Berkhamsted to Kings Langley

Mon 28^th June  Berkhamsted to Winkwell

We did some shopping at Waitrose this morning as we waited for our engineer, Ed, to turn up.  He arrived at around lunchtime, as promised, and proceeded to fix the seals in our diesel filter, and pump out the excess diesel that had gone into the bilges.

When he had finished, we moved across to the water point, where we had to tie to the trees, as there was only one bollard, and that was at an unusable angle. It took 40 minutes to fill the tank, as most of the water went onto the ground and then into the canal, as the water point was badly in need of attention. Canal and River Trust spent a lot of money a few years ago, installing aluminium water points, which replaced the old cast iron ones, which had been there for decades. There was nothing wrong with the cast iron ones, but the aluminium ones are now falling apart. While the tank was slowly filling, James gave the willow tree a haircut, as it was all over the roof of the boat. 

Water point at Berkhamsted 

Willow trimmings 

Losing water

We then set off down three locks, past the station, the Boat, and the Rising Sun. We were able to moor just past Nick on Esperance, and we were pleased to empty two cassettes. Nick told us that one of the Winkwell Locks was to be closed for two days tomorrow. We hadn’t known about this, although we later discovered the relevant email that we had missed.

Rising Sun Lock

Three locks later, we came to Sewer Lock, where lots of apparently untreated waste with detergent was being released into the canal. At lock 59, Winkwell, we found a huge amount of foam which stuck to the sides of the boat.  It was this lock that was due to be repaired, and there were several CRT workboats around.

Foam at Winkwell Lock

We continued through Lock 60, and moored up thankfully on rings. It was quite late by then, so we took advantage of the Three Horseshoes pub, and had a meal. James had a proper pie with real sides and top, which was lovely. 

Three Horseshoes 

Proper pie 

This was a very noisy mooring, with frequent trains rattling through at speed. Heavy rain later.

8 locks, 3 miles. Dep 1620 from the water point, arr 1915.

Tue 29^th June  Winkwell to Boxmoor

It was cloudy this morning, with no rain forecast, as we set off through the swing bridge and the final Winkwell Lock. There were two further locks: Boxmoor Top Lock, and Fishery Lock, before we found a mooring just above Boxmoor Lock.

Winkwell Swingbridge

Passing the boatyard at Winkwell 

Moored at Boxmoor

We went off to the Marlowes Shopping Centre to find the Vodafone shop, where James sorted out his MiFi account, as his contract had come to an end. The unlimited data phone sim, even though it includes phone calls and texts, was cheaper than the unlimited data only sim, so he is now paying a bit less than he was.

We had a coffee and a cake in Cappuccio, an independent café, where the service was excellent. We would rather go here than a chain such as Caffe Nero or Costa.

On the way back to the boat, it started to rain (not forecast!), so we abandoned the plan to move on down to Apsley. We put up the hood in a hurry, and dried off inside the boat.

Later, after the rain stopped, Hazel spotted a rat on the next boat, and then we realised that there was a family of rats being fed by the man on board. They were running across the path, up and down the mooring ropes and along the gunwales. It was very entertaining to see. There is a two-minute video to watch.   There were two boats breasted up, and the one on the inside had a car body welded on as part of the boat.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dv_xHd9NiDM

Rat family

Car boat

3 locks, 1 mile, 1 swing bridge. Dep 0935, arr 1105.

Wed 30^th June  Boxmoor to Kings Langley

Moored at Boxmoor

Site of a lock cottage

The rain had stopped by the morning, so we cruised down through two locks to the sanitary station where James once fell in. We didn’t need water (just as well, as a wide beam had just started to fill up), but we emptied a cassette and disposed of rubbish.

Hemel Hempstead

Then we descended through one more lock, and found a space to moor on the off side, by Sainsbury’s. We went to get what we needed from there, and set off once more, going through Apsley, past Woody’s Café, sadly now closed. In the early days of the Waterways Chaplains, many an informal meeting was held here. We were hailed by Janul on Storm who is moored in a small off-side basin nearby. 

Woody’s closed down

Unusual bridge at Apsley

We were following two other boats. They were a bit quicker than us, perhaps because the locks were in their favour. Also, being on our own, James often had to walk round the lock to close the other gate which had been pushed open by the boat entering the lock. Nash Mills Top Lock was particularly slow to fill, as both gate paddles were missing, and there is only one ground paddle.

Only one paddle at Nash Mill

We found a mooring at Kings Langley, on loops of rope that some kind boater had left a long time ago.

James had a long chat with John on Gemini, a 1935 Star Class historic boat. He warned us about the lack of available moorings further on, and about the damage HS2 has caused near Harefield. Later we had a Canal Ministries Zoom meeting.

Moored at Kings Langley

6 locks, 3 miles. Dep 0945, arr 1040 Sainsbury’s. Dep 1230, arr 1350 Kings Langley.

Next: Continuing south through Cassiobury Park and Rickmansworth towards Brentford. Hoping to meet Andy and Sue on Springwater as they return from London.