First cruise of 2015

By the time we’d defrosted the taps to fill the water tank and to use the elsan point it was after 11 before we reversed out of Harefield Marina on Sunday

… and with me at the wheel!!!! and George back to his old job of working the locks the first of five locks today was completed with no problem at all, including me pulling over to pick George up once above the lock!

George took over the steering through the following pound pulling over before Black Jack’s Lock where there’s a very nice residence guarded over by a crocodile and I took the boat into the lock.

I steered part way to lock three but have to admit that I handed over  to George to bring Still Rockin’ through the cross-currents below Copper Mill Lock as they were just a bit frisky today, and as there were two boats coming down the lock it made life so much easier, especially as a boat was also wanting to go down so I didn’t have to close the gates either!

The water birds were enjoying the warm water outflowing from the sewage works at Maple Cross.

A rather pretty boat was at the start of long line of moored boats above Springwell Lock

This little monkey has been hanging around here for as long as I can remember.  He looks happy enough though!

… as does the hippo!

Ascending Stocker’s Lock

… where what appears to be a pumping station stands in the distance.





We eventually moored up on the wall at Tesco about 2pm and after topping up at the store we swung over the canal to moor for the night.

Regular blog readers will know that I had a confidence crisis about my steering on the way down the Grand Union to the River Thames and I’ve not been at the wheel since then, so I’m rather proud of myself that I’ve done good today!