A proper move.

Sunday started miserably, rain and cold, a few boats came down through Dudswell lock breaking the ice that had again formed overnight but with the rain and lack of sleep due to my winged stinging visitor I decided to stay put.

This morning I woke at six to a different outlook completely, all the ice had melted away with the rain and the weather looked acceptable so having got everything ready I was casting off at 9am.

As I set the first lock and moved into it I could see a boat approaching from behind, but I wasn’t sure if it was one or two, he started to move towards the bank so I decided to go through the lock alone. As I was about to hop off and close the top gate after leaving the lock he appeared and waved me on, I asked him if he was alone and he said yes so I told him I’d wait at the next lock for him, then he said he was towing another boat so that sorted I carried on.

Just beyond the lock I passed Jules Fuels pair delivering smokeless to the moored boats.

They had seen me and left a bottom gate open for me at the next lock (47) so it was a good start.

At Cowroast lock I emptied the rubbish and cassette while the lock was filling, there was a boat on the water point and as I was about to leave the lock I could see they had finished filling their tank, good timing, I thought, they then proceeded to add attachments to their hose and commenced washing the boat, rather than get into an argument about it being not permissible to wash your boat while people need to fill up, I decided I’d find another water point further along.

Along Tring cutting which is the summit, the highest point on this canal, it was cold and dark, you travel through the very deep dark cutting for about a mile and it’s a relief to get out back into daylight with views.

Tring summit

 Approaching Bulbourne my guide told me there was a water point there, so I stopped and filled up.

Taking on water

Past all the moored boats at Bulbourne

And the past the junction to the Wendover Arm before the serious work starts, the descent down the first seven of the nine Marsworth locks, they come in quick succession with little time to take many pictures or chat for long, but I did meet a couple coming up and then a chap moving along with these two boats strapped together.

One of the more pleasant views of a Marsworth lock

I locked him through and continued on my journey down reaching the bottom lock (39) around 2pm.

Last lock today

I moored up on the visitor section just before the Aylesbury arm junction.

Tonights mooring:

Totals today: 4.5 miles : 10 locks

The boat behind me has just started his engine to charge his batteries, noisy smelly thing, I chose the wrong spot as it is empty in front, but not moving now.