A great rest was had by all in Berhamsted, including our friends on previously broken down narrowboat Islonian, who managed admirably to catch us and the Cheese Boat up.
Cygnets doing well with very protective parents, seeing the ducks and geese off when thhey got too close!
Setting off around 8am on Sunday morning, we drifted across to the water point before dropping down the first lock of the day
Lots of interesting features along this stretch of canal
Totem pole imported from Canada by the owner of a timber yard, which stood on the site before redevelopment
The day passed well in glorious sunshine, getting several locks under our belts and 'back setting' the locks for those behind us
Until we hit the swingbridge at Winkwell. Apparently, it plays up on occasion and most weeks during last summer. This day it decided to play up on me! A key is put in the machine and pressing 'Open' lowers the barriers and opens the gate. I had released the pressure after the first barrier came down as nothing seemed to be happening, put it back on and the second barrier came down, then nothing.........
20 minutes on the 'emergency' telephone number for CRT (it was Sunday, so the normal number was unmanned and the road traffic was getting busier!) we got through to CRT. Not good enough for an emergency contact number at all!
2 hours later (CRT came out and flicked the reboot switch) and a small backlog of understanding boaters behind us, we got moving again and were soon approaching Hemel Hempstead.
Nash Mills locks where an old paper mill stood on the site of the new posh flats
Coming out of Kings Langley lock, Richard just had enough room to get around the trip boat before it pulled forward into the open gates
Last night's mooring opposite the new flats where the Ovaltine works used to stand
A much wetter start than we had had for a long time. We left Islonian and the Cheeses after 2 locks, as they wanted to moor before Hunton Bridge and have the day off, after the previous day's marathon!
So we cracked on alone, enjoying the beautiful Cassiobury Park before stopping again to top up the water tank. The washer has been on whilst we travel in an effort to get everything done up to date! But low, what have we here, a boat moored and locked up on the waterpoint.... a boating faux pas showing a complete disrespect for fellow boaters and the basics of canal boating
So what does Richard do, well of course, we need water, so we get water....meanwhile a very embarrassed pair of ladies came back to our stony silence alongside the boats, to report that they had had to move their car and do some shopping, but they did need water..... so they start to get the hose out as we finished. Come on girls, play the game, the rest of us do and it makes the world a better place...
Croxley Green is our mooring for a couple of nights, delivering a commission and catching up with friends who moor there
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