Rickeeey.......

....for viewers of East Enders.

Yesterday I moved down to Rickmansworth, fondly known in the boating community as 'Ricky'.

It was dry when I cast off and passing Jack's boat I spotted him in the woods attemping to cut through a quite large fallen tree with an axe, it looked like hard work to me, he saw me and waved cheerio.

The first lock was Cassio Bridge lock (78) 9'0" deep this one, here it is looking back at the gates and cill.

The cill is what causes a number of sinkings each year, boats positioned too far back get stuck on this as the water level drops and the bow goes beneath the water rapidly filling the boat and in effect sinking it, they end up perched at an angle, it happens quite quickly, all locks have warning signs and a white painted line marked 'Cill' either side of the lock to alert you, but accidents still happen quite frequently.

The bridge the other side of the lock carries the underground trains to and from nearby Watford, possibly what the lock is named after, I'm not sure about the dates and cannot be bothered to 'Google' it.

It was a very slow cruise, so many moored boats I seemed to be on tickover most of the time.

But the odd one to make you look a bit more closely.

 That's what you call an umbrella.

Not sure if I want a fender like this but it's different.

It was a damp day with the odd light shower so not many pictures.

I was soon into Rickmansworth stopping briefly on the water point for another quick top up, and then moving over to the visitor moorings, Tesco is just ahead, they do have customer moorings and I had intended to use those but they were full, so I will stay here for now.

Current mooring:

That's Tesco on the left

I had to walk to it the road way, back over that bridge.

 Totals this post: 3 miles : 4 locks