Thatcham

Today's Navigation - Kennet and Avo 

Despite a slightly patchy phone signal, where we stopped turned out to be quite a good overnight mooring (as well as being close to a bus route - see yesterday!)

We awoke to a glorious late Spring Bank Holiday mooring (OK, pedants can rejoice in reminding everyone that tomorrow is actually the Bank Holiday, but, dear reader, you know what I mean!)

After setting off and passing under Froud's Bridge we had had a short distance along a winding river section (passing the entrance to the marina which is not on the navigation but accessed just a little way down the river). Several times today we had sections where the river entered and left the canal, each time our frate of progress dropped dramatically and sometimes it seemed as if we were hardly moving at all.

We arrived at the bridge waiting mooring for Woolhampton - with the dreaded river and lock just beyond the swing bridge. Fortunately this bridge is mechanised as the advice is to moor before the bridge, set the lock empty and gates open, then open the bridge. Only once everything is ready, cast off and make a beeline for the lock. Christine walked up to the lock and opened a gate (a boat had just come down so we knew that it would be empty) and then applied the Key of Power to the swing bridge.

The flow today through the bridge narrows highlighted the importance of heeding strong stream warnings - anything more and we would not have been able to pass through against the flow.

The particular problem here is that the river enters the navigation just a couple of meters before the lock entrance, directly across the desired direction of boat travel. We followed the advice and almost made it without incident but at the last minute the flow caught us and we made the gentlest of nudges into the tower wing wall, nothing drastic, glad to mention.

Soon after the lock came another swing bridge, this time a manual one. It proved very tough to get moving - Mike had to enlist the help of a passing cyclist and then another walker joined in before it would move. Once underway, it was quite easy and later closed (well almost) without a hitch.

We had a bit of a wait at Old Heale's Lock as a little queue had formed.This was not helped with a sprinkling of wider boats that could not share with a narrowboat so went through on their own. However, this did give a chance to get to know some of the other boaters better.

One of these boats that went just ahead of us offered to wait at the next swing bridge and wave us through. We suspect they may have somewhat regretted the offer as turning the lock took an age - even if not our fault!

This house is a little distance from the nearest lock. we are not sure of its origins even though its present name is Lock House. It seems that at some stage the occupiers  became annoyed at boaters asking them about canal problems - do not ask, a notice says.

We had been warned about problems with the top gates at Colthrop Lock - very hard to open. A young family, two small boys, were very happy to help with the top paddles, one even crossed over the bottom gates footboards `(with help of Dad!) By the way, the industrial buildings alongside the lock point up that we are now alongside Thatcham (almost entirely to the north of the canal).

The gates live up to their reputation and even with three adults and two children they would not move until given a gentle hint from the boat bow! Coming out of the lock proved tricky for Christine as two SUPs were sitting on the lock landing taking When it was suggested that they move to avoid being crushed they were somewhat reluctant. Keeping clear meant that the boat was caught be the strong weir stream just above the lock. The result was another Ever Given moment. We tried to re-orient the boat using the lock entrance but the pull was too strong and we did not want to attempt to re-open the gates. Luckily some of the other boaters came to our aid and we were eventually able to pull the boat across - Mike made a rather quick leap onto the boat with the rope before we were sucked in again.

It was now well into normal lunch time and we a lookout for a mooring as we made our way to Thatcham Bridge were there are a few 48 hour moorings. We were most fortunate to get in to a tight space, helped by yet another boater and one boat moving back into a 'git gap'. This was almost too good to be true - so much that we then opted to stay here the night!

Much later, Mike took a walk back to the bridge for a long shot of the moorings (we are third down) and then up to the next lock - more about that tomorrow, perhaps.

A good bit later still, Christine walked up to the lock and on to the next swing bridge. She found plenty of people to talk with, including a number of dog walkers. She likes taking photos of yellow irises.

On her eventual return to the boat she spotted this mayfly/damsel fly/whatever on the roof and it stayed still long enough to be photographed! Perhaps it is a fashion model fly . . . 

4.3 Miles - 4  Locks