Tuesday 28th August 2006 Reading to Cookham At 09:30 I was awake, but Dad was still asleep. A boat came alongside, not to moor up you understand, I wouldn't have minded that. It would have been better if it was a quiet boat, but it was a shaky noisy thumper. All they were doing was waiting along side while the boat in front moved off, they even shouted out a few times. Why they could not have waited in the rest of the 100 foot wide river I don't know.
We went around Tesco's before we left, but another boat had moored alongside by the time we returned. Thankfully he had left a note with a telephone number, and so after going back to Tesco's to get some shoelaces that I'd forgotten, he came back and we slipped out - this was at 11:30am. Just as we left two dutch barges came by, but thankfully they didn't cause any problems at the locks. At Sonning while we were waiting one of the Salter tripboats came down. He can't have been on a scheduled run as he didn't push in - well the barge in front didn't give him much chance and we followed behind. The lock keeper seemed to wave us off, but I knew we were likely to fit, so kept coming - and fitted nicely. There was a good queue from the water point at Shiplake, if it was me I think I would have waited until further down the river. The trip boat snuck up behind as I was pulling into the moorings, but I got into the lock first, with two other narrowboats behind. One of them, Galatea was from St Pancras Cruising Club, which we've been on cruises with before (and shared Sonning with as well). I also just nicely reached Marsh Lock before the trip boat, but the lock keeper knew we could squeeze in next to him, so got him in first, and we went alongside. The trip boat pulled in at Henley, and as did Galatea who also shared the lock. At Hambledon Lock we had a long wait while the lock keeper turned it around, and then another long wait while two boats came around the lock corner. By the time we left a large black cloud was getting ever nearer, and we pulled in at Medmenham with strong winds blowing rain in our faces. After less than half an hour it was dry again, and we were off. We had a reasonable run down through the next few locks, with only small queues. In fact we didn't realise the time, and just reached Cookham before closing. A rowboat messed about leaving the lock, so the lock keeper only lifted the paddles, and we had to do the rest. I wanted to go up to Hedsor wharf, and so turned left and went up the river. Near the footbridge are some very dangerous rocks, and you have to be careful to get through them. There are some posts sticking up which mark some, but on the way back down we found other rocks nearer the bank as well. We moored on the moorings controlled by the lock keeper just up from the junction. We didn't know about them, so didn't ask, so I hope he doesn't mind us staying! --- Mike Askin nb. Shoestring http://shoestring.zapto.org/ Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/canals-list/ <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
