15th September
From Theale to Woolhampton, stopping at Aldermaston boat yard to fit our new relay switch.
On the way, these are tricky locks, meaning that we don't get too far in a day! Easy winding of paddles for weedy me, with well greased barrel mechanisms, but the gates are swingers and drift open by themselves or don't open fully to let the boat through on one gate. They are doubles, so you have to tie up in them and we have learned; tie up midline and bowline because the flow (flow?! more like torrent) of water once you start to fill (however slowly) is so strong you get bashed from side to side of the lock. These are deep locks and their flow is severe. It's also difficult to throw ropes upwards in a lock 9' deep! It is amazing how different each canal can be. Not only are we encountering these slow locks but swing bridges too, lots of them, of which most are comfortably mechanised, but some are released with a windlass and have to be pushed open like a lock gate. You have to stop the traffic on the mechanised ones, not good when you're coming through around 4pm and you cause queues! On several you have to set the lock beyond before you work the swing bridge, therefore this system plus the slow filling of the deep locks takes more time and thought than we are used to.
We have been shadowed from Theale by a very friendly chap who is painting his narrowboat as he travels. He is very pleasant, but tends to keep appearing at every turn just when we think he has moved on. He ' knows' a lot about the K and A, so keeps telling us what to expect. There is a fine line between those who impart important and helpful wisdoms and those who become know-alls. There he was again popping up just as we were filling water at Aldermaston, telling us that the next locks are very heavy and difficult!! And yes, as we were locking, he called out from the bank where he'd moored " heavy aren't they?" - for goodness sake!!!!
However, that evening despite him telling us that you can't moor just anywhere on the K and A, this night we ended up on a glorious mooring in Woolhampton in the hot afternoon sunshine amongst the trees and steps away from a great pub, The Rowbarge.
This pub is friendly (a young smiley enthusiastic landlord) stylish and was even playing some of our favourite music. Hey; we're home and dry, coupled with a glorious sunny September evening, a drink or two in the garden by the canal as the sun sets, then back to the boat for a slow cooked casserole we had left in cooking (this little vanette caravan oven is better than our all-singing,all-dancing one at home. Pete lights the fire (perhaps unnecessary but what the hell?) . Boating doesn't get better than this.
Oh and Fran and Olly send some pictures of my beautiful grandson, life couldn't be better!
House opposite our mooring
From Theale to Woolhampton, stopping at Aldermaston boat yard to fit our new relay switch.
On the way, these are tricky locks, meaning that we don't get too far in a day! Easy winding of paddles for weedy me, with well greased barrel mechanisms, but the gates are swingers and drift open by themselves or don't open fully to let the boat through on one gate. They are doubles, so you have to tie up in them and we have learned; tie up midline and bowline because the flow (flow?! more like torrent) of water once you start to fill (however slowly) is so strong you get bashed from side to side of the lock. These are deep locks and their flow is severe. It's also difficult to throw ropes upwards in a lock 9' deep! It is amazing how different each canal can be. Not only are we encountering these slow locks but swing bridges too, lots of them, of which most are comfortably mechanised, but some are released with a windlass and have to be pushed open like a lock gate. You have to stop the traffic on the mechanised ones, not good when you're coming through around 4pm and you cause queues! On several you have to set the lock beyond before you work the swing bridge, therefore this system plus the slow filling of the deep locks takes more time and thought than we are used to.
We have been shadowed from Theale by a very friendly chap who is painting his narrowboat as he travels. He is very pleasant, but tends to keep appearing at every turn just when we think he has moved on. He ' knows' a lot about the K and A, so keeps telling us what to expect. There is a fine line between those who impart important and helpful wisdoms and those who become know-alls. There he was again popping up just as we were filling water at Aldermaston, telling us that the next locks are very heavy and difficult!! And yes, as we were locking, he called out from the bank where he'd moored " heavy aren't they?" - for goodness sake!!!!
However, that evening despite him telling us that you can't moor just anywhere on the K and A, this night we ended up on a glorious mooring in Woolhampton in the hot afternoon sunshine amongst the trees and steps away from a great pub, The Rowbarge.
This pub is friendly (a young smiley enthusiastic landlord) stylish and was even playing some of our favourite music. Hey; we're home and dry, coupled with a glorious sunny September evening, a drink or two in the garden by the canal as the sun sets, then back to the boat for a slow cooked casserole we had left in cooking (this little vanette caravan oven is better than our all-singing,all-dancing one at home. Pete lights the fire (perhaps unnecessary but what the hell?) . Boating doesn't get better than this.
Oh and Fran and Olly send some pictures of my beautiful grandson, life couldn't be better!
House opposite our mooring
Location:Woolhampton
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