shows from lunchtime. Our handbook notes that it is not a good pub for children. Quite!

It was nice to see working boats on this stretch carrying gravel to an aggregate plant. As usual, there were very few "pleasure" boats out.

Then our final turn, at Cowley Peachey junction and into the Slough Arm. Over three little aqueducts, keeping to the middle, " for 'tis proper weedy and shallow down 'ere", and on to our base at High Line Yachting where they were expecting us.

We're moored up against another narrowboat belonging to Phil, our new neighbour who we haven't yet met. He seems to have a pet rabbit so he can't be all that bad! We were too busy to take photos of our resting place, so I'll take and publish some later.

So here we are after our first decent trip. 48 miles, 26 locks and 2 tunnels. Not long as canal trips go, but an encouraging start. We had a great time and Herbie performed immaculately.

Next time out we'll head North up the Grand Union. Huge numbers of locks up there. Better get fit.

Limehouse to Paddington

Day 3 of our journey home (ignore the blog date, I'm writing this up after the event). 11 locks and 2 tunnels to do, so we made a prompt start and had bacon sandwiches on the way. We partnered narrowboat "Headline" through most of the double width locks, only sying goodbye to them when we stopped for lunch. Here we are leaving Limehouse.

This is the Regent's canal, through Mile End, Victoria park, Islington, St Pancras, Kentish Town, Camden market, Regents park, Little Venice, and finally to Paddington. What a way to get accross London - no traffic, and more ducks and swans than people! There are some nice old lock cottages.

The Islington tunnel is over half a mile and too narrow for boats to pass. Luckily you can see through to check that no one is coming the other way. Here we are, just going in.

St Pancras lock was hairy. We left Kath to steer into the lock across a vicious cross current (and wind) - and she succeeded. She might not have done had I yielded to the temptation to point out that if she looked to her left at the critical moment she could have seen the famous Gherkin building.

We decided to stop and have a look at the London Canal Museum in Battlebridge basin. I did a superb turn to draw up right outside the door. Just as I was feeling pretty pleased with myself, the curator came out and asked us to move off because he was expecting a boat load of school kids any minute. So we went to the pub instead.

The canalside houses got increasingly posh as we neared Regents Park. We passed the Zoo but the animals were all sensibly in their warm houses, it was freezing outside! In Regents park, Pete turns his back on the chance of a floating Chinese meal:

Then another short tunnel to get us through to Little Venice,

a nice smart mooring area, but too full for us to stop.

So we swing a left towards Paddington Basin, and suddenly everything becomes modern and high-tec. Mooring in the basin is good because it is lit at night and has security guards. So that's what we did. It was very odd leaving the boat in the tranquil basin, and walking through a few yards to bustling Praed Street to find somewhere to eat. Not difficult, there must be dozens of eateries there.

And so to bed.

To Limehouse basin

Day 2 of the trip. We headed south down the Lee, heading for Limehouse basin where the Lee meets the Thames. Not a pretty trip, it must be said, but fascinating and rewarding. Most of the day was spent with industrial plants on out right and reservoirs, gravel pits, or marsh land (including the famous Hackney marshes) on our left. As we neared London, the locks took on a new design and were electrically operated (see our picture). They were also in parallel pairs, presumably to speed up traffic. This didn't always work out because on one occasion the lock we chose out of the pair truned out to have no top gates, so we had to pull back and move to the other one.

Our first choice of pub for lunch the "Narrowboat" turned out to be (permanently) closed so we tootled on for the next one, the "Anchor and Hope" at Clapton. What a gem! This tiny one bar pub is on the waterfront (we had to climb over a fence to get at it) and is simple and plain but very friendly and has good beer. A painting of the previous landlord hangs above the fireplace - apparently he was awared an MBE for services to the community after a lifetime at the pub.

Having "rested" we pressed on towards Bow, where a set of locks control entrance to the tidal Bow Creek, we passed them by on our left , and with the giant Canary Wharf tower in our view, headed down Limehouse cut to the basin.

I had imagined Limehouse basin to be full of working barges and warehouse. How wrong could I be. It has had a major refurb and is now a trendy yacht basin with (presumably) expensive apartment blocks surrounding it.

Anyway we moored there for the night, and afetr a brief look at the Thames beyond the tidal lock, the river seeming vast and much to wavy for us, we walked of in search of the "Grapes", a lovely old pub dating back to the 18th century and reputed to have been visited by Charles Dickens. Any way we ate Fish and Chips there and drank Timothy Taylor's Landlord and allwas well with the world whe we went to bed.

Our pictures this time show the electric lock controls on the lower Lee, the entrance to Limehouse cut by Bow locks, and Limehouse Basin before and after dark.

Day2 journey: 14 miles and 7 Locks

Herbie Heads Homewards

Forgive the alliteration! Sunday was cold and bright and the lock being fully open we headed south for the first time. This was to be a four day trip down the Lee navigation and right across London. Our good friend Pete Higson joined us as crew, particularly fitting as he did the same last year when we delivered our son Richard's boat to Huntingdon. Our picture shows Pete suitably clad against the cold wind which dogged us for the entire journey. Very few other boats were out and about, more joggers and walkers.

Just to cheer us up, almost the first thing we passed was the burnt out shell of a narrowbaot which had been the subject of an arson attack at Waltham lock, where we were to moor that night! We were fine in the event. This "top" end of the Lee is mostly rural and attractive, and we galnced up the pretty river Stort as we passed its junction with the Lee. Definately something for another day. Near there we were greeted by a lady aboard "Wizard". She knew Herbie well and was interested to meet us as her new owners.

Mooring at Waltham we walked in to see the Abbey and the supposed burial place of King Harold (of 1066 fame). Naturally we also visited a nearby pub the "Welsh Harp" and sampled a couple of gallases of McMullens "Sweet Chariot" - a special brew for the six nations rugby tournament and very nice too.

8 Miles and 7 Locks that day.

Home base all set

Popped in to our intended home base at Iver to leave a car for when we arrive "home" next week. All seems well. We strolled along to the spot where we'll be moored and met a couple of the neighbours who seem very friendly.

A bit surprised to be asked £50 deposit for the electronic key to get in and out of the boatyard out of hours. Apparently people don't bring them back when they leave so they've upped the ante to make an incentive! Repeat twenty times "mustn't lose the key, mustn't lose the key . . . "

Lock opens! (plus quiz answer)

Just phoned up John Milton who lives alongside Stanstead Lock and he tells me that boats are moving through, albeit under BW escort because of all the paraphernalia they have yet to dismantle. So (fingers crossed) it looks like we're OK to head southwards on Sunday.

The answer (as promised) to the quiz question about average speed of underground trains is 21 mph. My original guess was 20 so I was pretty close. However Kath persuaded me to reduce it to 14 so it just goes to show something!