Thames trip twice then thrice!Sunday 14 January 2007A protest Flotilla over the proposed Defra cuts was announced on the "Save Our Waterways" website and Dave and Deirdre on "Lupin" let it be known that they were up for it and suggested that I might, with permission, bring "Pisces" along for the ride too. Plans were laid and liaisons made between myself and Andrew Phasey, Vice-Commodore of St.Pancras Cruising Club, who was co-ordinating the whole thing from The Excel Centre, West India Docks, Limehouse Dock, Brentford Dock and Teddington Lock.We set off from Harefield at 08:07 and by 10:25 were eagerly wolfing down 3 breakfasts at The Toll House Tea Rooms, Cowley Lock. Underway again at 11:15 some sustained hard work, particularly on the Hanwell Flight--Deirdre lockwheeling, Dave steering out the breasted-up boats and me opening the bottom gates, meant that we were clear of the flight in just over the hour.
A BW man had warned Dave of severe silting just below the ingress of the River Brent near "The Fox" pub--he wasn't kidding! Thick black mud that the recent rains had scoured out of the river had accumulated to such a degree that the depth of water was less than six inches on the towpath side. We kept well over to avoid being grounded.
Osterley Lock was a disgrace with us having to carve our way through the detritus but we tied up in Brentford Basin virtually at Deirdre's predicted time of 15:30."The Magpie and Crown" saw us eating delicious Thai food and supping various beers, 'Spinning Dog' being one of the most memorable names. Slipping into bed by 22:30 the world went dark.
Monday 15 January 2007Taking full advantage of the BW facilities, I abluted and afterwards made contact with Louis Jankel on Nb 'Madam'--the liaison craft for Brentford. He proceeded to pour cold water on the trip by stating firmly that he wasn't going due to [he said] adverse weather reports. Many phone calls and other reports later we "bit the bullet" and went for it. Out on the tideway in blue skies and even hot sunshine[!] we safely docked in Limehouse Basin by 13:30 and we repaired to "The Barley Mow" at the basin mouth. With the pub now being a part of the Gordon Ramsey chain and meals costing the best part of £20 per head, we resisted the temptation to dine there but in stead moved along Narrow Street, past "The Grapes" that had finished serving at 15:20 and on a few more yards to "The Booty Inn" complete with a glorious backdrop of the Thames through its back windows. I had roast beef with all the trimmings, Dave a madras curry and Deirdre some paté and a salad, "London Pride" washing things down.
Back on board I started this log and later we moved into the Cruising Association's club house where a sandwich board advises that "All captains and crew welcome!" A pleasant evening where Dave took advantage of the ' Wi-fi hot spot' and did some computer gardening on his laptop, clearing out a lot of extraneous matter. Gratefully, I sank into my bed at 22:15 and knew no more.Tuesday 16 January 2007The raison-d'être of the trip had arrived. Andrew Phasey called me on the stroke of 09:30 and the 45 minute countdown began.It would take around ¾ of an hour for the flotilla to pass Limehouse Basin after their exit from West India Docks. Our lockkeeper got us out onto the tideway just after 10:00. Besides Lupin and Pisces was Theo [who was to play a far greater rôle in proceedings later on] We had the river to ourselves-it was strangely quiet. I felt like Gary Cooper waiting for the Miller Gang to arrive on the noonday train. All eyes were directed down river in an effort to see evidence of the approaching flotilla around the tight curve adjacent to Canary Wharf.
Suddenly, a boat appeared and another and another. The line being outridden by powerful tugs and police launches. My emotions were in turmoil at seeing this and I think it's fair to say that pride came to the top. This was something very important to all of us who use the Inland Waterways. I noticed soon after we were preparing to join the convoy's tail that Lupin was boarded by the police, I had to laugh, it had happened to me on a previous occasion [see:- Brentford to Limehouse...and beyond! elsewhere] But I laughed too soon, a launch came alongside and the conversation went like this:-
"Permission to come aboard?""Yes""Have you covered this route before?""Yes""Have you been boarded before?""Yes""Then you know why I'm doing this?""Yes"The same old questions followed, name address, nationality, place of birth, length of boat, owner of boat, normal mooring. These all reeled off with panache on my part meant that formalities were kept very brief and my visiting officer-of-the-law was soon boarding a rib now alongside and zooming off to the next boat. I should think terrorists have two chances of causing mayhem by boat--slim and f**k-all!
With occasional bunching up and stretching back out, the convoy reached Parliament with knots of puzzled onlookers on the bridges wondering just what so many ' funny long thin boats' were doing on the Thames?
We turned back downriver at the Millennium Pier to return to Limehouse. I noticed that the boat packed with V.I.P. worthies, that only minutes before was moored opposite the Palace of Westminster, had disappeared.
Now, with all boats locking into Limehouse, a large queue formed as we all turned westward once again and punched the tide after the entrance to Limehouse Marina had been passed as we awaited our turn into the lock. 'Theo' had informed me earlier in the day that they intended travelling back to Uxbridge, via the Grand Union and I fancied joining them rather than spend another night in Limehouse Basin, but it was not to be. In an effort to to keep with Theo, I suggested we breast up to keep station on the tideway. This was fortunate because, less than five minutes later, Theo's engine died and Pisces stood alone against the might of the Thames emptying out towards the open sea. It was a battle she was slowly losing as the intensity of the ebb tide gained momentum. Andy on Theo got on the VHF radio and notified the marina only fifty yards ahead of us of our plight. The lockkeepers reacted smartly and the boats ahead of us in the queue parted like the Red Sea as I attempted to bring Pisces and her useless hanger-on around the right-angle entrance and into the safety of slack water. As soon as I applied the rudder the dead weight of Theo on my port beam efficiently pinned us both to the downstream piling where I could make no further progress, indeed I could only hold on and hope!
Enter "Major" in to the Thames arena, not so much a tug, more an engine with a box around it. Major had been shadowing the flotilla upstream and down and had heard the SOS on the VHF radio. With very little effort he attached a line to the port rear dolly of Theo and in a flash had pulled the two of us 'around the corner' into calm water. As we passed all the waiting boats and sailed straight into the waiting lock, I observed, "It's the only way to queue jump!"
As I write this log at 19:15 Theo's mechanic has restarted her but she needs a new throttle cable. The reason the engine failed in the first place was lack of fuel.Ner, Ner, ne Ner, Ner!!Wednesday 17 January 2007The boats Pisces, Lupin and Lotus [Theo's replacement] were booked out onto the Thames for 10:00 and at 10:07 I glanced through the sleeting rain to read my watch face as Pisces and I bathed in Thames waters for the third day in a row. [Lupin was always going to return home via the Thames and with Theo's demise yesterday I had no choice but to join her.]
Despite the rain and gusting wind, the T° thankfully remained mild. After an hour of rain dripping off my nose, peak of my cap and bottom of my anorak, effectively soaking my tracksuit bottoms, I looked forward to the accuracy of the weather forecast. It was spot-on, after 90 minutes the rain ceased and the skies lightened considerably by the time Wandsworth Bridge was reached. Hammersmith Bridge however, was where Pisces decided to throw a 'hissy fit' and stall inexplicably [See:- Thames epilogue to The Two Barrys go West-elsewhere] Fortunately, at that time the 3 boats were running in parallel and it was a simple matter of Dave manoeuvring Lupin in front of Pisces and picking up her bow line and give her a tow. I don't think we actually lost any time or speed. If anyone had been watching from the shore they would have supposed that this was an oft-rehearsed routine!I was now able to gain access to the engine room and turned the key-Pisces burst into life once more! However, I decided to turn off the engine until the safety of the Grand Union had been reached. In the Thames Lock, Brentford by 13:00 I started her once more and she ran as sweet as a nut-perhaps the old girl [born 1935] had just had enough of the Thames!
Pressing on, we tackled the locks up to Norwood Green. Deirdre lockwheeling ahead, Dave driving the breasted-up Lupin and Pisces and me shutting gates and setting one paddle to empty the lock so that Frank and Sue on their boat 'Lotus' could 'have a good road.'14:40 saw me wave farewell to Lotus as I set off in hot pursuit of Lupin as we had now singled out for the run to Cowley.
Cowley was reached in darkness by 17:45 when Dave and I struggled to remove a fisherman's keep net from Lupin's prop. An intense boating experience followed for the next couple of hours. It helped explain though, just why the boatmen of old travelled without too many problems in the night. The fact that I knew this stretch like the back of my hand made the task a lot easier. I doubt if I'd have felt so confident on unfamiliar pounds.
Tim Snowden, HNAs project manager phoned as we left Widewater Lock to check that all was well. It was the evening of HNAs A.G.M. and Dave and Deirdre are committee members who were expected to attend. Tim offered their apologies on their behalf.
We got back at 20:20 - a 10¼ hour day. We missed the A.G.M. but were in time for the P.U.B.!!Editors Note: Click this link to find various images, capturing the Save Our Waterways Protest. (Thanks to Barry and friends )
