Date - 24 /04/08 Day - Thursday Start - 0945 End - 1845 Aylesbury Arm We woke to bright sun but by 9am the rain had set in. We pushed off at quarter to ten just as it stopped but it was soon raining heavily again and even hailing. We met a couple of hire boats, one of them from Linslade had been out for 3 weeks and done the ring. We moored for lunch just before Seabrook Lock and didn't set off again until 3pm and yet again it rained and hailed. The new clubhouse at Dunstable Boat Club looks quite impressive. For some reason the bottom lock of the Marsworth pair has to be left empty and we found the top gates of the top lock wide open. When we left we found out why, they both swung open as we departed which was handy for the boat we met just round the bend. We stopped at Marsworth junction to take water, there are still the same boats to be seen that were here last time I came this way so visitor mooring is somewhat limited, I#'m sure they move after 14 days, but how far? We turned down the Aylesbury arm and to say there was plenty of water would be an under statement, by lock 3 the towing path was under water and it was flowing over the top gates at quite a rate. The Aylesbury looks are not the most user friendly with no board on the bottom gates so its difficult for one person to close up without walking all the way round the lock and at one lock BW have sold off the lock wingwall on the offside so the lock wheeler can't even step on the boat from there. We have moored for the night about 10 yard up from the Disable Fishing point at Wilston. Tomorrow we will go down to the basin in Aylesbury to wind. As a percentage this must have more unlicensed boats than anywhere on the system.
Does anyone know anything about the number of "Mooring Wardens" that have sprung up. We saw 3 boats with "Mooring Warden" notices on them yesterday and while we were having lunch one walked past and noted our licence. -- Brian <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Join SOW and help save our waterways http://www.saveourwaterways.org
