Damp and miserable......

....the weather yesterday, not me :-)

Yesterday I needed to move, I have a schedule of moving every other day to get to Harefield Marina where I am leaving the boat for a week while I visit family over Christmas, and although it wasn't nice outside it wasn't bad enough to deter me.

I left my mooring at Bulbourne around 10am and negotiated the moored boats near the C&RT workshops, plenty of room really, passing the brested pair of workboats among others and then passing by the deserted looking Grand Junction Arms, well it was early.

Then it was along the summit through the Tring cutting 1.5 miles long and at it's deepest 135', quite some feat, just imagining all the men digging that lot out exhausts me! It was not the best time of year to pass through though, damp misty and eerily quiet apart from the sound of the engine and the quiet splash of water around the rudder.

I was glad to finally emerge back into 'daylight' although it was now raining lightly so the camera went back in it's tupperware container for a while.

Locks came and went, Cowroast being the first (46) at 6'0" deep, this was the first of three locks with leaking chambers which flood the adjacent property if the lock is left full, so as mentioned in my previous posts there are notices fixed to the balance beams instructing you to leave the lock empty with a bottom paddle up, having passed along the summit I am now descending, this means, once again a bit more work as you enter, having to walk to the far end of the lock to drop the paddle before you can fill the lock, but the reason is clear and not due to someone just being lazy ;-).

The rain eased as I reached this lock, I think it was 49 but I am not sure, with it's small pump house alongside working away.

It wasn't unpleasant but neither was it pleasant, and at this time of year and in these conditions not even the odd boater to chat to at a lock, so I was quite pleased to arrive at my intended stop of Berkhamstead and see plenty of space.
I moored slightly back from the town centre, it's a bit quieter and Waitrose is a very short walk.

Totals yesterday: 5 miles : 7 locks

Current mooring:

I like Berkhamstead, it seems pleased to have the historical canal connections and is very well kept and pleasant unlike some towns that give the impression they don't want boats/boaters around and use the canal as a place to dispose of unwanted rubbish, no sunken supermarket trolley's or old bicycles around here as far as I can tell.

I went for a look for new boots in town, and in one shop the lady assistant was explaining where I might get them elsewhere and she asked "are you travelling by car" when I said "no actually, a narrow boat" she replied "oh how lovely, such a funny reply 'by narrow boat' ", I didn't think it was funny but she meant it in a nice way and was very helpful.

This afternoon has turned out nice again, the sun is shining, the stove is just ticking over and the roof hatch is open to keep it cooler inside and give some fresh air, it's like spring again!