Bob and Jenny Narrowboat Infinity: October 2016

Isn’t the time going quickly ?...A month has gone past since I put finger to key pad..I believe we had just entered the final stage of our London adventure at the end of the last blog.

At the end of the Regents canal we passed though the Regents Zoo. Through the aviary and passed walk ways. All the way down the canal, it’s no mooring and a lovely cruise.

After the zoo area we turned left into the final stretch towards our goal . . . limehouse basin.

The water in the canal here is very clear and you can see the bottom and sides quite clearly but, it is filthy. with litter, the main pollutant is plastic bags and other rubbish. We had to stop every so often, remove the weed hatch and take off rubbish wrapped around the propeller, a pair of tights, a coal bag, lots of shopping bags to name but a few. Assorted crap doesn’t 'arf slow you down...

We have, for some unknown reason, been having trouble keeping the 12v batteries topped up, not sure why, as we have had a new set of 4x110 amp hr fitted before we left Yelvertoft also had a new alternator fitted as well. So in theory they should be OK ..

We decided to book into the Limehouse basin marina for one night and get an electrical link so we could give the battery bank a good blast with the on board charger to top them up.

We checked on their web site to get a price...For one night the cost was ...£36.00...What !!…...Ok..Expensive but we really needed a top up so rang to book a berth...they weren’t sure if they had one ..What ??? ‘Ring back when Barry was in’ …

When we did a bit later they had one berth...but ….the price had shot up to £80.00 for one night with hook up !!!

When Jenny brought it to his attention that the web site price was a lot cheaper he dropped it to £74.00 ..Yep ….We told him what to do with it..!! Politely ..Honest !!

We linked up with another boat crewed by a couple who moored at Foxton locks which is just up the canal from us. ..Danny and Sandie and a couple of friends ...

The flight into Lime house was a bit hairy...there was a very high wind blowing ..At one stage we were nearly wedged across the canal both of us !!

Once a high wind catches a 62 ft long narrow boat...you have to go... if its sideways !! Getting the bow into the wind is quite difficult.

We finally regained control and sailed into the basin...We had reached our goal !!! On looking about the basin, there didn’t appear to be anywhere to moor, the wind was still being a pain and I was worried about being blown on too any of the moored boats ...so .. we turn around and sailed straight back up the locks and started our return journey home.

The basin looks like a rich man’s play ground, Yachts.. Dutch barges, and other high end vessels.

Some lovely properties over looking the marina. Beautiful apartments with verandas, which would give wonderful views of the Thames.

Definitely out of our price range.

Limehouse Basin

Entrance to Limehouse Basin

Having had a rough day we decided to moor up early. There is a distinct lack of moorings in that area so we had a word with a passing CRT man (Canal and River Trust) asked were we could get a place in the area…

Just there’ he said, pointing..’by the jetty’ ...’It has rings’..It also had a sign …..NO MOORING !!! What the hell ..We had permission …Evening pint time came early that day …With a walk to a typical east end pub ..

It was a beautiful clear night and as I sat on the cruiser stern and watched the sky, quite a few stars were on view despite the light pollution. Other lights were there as well, lots of them..Aeroplanes.

I never realised how many planes there were in and out of Heathrow..Also of course the City airport. They are at different altitudes but, wow, they looked very close to me..Too close..Fascinating to watch, I wouldn’t want to be an air traffic controller, they earn their salaries.

We felt quite safe in the London area, lots of security and CCTV cameras. The only place we had reservations about was Camden locks. We had seen on Tim and Pru’s programme a sleazy and not good side of it. However going through, (going down,) we had a guy jump aboard (after getting permission) to get a photo on a boat. They were doing a team building exercise for his works and had tasks to complete..one of which was get a photo on a boat..

On the way back up, as we approached the bottom lock there was a group of black youngsters at the bottom lock. One was playing a guitar and one had a ?? looked bit like a didgeridoo..??

Trouble we thought. As we approached the lock, the young girl (who was dancing to the music) turned to me, and pointed then shouted ...Hey baby... ...When you come back this way..pick me up and we will runaway together !!..She was an absolute beauty ..Stunning !!…

She made an ‘old man’ very happy !!

However I joined in (yes ...somewhat flattered) A bit of banter went backwards and forwards ending in me saying...I’ll have to get permission from the wife first...Jenny was by this time empting the lock for us to enter.

She stood there looking at the girl ..well, not looking ….Glaring !! Swinging the windlass in a very threatening manner but just in fun.. It was so funny and a lovely atmosphere. We all had a laugh and continued on our way.

Camden Locks.

It was a fairly eventless run back, we had a stop over in Uxbridge again. In the morning Jenny heard a dripping sound from under the sink...Yep, we had sprung a leak, the sink waste pipe was dripping water into the bilge... Not a problem, (I thought) just take it off and clean it up, seal it, and replace..Jobs a good un !!!

Wrong...I took the pipe off and cleaned it,…. so far so good,

However, when it came to refit it...It wouldn’t go back..the pipe it went over was too small ?? and it flopped about….What the !!??

For some reason the pipe didn’t go back. A quick phone call to a local narrow boat plumber, he was there within 1 hr. quick check and he sussed out the problem. The whole job was a bodge up by the previous owners (no change there then !!) ..

Half an hour later he was back with the correct coupling, (¾ inch plastic pipe, two jubilee clips, new sludge trap) the job was a good un, a very reasonable price as well.

Next morning as we set off again, the fan belt started slipping, a horrible howling sound.

Its a problem we have had before ..so I had too get my spanners out and tightened it...All Ok ..No slipping ..until .. the next day a dull thud..and the Ignition light came on. . The fan belt had broken. DOH !!!

Not to worry, we have a spare..But..turns out the ‘well known’ BMC marina had supplied us with the wrong one...DOH !! (again). Phone call to RCR (river and canal rescue) to be told..’Mechanic is out on a job but he will be with you next’,

Ok thats lovely, but ...Can you tell him to bring a couple of spare fan belts…

When John the mechanic turned up ...(some 4 hours later) guess what?? ..He didn’t have a belt...He wasn’t told !!!…..Grrr…

Its 5.30 pm now. Not to worry, I’ll get one and will be back by 11 o’clock tomorrow morning, we were told. Glass of wine and an early night, ready to be up early, to for the mechanics arrival.

At 1pm we phoned up to check where he was, to be told...he was on another job..re-floating a sunken boat..He finally turned up at 8.30pm, fitted the belt and we were able to get some power again . Not impressed with the RCR service considering we are gold members and lodged a complaint.

Over 36 hours later we were able to get going again. I believe they get paid for raising a boat by the insurance companies (?) Customers coming second to making money ?

Lord David Trimble and his wife Daphne caught us up again and we played leap frog again for a few days .Us passing them when moored up and vice versa also sharing locks.

We plodded onward towards home and a planned two day stop over at Stoke Bruerne, as it one of our favourite villages (which turned into 4 days). Piggy Pete and Sue had fancied a weekend away in the their American 5^th wheel caravan so they booked into the camp-site by the canal. People who don’t know Piggy Pete and Sue are pig farmers (retired now.. allegedly... from Wisbech) ....Friends now for 21 years plus...

An evening meal in The Navigation Inn..and a catch up for the last 3 months ...It was brilliant for the money. So good we ate there the next night as well.

After Pete and Sue left, we met up with the other Infinity and crew. A pint in ‘The Boat Inn’ with Marin and Sue and also met up with Gill Mehmet. They were passing though on their cabin cruiser Yoghurt..aptly called ...hee hee..

(Narrow boaters call the GRP boats Yoghurt pots..)

Gill and Carl her partner called in for coffee and a chat in the morning befor leaving their boat to return home by car.

The week end was finally wound up with a surprise visit of our granddaughter, Becky and Karen, her mum. It was truly wonderful long weekend.

By the time we got to Crick we bumped into Danny and Sandie again. They had been braver than us and had gone along the Thames and up the Oxford canal in a circular cruise. It turns out there were moorings available in Limehouse basin, we hadn’t gone far enough in to see them. It was not user friendly for me.

No signage for visitors.

Sailed into Yelvertoft 5 days later than we had planned but ….. We had done it !! ….We had done the London trip.

Would we do it again ?…..Errr NO !! but it was our first boating adventure, as old age travellers..

Roll on next years cruising season.

The wind was blowing a hooley when we arrived back at Yelvertoft ..Jenny suggested we moor outside until it dropped but I like a challenge !! ...

I took it straight in through the entrance (mind you it was at full power) and pulled up at the diesel pump. (hand brake turn) Chuffed to bits.

We have a new mooring but sadly it took me 4 or 5 attempts to get into it with the help of our neighbour Jim, nearly pulling him in to the marina when he was holding our bow rope .....Damn the wind!!

Over the winter we plan some other work on the boat, to make her usable in the winter and a bit more ‘cosy’.

We need to sort out the central heating and re-do some of the wood work which was damaged during the hull restoration.

Also replace the flooring in the saloon and galley then re-carpet...so….

There will be no rest for the wicked as they say.

See you all soon.