Off we go.......

..... and back again.

Ok so last night I made the final decision that as long as the weather was reasonable I would set off in the morning, now I want to stop and have a look around Denham Country Park so possibly stay 48hours but I need to empty my cassettes, I consult Pearson’s and find the next Elsan available is in Apsley about 14 miles and several locks away, I don’t want to do that, Denham is only a couple of miles away, so I need to turn and go back to Cowley Lock which is where I filled with water and emptied the loo’s on the way here,  I also need coal and gas as well and I decide I will go to Denham Marina about 30mins up the canal, get gas and coal and while I’m there probably top up with diesel as well, you never know (well I don’t yet) they may let me top up my water and empty my loo as well, I don’t yet know how these Marina’s operate, it may be that side of things is for paying moorer’s only, so I pull pins at 10am and off I go, a bit chilly but not bad, as I get to the Marina I can see a boat on the service  point so I pull over and moor to wait, then a chap from a boat further along comes back to me and says “if you want the services there’s a little queue and I am next”, ok I think possibly an hour’s wait, I’ll turn go back to Cowley and then come back here afterwards and hopefully the queue will have gone.

Well it’s amazing how slow this life is, I turn around in the mouth of the Marina and head back to Cowley getting there ok and start doing the business, I make a cup of tea and when the water is full get ready to move again, now I need to turn again but luckily there’s a turning point immediately after the Lock, so through the lock (downhill), wind (turn the boat around) and back through the Lock again (uphill), the services at Cowley Lock are split, water and Elsan one side of a road bridge and Refuse point the other side, so off I go again and pull in at the refuse point, empty all my rubbish and off again towards Denham Marina, I look at my phone and it’s now 1:30 I don’t want to be rushing or cruising too long or late so I decide to moor up where it all began this morning and try again for the Marina tomorrow J. It was a lovely morning though, the sun came out, no wind, I got a load of washing done and thoroughly enjoyed my little jaunt and a walker complemented me on my stop at the water point, he said it was very controlled and showed finesse, it made me smile anyway.

Heading towards the Marina, lots of permanent moorings, Cowley Lock service point, as you can see someone kindly left the lock ready for me.

And This is The General Elliott a 5 minute walk along the towpath and I haven't even ventured in.

Travel Today:  4 Miles : 1 Lock twice