Martin Phillips wrote: > > Being unfamiliar with the waterway, can anybody suggest reasonable > places to leave the boat for a week or so near Bradford on Avon and near > Bath? I gather the latter is pretty busy with long-term overstayers. The > canal down that end is actually a canal, rather than River Kennet (at > least until it becomes Avon) - is it a bit easier than the eastern end > for moorings?
Thanks for all the advice received. I left Newbury on Friday morning and single-handed to Great Bedwyn for Friday night. Found a fairly desperate mooring, with the pointy end on the back bollard of the lock and the back end sat on the bottom halfway across the cut. Was pleased to tie up after a hard day, I'd only shared three locks out of 22, and had eaten just one bacon muffin purchased before departure from the M&S store at the petrol station in Newbury. Collected son (Frank, 15) and a couple of neighbours (Brian and Steven, both boating virgins) from the station. Next day we pushed on through the locks, sharing as far as Crofton (and picking up some desperately needed diesel from a nice bloke on a boat there). Claimed 50/50 on the basis that I'd chucked 30 l of DERV from jerry cans into the boat earlier that day. Frank showed his years of training from me, and his management potential, by getting Brian and Steven organised. Stopped off at the pub at Honeystreet for some beer (nice moorings, plenty of space), where Brian stepped in a huge dog turd and spread it all over the front deck. Proceeded along the long pound to Devizes, tying up just above the Caen Hill flight (plenty of room on the 48 h moorings). Dinner in Wetherspoons and an early night. On Sunday we descended Caen Hill, the team working well. Got to the bottom of the 29 in 3 h 33 minutes. This was rather ahead of schedule, and the arrangements for retrieving the crew had been left fairly vague, so decided to push on to Bradford on Avon. Stopped at the Barge at Seende Cleeve (thanks Terry for the recommendation) and had a most pleasant lunch in the garden with well-deserved beer. The johnny machine in the gents sold small vibrating thingies, none of us had ever seen these in a pub bog before, so we had an interesting conversation (and educational for Frank) (he may now think sex aids are a bit like Lucozade) but we couldn't find three quid between us. Frank decided he'd had enough lock working so took over the driving, giving me a rare opportunity to do some physical work (he usually helps work locks, and the women of the family refuse to drive). The rows of moored boats as we approached Trowbridge became very frustrating and we were glad to find space on the 48 h moorings above Bradford Lock. A little trial and error found us a spot with water deep enough to get the blunt end in, and the missus arrived by car to take the blokes and the empty bottles (a shockingly large number) home. I had an exceptionally poor takeaway from the Indian near the lock, they seemed to have missed out on the spices (and left out the poppadums ordered). Early night with a small calvados. Up early on Monday, having lain abed for an hour pondering what to do. Tidied the boat, motored down to the sani station, emptied the portapotti, filled up with water, dumped the rubbish and shared a lock down with another single-hander who had just winded. Pushed on past the interminable line of boats (but noting that there are plenty of pleasant-looking moorings available below the lock). Had problems at the first swing bridge - couldn't get it to move. Eventually a walker turned up and between us we opened it. Frustrating having the bridge moorings on the wrong side, and I wasn't well-prepared, so a bit of to-ing and fro-ing to get the boat tied loosely onto the boat moored on the off-side. The next swing bridge was fine - I had sorted out the tactic of tying the front to the off-side below the bridge, but a bloke moored nearby wandered over and swung it for me. Very grateful! Continued, getting rather concerned as to whether Bath would be a continuous line of over-stayers. Was pleasantly surprised to find that there was plenty of reasonably good mooring available. Luckily tied up at the last 14 day mooring available, with both ends on rings and the front end overhanging by about one metre into the 72 hour zone. Walked down to the station and got home by 14:30, ready for work in the morning and a few lifts to and from Bath / the office from a nice young colleague. Next step is to shift down to the Poulteney Weir moorings on Friday if space permits, then on to Bristol on Sunday to wait the tide and weather. Wassail! nb Boden, usually G&S, now in Bath -- Martin Phillips [email protected]
