Goodbye Bulls Bridge.......

.....you treated me well.

I arose just after 8am, the plan was to fill with water before leaving but,that was foiled by two boats who had moored last night right across the water point despite there being room just further along, I think they both took on water when they arrived and just didn’t bother to move as it is so quiet, I probably could have breasted alongside them or asked them to move but I have enough for the next few days so I didn’t bother.

So I pulled pins at 10am, said farewell to myself and set off

Heading Off

in search of the Slough Arm, past Hayes and on through Yiewsley, seemed to be reasonable towpath moorings available at both towns and a big Morrison’s at Yiewsley, just after this I saw a sign for Packet Boat Marina on the left, now my Pearson’s shows the Marina just a short distance down the Arm but my Pearson’s has not proved to be 100% accurate so I assumed the Marina had its own entrance before the actual Arm, I was wrong, for just  as I got past the point for turning in I could clearly see this was in fact the entrance to the Arm itself, so into reverse, backed up and off I went down the Arm.

Start of the Slough Arm

I have to say although there were not any “wow look at that” moments it was an altogether pleasant little cruise, some bits industrial, some bits residential and some rural, quite a lot of weed in the first mile or so and then it opened up wider and deeper, about half way along the Arm

between bridges 6 and 7 after High Line Yachting’s yard it is residential mooring, so it’s slow speed engine at  tickover for that stretch, lots of boats moored some three abreast, but still plenty of room.

When you get to the “basin” at the end of the Arm it’s a bit of a letdown, just a nice neat winding hole really with a few swans and ducks, so while I was floating stationary in the basin, I made a cup of tea, the boat wasn’t going to go anywhere so no need to moor up.

Then it was back up the Arm looking at things from the other perspective, I had earmarked three potential moorings for the night, but as I approached the first in among the bushes unseen from the other direction was a makeshift tent signs of a bonfire and lots of empty beer cans, so probably some homeless people living there, I thought I’d give that one a miss, onto the next site which just did not look as good coming the other way, so here I am

at the third place, I was able to use mooring chains instead of pins, the M25 is a little way behind me
but with my tinnitus it won’t bother me at all, and it seems very quiet otherwise, the odd cyclist or walker on the towpath so I should be ok for the night as long as it stays that way. I moored up just about 3pm so a nice 5 hour lock free cruise in chilly sunshine.

Total Today:  13 Miles : 0 Locks