Monday 4 and Tuesday 5 April 2016

We sat still yesterday but had a big cruising day today.  We slipped lines at 8am leaving the very peaceful Battlebridge Basin (hard to believe it was only a five minute walk from Kings Cross Station) and made our way through St Pancras Lock and the three locks at Camden Town.  No shortage of water today like there was back in October!

We carried on along the Regents Canal - it's funny how different it looked doing it the other way.  Past London Zoo and over the North Circular.  At Bulls Bridge we turned left another stretch of unchartered waters for us.  We tackled the Hanwell flight (six locks) plus another four and chugged under the M4 arriving at Brentford at 5pm.

I don't think this stretch of water is very busy as most of the people that we bumped into at the locks asked lots of questions and were fascinated that we lived onboard - particularly three Indian ladies that said they wanted to buy the boat and followed us down the six locks of the flight asking questions all the way.  One then suddenly said we have to go as we still have to cook dinner so I told her that I did too! 

All the birds, in the trees and on the river, are busy building nests and sitting on eggs.  And I saw the first babies today!

It's busy down at Brentford but we managed to squeeze on the end.  The new development here looks nicely looked after but then everywhere looks nice in the sunshine doesn't it - haven't we been lucky with the weather so far!  Looking forward to being back on the Thames tomorrow - hopefully we can lock out at Brentford in the morning and see Windsor etc in the sun this year rather than the rain.

Battlebridge Basin at night.

Battlebridge Basin in the morning.

Leaving the basin - another peaceful haven in the middle of London!

St Pancras Station.

A garden in a gasometer!

Interesting houses approaching Camden Locks.

And into the top lock at Camden.

The volunteers have turned up to help us - apparently it's their first day back this year!

Peacocks in the Avery at London Zoo.

And through Maida Vale Tunnel

Through Little Venice.

And past the cemetery at Kensal Rise.

Do you think they've had words?!

Over the North Circular.

Wembley, a satellite dish and some scaffolding!

Babies!

Another "Y-Not" - Hope Alan, Kathy and Baxter are having fun on the Great Ouze.

We all live in a blue submarine!

Orange bottles make good nests...apparently!

Turning left at Bulls Bridge.

Not quite Phil and Claire's Jasper!

The water level is high on the Hanwell flight.

Under the M4.

Look what I've found - free fuel!

Anther 14 locks under our belt!

Arriving at Brentford - looks busy - can we squeeze on the end?

Saturday 2 and Sunday 3 April 2016

As we are killing time we thought we would stay in Limehouse for another night so just went for a walk on Saturday - another beautiful day until about 5pm when the heavens opened.

Sunday morning we set off at about 9.30am and completed the one and a half miles and 4 locks of the Regents Canal, heading up past the Hertford Union, that we had never done before, in fact we have never navigated the Regents Canal going upstream.  Last year we did it twice downstream.  Nice to see all the river birds sitting in their nests - I have only spotted one lot of babies so far - coots!

Here we are in the heart of the east end of London on a beautiful sunny Sunday morning - soooo busy - people walking, feeding the ducks, fishing, cycling and running not to mention all the "constant cruisers" moving around so as not to overstay their 14 days in any one place.  Today the average age of fellow chuggers was 25 years younger than us - normally it's 25 years older than us! We spoke to a few of them and most of them live on board and work in London.  They are moored up three abreast in many places.

We phoned ahead and booked the mooring space available at the London Canal Museum in Battlebridge Basin, just by Kings Cross.  We had to take it slow as they don't want you to arrive until 4.00pm just before the Museum closes as they like to keep the mooring free for boating visitors during opening hours!  We thought it would take us 3.5 hours to get here but with all the extra activity going on it took us 6 hours so we arrived just a little early.  When we booked in they told us that they are not open on a Monday so we could stay an extra night - very handy!

Resident moggie in Limehouse with his life jacket on!

Many parts of Commercial Road are quite grotty but in the side turnings there are some lovely terraces.

The Shard to the right.

Limehouse Tunnel to the left.

Sunday morning - leaving Limehouse Basin.

We've only been through one lock and already we need to check the prop!

That'll be what was holding us back.

Salmon Lane Lock - beautiful Lock House surrounded by high-rise blocks of flats

I enlisted the help of young Max at Mile End Lock - I needed the rest after having discovered that I had left the windlass at Johnson's Lock when we arrived here and had a to take a jog back for it - thankfully it was still there!

Passing the entrance to the Hertford Union.

Mummy keeping her eggs warm!

Some people grow plants others grow heads!

The Hotel Barge - I wonder if they are still getting bookings.

These lorry containers have been converted into living accommodation.

Towpath Cafe - I bet they love Sunny Sundays!

Through Islington Tunnel

We have had our photo taken at least 10 times today so thought I would take one back!

Arriving at the London Canal Museum.

Friday 1 April 2016

As we settled down for the night last night I thought I might have troubling sleeping here as you could hear the road, the planes and an annoying little wotsit riding a motorbike round and round the car park opposite!  8 hours later I woke up to Mrs Coot having a go at her hubby!

Beautiful morning again.  We set off at about 9.30am heading for Limehouse.  It was nice to see that some parts of the river have been cleared of rubbish, although sad to see that others were still being used as the local rubbish dump!

We were lucky with the locks.  We only had five to go through and all were set in our favour.  I'm glad to see CRT have also replaced some of the key locks on the electric locks as last year it took ages to get some of them to turn.

As we came round the last corner on the Limehouse Cut we wondered whether there would be any space on the wall or whether we would have to moor along side someone else as we had to in July last year - Only one little sailing boat so plenty of room for us!

Setting off from Brimsdown - blue sky and calm waters.

Oh dear one of the lock gates won't open at Stonebridge so we'll have to push over to the otherside - just as well we are only a narrowboat!

How lovely to see that the CRT have renamed the lock here.  Last year we put a bounty bar in Alfie's bounty box but Steve didn't want to part with any of his chocolate today.  Alfie was the Lock keeper here from the early 80's and remained living in the house after he retired.  We spoke to his daughter last July and he was just about to celebrate his 86th birthday.  I hope he is still living here. 

Funny place to keep your drum kit!

Goodbye North Circ - much nicer chugging underneath than driving over the top!

Drying off!

Rob is this your old boat?

Nice to see the Egyptian Geese at Stonebridge Lock.

Here comes that sinking feeling...

My mum and me!

We met this couple last year when they had just left Napton on their way to London - we saw them in Ealing in October - and here they are in Tottenham.

And back past the Millennium Park

Glad to see it has been tidied up at Old Ford Lock - this is where Steve and a passerby dragged a mattress out of the river last year!

Looks like the CRT have upset some local river gypsies.

Two mills at Three Mills!

Arriving in Limehouse - and the wall all to ourselves, nearly.

Tide is out on the Thames.

And so is the seal!

Enjoying the wall.

Thursday 31 March 2016

And we're off!!!!  Can't believe we have sat still for 5 months but here we go on our second season travelling the British waterways.  We are so lucky with the weather - the sun is shining and no rain forecast.

We considered mooring at Cheshunt but only being three locks away we decided to carry on to Enfield.  There was nowhere to moor at the spot where we stayed last time so we carried on a bit and found some other boats moored just before Ponders End Locks.  Shame about the rubbish on the towpath and in the river.  Industrial estate one side of the river and countryside on the other.

We had forgotten how tiring being out in the fresh air was but loved our first day cruising again.

Come on Captain untie us - Wales here we come!

Goodbye Carthagena and all the lovely people we have met there - hopefully see you next winter.

And you Mr Heron - I wonder if you will still be there.

Is it a widebream - no - is it a catamaran - no - it's two boats stuck together!  I think we saw this last year in the early stages of development.

Easter Holidays and the kids are having fun down at Cheshunt Sailing Centre.

Approaching Rammey Marsh Lock - under the M25.

Banksy!

I promise I won't take lots of pictures of weathervanes this year but you have to admit this one is impressive!

This will do for the night - wonder if it will be noisy here.

We are moored right at the other end - Industry on the left - countryside on the right.