As you probably already figured out, I’ve been writing these last few blog posts long after returning to Canada. It’s been a very busy time for us so producing posts hasn’t been a huge priority. I now have a bit more time on my hands, more or less waiting for snow to fly and the ski season to start.

So, in that vein, here is the final set of pictures and adventures for my 2024 canal boating season in the UK. I was now on my own, Rianne and the boys (and all my other visitors) having left and all that remained was to get the boat to its winter moorings. I had been thinking all summer about where to put up the boat but finally decided on Debdale Wharf Marina. This was the same marina that Cool Change had spent her first winter in 2018-19 so I was pretty sure it would work out. There are very few locations in the country that provide hard standing for narrowboats. Debdale has seen that need and is expanding the space dedicated to it, as well as providing all the related services such as winterizing.

The trip from Goring (where Rianne left me) to Oxford (where you leave the Thames and return to actual canals) is a beautiful stretch. One of the spots I remembered well was Abingdon. I had moored here in 2018 on a VERY hot day, this year it was cooler but I was in nearly the exact same spot. You can see how hot and dry it was back then by the grass.

An interesting thing happened on my way from Goring to Abingdon. The evening that Rianne left I saw some row boats going by, getting ready to go into the nearby lock. They were a classic Thames boat, two rowers and a coxswain. In this case many were all dressed in old English clothing (if you know what I mean). Actually, to be totally honest, they were being towed upstream and only rowed the last bit into the lock. I didn’t find out what it was about until the next day…

A couple of locks upstream the next morning there was a delay getting in. Another boater told me there were swans in the lock and they were undertaking the traditional activity called Swan upping. It’s done once a year on the Thames by The Worshipful Company of Vintners and of Dyers, and the Crown. This started in the 12th century, culminating now in the yearly process of capturing, checking the health, measuring, and banding the Mute Swans between Richmond and Abingdon. This ‘officially’ apportions the ownership between those three groups (as the crown owns all other swans in the county apparently). It’s a bit of an event, I had people all along asking if they were coming behind me (I had seemingly passed them at lunch time when they stopped at a pub, of course).

When I tied up in Abingdon I had forgotten about the whole thing. I was sitting having a relaxing drink when my boat started rocking, there was banging on the hull, and someone stuck their head in my front door and asked if they could tie up to my boat! I looked out and they had trapped several swans (and a Canada Goose) against the hull of Cool Change and were busy weighing them etc. It was all quite exciting and interesting! The large crowd was a bit frustrated that they couldn’t see much behind my boat but I had a front row seat.

The next morning I headed off, going through Abingdon Lock which is quite well known for it’s signage:

From Abingdon it was an easy couple of days up the river to Oxford, with some beautiful homes and sights along the way…

This bridge is the infamous t**t filter, it is too low for the expensive, fibreglass river cruisers, only canal boats can get under it. From here it’s back on the safe and easy narrow canals. Hand-worked locks and gates, easy mooring, and lovely countryside.

This lock is an odd hexagonal shape, very wide between the gates. It moves more water than a regular lock, but I have no idea what advantage this is.

Continuing up the Oxford Canal, I passed through Banbury and the very old and famous Tooley Boatyard, still operating since about 1790. It is now completely surrounded by a modern shopping centre but retains it’s charm (and usefulness).

I soon arrived at the Foxton Locks, two staircases of 5 locks each. The view when exiting the first one always gives me a bit of a start since you just can’t see any water ahead!

During my cruise from Goring to the winter mooring site of Debdale Marina, I found a seat sale for the flight home but only if I left on a certain day. So I didn’t spare any time, and with the usual good luck that has followed me all summer I booked in and caught the cheaper flight the next day.

And, keeping with tradition, I knew I was coming back to Canada shortly after boarding the flight.

I think I’ll add one more post before the ski season starts, even though it won’t be a narrowboat adventure. Camping and an epic road trip just have to be immortalised.

After having an amazing time together in London and on the canal, the boys unfortunately had to return to Canada, Cohen to sail on a tall ship, Ayden to return to work. They were missed as we continued without them, but there was a bit more room on board!

Once Rianne and I left Little Venice in the centre of London, we spent a day cruising toward Lime Street Basin, our gateway to the Thames.

Once we reached Limehouse Basin, we contacted Simon Judge. He takes flotillas of narrowboats up the Thames and is a wealth of knowledge. He didn’t have any groups going but had offered to go with us to help out. He also suggested we visit a local pub on the side of the river, called The Grapes. It was really close to the basin so we walked over. It’s a tiny place, narrow and crowded, but we found a barrel and stools so had a great pub dinner. We offered our ‘table’ to another couple but stopped at the bar for a drink on the way out. As we sat there, Rianne suddenly asked the bartender “What’s with the staff behind the bar?” She looked funny at us and answered “You don’t know where you are?”. I knew immediately. Some weeks before I had read that Sir Ian McKellen owned a bar in London and had the staff of Gandalf displayed. I thought at the time that it would be fun to look it up, but never got around to it. Suddenly here we were!

The next morning we were joined by Simon and Heath, a very close family friend of Rianne’s from northern Alberta who was now living in London, and we were ready to be off. The gates onto the river were huge, they had to hold back the tidal Thames, after all. The gates swung open for us once the volunteers arrived and the ‘allowed’ time arrived (close enough to high tide to minimize the current).

Out on the mighty Thames at last. Turning right, upstream we went. Very quickly we approached one of the highlights of the trip, the Tower Bridge and the Tower of London…

From there it was one sight after another. There was so much to see (as well as drive the boat and avoid the traffic!). Traitors Gate at the Tower, the London Eye, the Palace of Westminster (Parliament), the Elizabeth Tower (housing the bell Big Ben), MI6 British Intelligence Headquarters (no, it didn’t really get blown up), Waterloo, Chelsea, and Lambeth bridges, Battersea Power Station, and so many others.

After a few hours of peaceful cruising, winding our way upstream, we arrived at Teddington Lock where the river ceases to be tidal. To celebrate our safe arrival, Heath treated us to a pub dinner before he had to catch a train back to London and home.

The next few days were lovely, threading our way between large cruisers, small speedboats, and innumerable rowboats, canoes, kayaks, and paddleboards. Unlike the canals further north, the biggest problem on the river was the availability of moorings. The maps showed spots that were supposedly adequate but they were invariably occupied, often by boats that obviously hadn’t moved in weeks or longer. It’s a well-known problem on the Thames, the Environment Agency is beginning to remove boats illegally moored but it’s a big job.

Several weeks previous I had been moored near Watford, north of London where I met some lovely people moored next to me. We had a pleasant afternoon chatting (and drinking wine). I mentioned I would be going up the Thames toward Oxford but was concerned with the mooring situation. They very kindly offered their garden-front mooring in Old Windsor, as they were going to be out cruising for a while yet. As luck would have it, we arrived at their home just at the end of a long cruising day so a safe and easy spot was very welcome!

As they had been cruising for some weeks, Rianne instantly noticed that their lawn needed a trim. As I was texting to say we were there and thank them, she asked if she could cut the lawn! (she loves yard work and making things look purty). As luck would have it, their son and family arrived just then and got us the key for the shed and Rianne had a blast fixing up their yard!

The cruise up the Thames was lovely. Our good luck continued every day, including finding non-existent moorings. Near the end of the next day, we were getting a bit desperate to stop but there didn’t seem to be any spots. I asked a lock keeper and he pointed across the canal and said “You can stay there, 12 quid”. Turns out it was a government spot for a patrol boat but I guess he knew it wouldn’t be back that night… Talk about perfect, on an island with only boat access, as quiet and peaceful as you can find.

The next day found us cruising past Henley, the site of famous boat races (sculls, etc). I guess it was lucky that the races were over, I can’t imagine the congestion!

The homes along this part of the river were mostly very upscale, to say the least…

Since the timing worked out, and we needed fuel anyway, we stopped at the marina where I had originally purchased the boat, in Reading. It was surreal being back there after so many miles and adventures.

We were getting close to Rianne having to fly home, there were only a couple of days left. I had hoped/planned to get to a town called Wallingford, the map showed good moorings there. But late in the afternoon, we were approaching the lock at Goring-on-Thames and Rianne spotted a vacant spot along a sort of seawall. As we were both ready to call it a day, we moored up and headed to the pub. Well, it turned out that we fell in love with this little village. It had three churches, two pubs, a grocery store, hardware/general store, and not too much else. Just the cutest, friendliest little place we’d been to. We will be going back!

During the couple of days we spent in Goring, we kept noticing pictures and album covers of George Micheal (the singer). Turns out he lived and died here, his house is a bit of a shrine. It causes a sort of population explosion on his birthday.

All good things must end I suppose. Rianne had to return to Canada for family and work so we jumped on a train (and bus) to Heathrow. I couldn’t have imagined a summer on the boat going so well, with such good luck, and it was a sad moment when she had to leave.

I’ll have another catch-up blog showing my last week as I zoomed (hahaha) to Debdale Marina for Cool Change‘s winter mooring. Stay tuned!

It was a couple of long cruising days from Watford (Harry Potter studio) to our pre-booked mooring in Paddington Basin in the middle of London. After hearing stories for years about how difficult it was to moor in London, having this location to be certain of was fantastic. It was safe and reasonably quiet at night, and was sooo much cheaper than hotels and restaurants! The tube station was a short walk away, a grocery store right at the mooring, and many other advantages.

 

 

 

We had a long list of ‘must-see’ things, enough to fill our time there. We also managed to add in a great visit with family living near London, a real bonus. A day in Camden Market with Mark and Jill, and a trip to Buckingham Palace with Heath, Steph, and Neve were lovely.

Westminster Abbey is always an amazing visit, although it would be better if there was more information available about the building and it’s history rather than just the dead people in there. Of which there are many.

St. Paul’s Cathedral was another highlight, including the long (loooong) climb up to the bells and a panoramic view of the city.

St. Dunstan in the East Church Garden. A lovely, tranquil escape in the heart of the City of London. Originally built in about 1100, it has been damaged and rebuilt several times (including during the Great Fire in 1666) and finally was damaged by a bomb during the Blitz and not rebuilt.

We made so many great memories in an iconic city. Loved it!

 

The boys were able to add their own ‘tags’ to a tunnel under Waterloo Station

                                          

 

My original plan was to arrive at Watford, a couple of days (canal time) north of London, just before Rianne, Cohen, and Ayden arrived in order to scope out the good mooring locations, access to the shops, and the best route to Heathrow. Having said that, the main reason was to figure out the best way to get to Warner Bros. Studio, where they filmed much of the Harry Potter franchise! We are all big fans of the books and movies and when it was discovered that the canal went right past the studio, it seemed too perfect.

Once that planning started, an epic trip to London was, of course, added to the plan. I was so excited about the whole idea, I ended up arriving in Watford almost three weeks too soon! It was a nice break though, and I managed to meet up with old friends and make some new ones. Jamie, my original boat broker that had facilitated the purchase of the boat came with his partner and dogs.

It was a fantastic visit, I’m so happy we’ve stayed in touch, he’s a great guy and I owe him so much. I also met up with Bill and Jan, and this turned out to be a very fortuitous meeting. More on that in a later blog, but they are great people that I’m very happy to know.

Anyway, back to the purpose of the stay in Watford. The family was scheduled to arrive on a Saturday, and during the preceding weeks Westjet mechanics were making noises about a possible strike. Then suddenly it was a reality. I quickly booked alternative flights (with much stress and excessive cost) with Air Canada. As the subsequent day unfolded, it was announced that they were to go to arbitration and the strike was called off (according to Westjet). So, naturally, I cancelled the very expensive Air Canada flights. Then, the very night before they were to fly, the mechanics decided to strike anyway. So, again naturally, I freaked out. But by then is much too late to do anything. Except not sleep. I had booked not just the studio tours, but things in London as well, which were not cancellable. 

To make a long story longer, of the more than 1000 flights that Westjet was forced to cancel, the three that Rianne and the boys needed weren’t!  Unbelievable luck. Here’s the story of this part of the visit…

If you ever have a chance to visit the studio in Watford (and are a Harry Potter fan), it’s well worth the visit. Just book well in advance! I’ll start with some photos, there’s just so much to see!

I think some of this made its way into us. So many things went right, and it continued for the whole trip.

We apparently had some trouble with Platform 9 3/4. Muggles?

 

The pictures tell much of the story. Almost everywhere you look were the actual items used to make the movies, items that many of us know very well and now know a bit better. Learning about the movie magic, how things were done, was interesting and exciting too. We all loved the whole experience. If you do go, plan on a long day. There’s lots to see!

I’ll break these blogs into segments, the logical separation of each one will make sense. I hope…

I’m now well and truly on my way to London. The plan is to stop near Watford, north of the city, to visit the Harry Potter (Universal) Studio once Rianne and the boys arrive. In the meantime, I’ll scope it all out, find the best mooring spot(s) and easiest route from Heathrow so when they get here, all jet-lagged, it’ll be as smooth as possible.

The Grand Union Canal has been very pleasant for the most part. It’s somewhat different than northern canals, there’s few spots with ‘Armco’, the metal sheet-piling used to make mooring easier. I’ve used my pins more here than in the last 5 years up north. This means I’ve had to pound stakes into the towpath to tie to which can be a bit uncertain. They tend to pull out when a boat goes by too quickly (don’t worry Chris, I remembered your foolproof trick and it’s been working great!). On Armco, there are chains (my favourite) or hooked pins that can be used to moor more (lol) securely.

The whole canal has a similar feel to the Kennet & Avon, my first canal in 2018, although that was even less ‘developed’, with lots of mud-banked mooring locations and almost always on pins. Also here there are many live-aboard boats and very few hire boats. But the people are generally great and very helpful. It’s got a real community feel.

One thing I’m getting a bit tired of down here is the broad canals. There are two ‘types’ of canal, broad and narrow. Broad canals are generally wider (obviously) and have locks that are about 14′ wide. They can accommodate two narrowboats at a time (like mine) or one wide-beam (usually 10-12′ wide). These are only found in the south or the north, not in the Midlands. And there’s no actual canal connection between these areas for wide-beams, only narrowboats. This is a quirk of history that I must look into, I’m not sure the reason.

The problem is, for a solo-boater, they’re a bit of extra work to use unless you can pair up with another narrowboat (it also really helps if they have crew). The gates are very heavy and they take a longer time to fill or empty, and with the extra room in the lock the boat should be securely tied to one side to avoid banging around with the water rushing in or out. Mostly just slower and somewhat more work.

In other news, here’s an interesting story:

From the Chiltern Canal Boat Holidays’ page:

“This genuine Canadian totem pole is located next to the Grand Union canal in Berkhamsted. Commissioned by William John Alsford from the Canadian First Nations artist, Henry Hunt, as a thank you to Vancouver Island locals for saving his brother, it was erected in 1968 and stands at a whopping 9m tall. Made of western red cedar it is one of just a few totem poles in the UK, and can be admired when you cruise along the canal near bridge 140D.”

Apparently Mr. Alsford’s brother fell on hard times and was saved from starvation by a local First Nations village near Tahsis (I’m not sure which one). This is an example of a certain level of respect and understanding, something not always obvious here with regard to First Nations. I came across this day-trip boat (and had a chat with the management about how inappropriate it was):

I’ve written and talked about the Crick Boat Show before, it’s the biggest inland waterways show of the year. In addition, they have a bunch of music acts (mostly tribute bands and solo artists), a beer and cider festival, and lots of stuff for sale! Well, more about that later.

In 2018 I attended the show, before I actually had my boat ready to go anywhere. It was still in the marina in Reading where I was busily buying all the little things that are necessary for life these days. Dishes, linens, stuff like that. My broker Jamie was going to be working at the show so offered to drive me there, which I unhesitantly accepted. I had camping gear with me so I rented a tent site and when I was setting up the people next door invited me over for a drink. We quickly became fast friends and have remained so to this day. And guess who I was meeting at the show THIS year??

It really was the highlight of the weekend for me, spending time with Chris and Julie. They are such wonderful people, and have recently bought their own dream boat! We had a fantastic weekend of chatting, looking at boats, listening to music, and testing the cider offerings. It was very special to see them and catch up on all the GOOD news.

The show itself was completely typical, nearly a carbon copy of my previous visits. Some sun, horrendous downpours, thunder, and mud everywhere. The music was considerably better however. After suffering through Abba and Dolly Parton (who seemed to think she was ACTUALLY Dolly Parton), this year’s shows were both fantastic. Young Elton John was high-energy, talented, and lots of fun…

The second night was Fleetwood Bac, actually endorsed by Mick Fleetwood himself. They were excellent as well, it was a bit unfortunate that it was a somewhat marred by the wet and mud. It made dancing and even standing up rather uncomfortable. But a great show nonetheless.

As for the vendors, most needs were represented. Electronics, chandlery, crafts, and everything in between. Unfortunately, most of them didn’t actually bring much stock with them to sell. It seems that they’ve switched to the ‘order and ship’ model. I needed several items but couldn’t get any of them. I don’t have a convenient spot for them to ship to, nor can I ‘just drop into the shop’ to pick something up. I might as well use Amazon, they ship to many more places! Including car parks at many pubs..

So as I write this I’m on my way south toward London. It’s so nice to be at a more relaxed pace, stopping when I feel like it, for as long as I feel like it (within reason!). There are several ‘sights’ to see on the way, museums mostly. It’s a very historic canal, the Grand Union. Passing through many villages and towns and lovely countryside, it’s a very friendly and welcoming area.

One of the highlights was a visit to Bletchley Park. This is the place where the Enigma machine was deciphered, what Churchill called the ‘Ultra Secret’. By breaking it, the Allies were able to read almost all of Germany’s secret messages by the end of the war. It’s a fantastic museum and well worth a day out.

Most of the boats seem to be people living aboard, searching for a different life perhaps. So many smiles and waves, I’ve really enjoyed it so far. I’ll write more and post pictures of some of the sights soon…

Skiing is now done for the season, and what a yawner it was. Days and weeks of sub-par conditions, it never truly took off. The resort did do an amazing job with grooming and snow-making just to stay open, especially in December. And, as always, a bad season skiing is still better than any other season. Although this boating season might just rival it…

My planning has been more extensive and detailed this year than ever before. I usually just have a vague idea where I will go and when, but this year, May in particular, is planned almost to the day.

The intended route will take me south from Nantwich, skirting around Wolverhampton and Birmingham, traveling on the River Severn for a time before turning east on the Droitwich Barge Canal. This section includes the famed Tardebigge flight, a series of 30 locks that need to be done in a single day (no space to stop and moor). The whole area has a lot of locks, so I’ll be busy. A few days later I’ll be on the Grand Union Canal, in an area I have been on previously but it was way back in 2018, my first year on the canals. I’m curious to see if I remember it the same now that I have more experience, it might not seem so interesting!

I’ll have some company on these sections, Rianne’s mum and niece are joining me for a few days, including the River Severn, and good friends from 2018 (Kennet and Avon canal) Guy, Bob and Cate are going to help me through the Tardebigge locks and get me home from some pubs!

Soon after that I’ll turn onto the Oxford Canal (actually still the Grand Union but it’s called both). From there it’ll be through Braunston, left at Norton Junction and north to the Crick Boat Show.

I was at the boat show in 2018 and 2019 but (for reasons you can probably guess) I haven’t been back since. This time I plan on taking full advantage since I need a few parts and some work done. Hopefully I can find some deals and the appropriate skills while they’re all in one place. Also, the music should be somewhat better this time. Fleetwood Bac and Young Elton John versus Abba and Dolly Parton look-alikes. I’ve also just heard that my oldest canal friends Chris and Julie are going to be there, I haven’t seen them for a couple of years and we’ll have a great catch-up! We actually met while camping next to each other at the same boat show in 2018.

Once all that is out of the way, I’ll be heading south toward London. On the way, I’m hoping to stop at the Natural History Museum, Bletchley Park, and a few other spots of interest. The highlight of this section is the Universal Studio in Watford, where Harry Potter was filmed. It’s an amazing tour, lots of the sets and props are there and it should be a good time. The best part however, is that’s where I’m meeting up with Rianne and her two sons! We’re planning about 10 days of visiting, including a week in London itself. I’ve booked moorings for us in Paddington Basin. You can’t get much more central without spending hundreds of pounds (per night) on a room. Plus it gives us the ability to eat aboard whenever we want, saving even more. We’re going to see at least one show (Harry Potter and The Cursed Child, of course), several museums, a traditional pub lunch, and many architectural highlights.

The boys have to return to Canada for other summer fun but Rianne’s staying on and we’re planning to go on to the tidal Thames. This is a huge waterway with lots of large and fast vessels so it’ll be exciting, to say the least. Normally narrowboats go in guided flotillas but due to our timing, there’s no chance of that. One of the boat club experts has offered to join us as we cruise past all the iconic locations in central London. The Tower and the Tower Bridge, Parliament, the Eye, London Bridge, the Millennium Bridge, and many others. A very close family friend is going to join us for this section we hope.

Once off the tidal portion at Teddington, we’ll cruise upriver. This is much more sedate and passes both idyllic countryside and very posh estates and royal lands, including Windsor Castle. When we reach Oxford, Rianne will have to fly home, leaving me to head north to my winter mooring and get back to Canada to enjoy some summer at home as well.

Sorry if this isn’t all that interesting, I’ve written this as much as a confirmation of my plan and almost like a diary entry. It will be very interesting to see how close the actual summer adventure follows it.

Projected totals: 450 miles, 394 locks

I have been asked several times lately about how my UK canal adventure started. After 6 years of telling the story I thought I could post something that I wrote after my first summer to help explain some of it. It’s not really about the why, more about the how. I’m not even clear on the why, it was partly a way to keep boating without the stress and partly just wanting to do something different in a different place.

So, here is a copy of an article I wrote after my first summer, in 2018. It was published in Water Ways World, a glossy magazine that covers all aspects of the inland canal system. If you have any interest in this world, it’s a great resource and is available online at waterwaysworld.com.

I think many of you have seen this article so I’m sorry for the repeat. I’ve also written a couple of shorter ones for an online magazine which I’ll be sharing in the future.