Progress......

....of the materials gathering kind.

Edited : pictures now added.

I'm having problems with the laptop again so no pictures at the moment, I may add them later if I remember.

I had ordered some bits and pieces from Screwfix in Berkhamstead so before I left my mooring yesterday I rang Jewson, who are both near the canal and Screwfix, and inquired if they offered a ‘cut to size' service, they did so my plan of action was sorted.

Leaving Bulbourne I intended to stop at the water point to top up, there are signs stating no mooring at either end of the length of bank where the tap is located, not 1, nor 2, but 3 boats were moored between the signs, access to the tap was not available given the length of my boat, it didn’t matter much as I was not desperate and knew there was another water point ahead at Cowroast, but why when there was a perfectly clear section of visitor mooring, with rings to tie up, about 300 yards ahead, why would they choose to moor where they shouldn’t? It’s funny how some people think or possibly don’t think.

All three of these are between the 'No Mooring' signs
The gaps not quite big enough for me to get in.

The main offender, if he had been a narrow boat I would have tied up alongside
him, the tap is just in line with his bow railing.

Anyway I carried on along the Tring summit,which is 39ft above sea level, having reached the highest point in this section of the canal, the sun was shining but hidden from me cruising through the deep shaded cutting, it’s not nice unless you like looking up steep banks!

When I reached Cowroast I used the water point which was clear of moored boats and topped up.

On the water point at Cowroast

It was then an uneventful cruise through the next five locks, although following a wide beam, to reach my intended stop just beyond bridge 140 which offered easy access to Jewson, and then the fun began, 3 failed attempts to get to the bank because it was too shallow saw me reverse back through the bridge to try the other side, it was deep enough, just, but about 6 attempts to drive a mooring pin in saw me again give up and move forward to just before the next lock (51), success this time and only a short walk to Jewson so I settled for that.

Current Mooring:

Totals : 5 miles : 5 locks

I walked back to Jewson and collected the MDF that will become my wardrobe sliding doors, two trips as it’s heavy stuff, I wasn’t too happy to see little hidey holes along the bank hedgerows with discarded beer cans, obviously a favourite section for the secret drinkers but as it was only for a few nights maximum, my Screwfix delivery was due today, and it is still cold at night I decided I’d be ok.

And I was ok last night, but this morning at 5:30 I woke up to find myself listing rather heavily, the pound I am in had drained to lower the water level by about 9 inches, I investigated once I was dressed and decided it was just due to the badly leaking lock ahead of me, not much I could do about that, hoping it would correct later, it did.

My delivery arrived just after lunch so I collected my bits from Screwfix and have spent the afternoon/evening hanging the doors and painting, I will stay here tomorrow in an effort to at least get my clothes put away!