Saturday 19th August 2006
Northolt to Bulls Bridge
4 miles, 0 locks
Dad didn't arrive until about 4pm, so by the time we reached Bulls Bridge,
and done our shopping, and had tea it was dark. It was busy at Bulls Bridge,
and had to moor along side another boat. They were impressed when I got the
automatically locking trolley to the moorings. I told them the trick - drag
it backwards.
Sunday 20th August 2006
Bulls Bridge to Sunbury
A high tide at Brentford of 13:10 meant we had to go off early, well for Dad
anyway. I set off for the locks at 9am, and reached the top lock nicely as
another boat was entering. We shared the locks down the flight, and made
reasonable time. They only had the boat for a couple of months, but had been
boating since 1998 (starting in a Broads cruiser). Their last boat was a
65ft Hudson boat, that was 'too heavy' for them. Last time they went to the
top of the Thames they struggled with the tight corners, so they are going
to try it again with this 57ft one!
At Thames Locks there was no keeper in sight, and it was already 12:15,
thankfully he reappeared shortly after with a carrier bag from an Asda (or
somewhere like that), obviously his lunch. He locked us through, and we were
off on the tide. It was only a fairly small tide, so we only got a couple of
miles an hour out of it, but after Richmond the fresh coming down
overpowered it, and we made slower progress up to Teddington, arriving just
after high water.
We left our new friends there to get their licence, and continued up the
river. I had planned to do as many back waters as possible on the way, and
so the first to arrive was the River Ember which joins the Thames opposite
the Hampton Court moorings. This is a little river, which after going under
the end of the Hampton railway station platform, and a road, splits into
two, and goes up to a higher level with some weirs. There are some notices
on the railway bridge about not continuing without a licence from the
National River Authority, but since that's the EA now, I don't suppose it's
a problem! I notice there are some boat rollers on one of the weirs, so I
assume its possible to take a skiff or other small boat onto the next level.
We pulled out, and arrived at the lock just to late to get into the last
locking, so had to wait. A hire boat pulled along side, and then we moored
along side them in the lock. They followed us through a slew of sailing
boats, but thankfully didn't follow when I turned around the back of Platts
Eyot, I then went around the back of Sunbury Court Island, which is more
like a canal than part of the river, and needed a slow speed and careful
steering to avoid the shallows on the exit back out onto the river.
We arrived at Sunbury Lock with 'Bug the Tug', who after not quite making it
to the lock in time went up the Sunbury back water with us, but turned at
the main weir. We passed Quiditch on the moorings just into the back water,
but nobody on board. Only later did I realise he was probably at the GIG. A
strong flow of water tried to push us into the bank where the channel
narrows, but I was expecting it and won. We continued up the narrow channel
dodging willows trees to reach the end. There is a little hook into a brook,
which I stuck my bows, and then swung the stern into the weir channel.
Thankfully the sluices were closed, and got around with ease. A couple
watching from a nearby garden were suitably impressed, obviously expecting
some fun!
Once through Sunbury lock, we stopped outside The Weir pub, less than half
the distance we had travelled along the backwater, at 17:45. Dad had a look
to see if they did a Sunday 'lunch', but since they didn't and the live band
they had on was loud, and prices standard for the area we had a roast
chicken dinner with Yorkshires on board.
There was little noise from the pub, and had a good nights sleep, especially
after getting ride of a tee-shirt on the prop that had been bothering me all
day.
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