Last move South.....

.....for now at least.

I cast off this morning around 9:30am, it was very warm and muggy as I made my way along the canal, with no other boats moving.

Black Jacks the first lock soon appeared ahead of me and with one bottom gate open it was against me, so a walk to close the gate before filling the lock.

The building alongside the lock is Black Jacks Mill which is now a bed and breakfast.

I was soon through that one and there was nothing much of note as I pootled along, having been here a few times now I didn’t even register surprise at seeing the odd crocodile (or maybe it’s an alligator).

I soon arrived at the next lock (Wide Water Lock 86) which also had a bottom gate open; I’m obviously following another lazy boater.

Having dealt with that lock it was a sharp turn left into Harefield Marina which is also becoming well known to me.

On the service point at the Marina.

I have to do some work to my stove (that’s for another post) and had arranged for delivery of most of the bits to the Marina so the first job was to load that and then after getting directions I found they had berthed me in exactly the same spot as my last visit.

I walked back to the chandlery and bought a new gas hose to replace a leaky one connecting one of my bottles, I noticed the smell sometime ago and isolated it, I will replace that soon, I also bought some very expensive rust converter and bilge paint to use on base of the bilge which is constantly in water, I will see how that performs later as well, so £67 lighter for those three small items.

Current Mooring:

Totals today: 1.5 miles : 2 locks

I am booked in for a week staying on the boat tonight with a visit to Surrey planned tomorrow and returning Monday or Tuesday.  I will then be heading North again, this time, hopefully, leaving the GU and venturing on to the Cheshire ring and new waters, but as with all things boaty it’s subject to change as the mood takes me and my Quinny.