Thursday 30 June 2016

A cracking cruise!



Just after 7 this morning, after all the awful cold rain yesterday (when we even put the heating on in SR) the river was flat calm


… as we pulled away from our mooring to turn back to Boveney Lock and the services.  They were still asleep on the tubby boat behind us











… and the sun was shining!






Boveney Lock is still on self-service but the previous user has left the bottom gate and sluices open so they must be closed before we can enter






… and George with Still Rockin’ waiting on the lock landing for the water to rise




Quite a few of the lock houses are lived in by the Environment Agency employed lock keepers.




We’ve seen a blue van and people with this logo on their shirts but saw no information about it until I saw this in the window of Boveney Lock Keeper’s hut.  Useful information!





Windsor Marina can be seen over the River Thames and Windsor Racecourse




SR finally in the lock and descending.


Winding (turning) once again to moor against the sanitary station and refuse bins. Once done we moved over to the weir stream to fill our empty water tank, do a load of washing, have a shower, a cup of tea and a slice of toast because we realised we’d not eaten yet!


We thought we’d only be 1½ to empty and fill and be back at the mooring to pick up the tubby’s but it was actually 20 to 10 and they were gone!




Oakley Court Hotel was busy when we passed by.





We did eventually allow him to pass us when the river became a bit wider





How much!!





Under the M4 is much better than on it.








I didn’t realise a Cormorant had so much colour and shine on his feathers.




Bray Lock where we shared the space with the trip boat … our bow (front) fender was touching his stern 





… and our rear canopy was about 10” (25cm) away from the lock gate boardwalk! A trifle snug!


Normal(ish) sized housing as we enter Bray


… and then they get bigger, but I do like that eye-brow window.



For sale and if you need to ask the price (which the link doesn’t give you) you probably can’t afford it!



Oops, I thought this was a fairly modest sized semi but it’s not!  

Available for also a not so modest £3,250,000!!!


10:50 and we finally catch up with No Problem XL waiting for us near Maidenhead.



SR going under Maidenhead railway bridge whilst NPXL approaches Maidenhead road bridge





Isambard’s Sounding Arch - plaque on the railway bridge







This way … straight through the middle

 I’ve never seen a build like this before … I wonder if the house to the left will be demolished or refurbished?




Taplow Riverside development … I wonder what they’ll do with this grand property.



NPXL on the lock landing at Boulters Lock, Maidenhead also on self service when we arrived.  I just love the pretty bridge here





So now the tubby’s are following us!





He’s changed his occupation to fireman since we came by here last autumn!




And now the river becomes a green and wide valley





… and we can see our destination … Clivedon
Our view looking west (forward) from the stern of SR



… and the view to the towpath is a real picture! Clivedon in the 18th century, but unless the islands had no trees at all at that time I think there’s been a little artistic licence!
… and looking back.

After a cracking cruise we’ll be happy here for the weekend, lots of relaxing, entertaining and walking.  What more could we need?
Nothing!

10 comments:

KevinTOO said...

Well I'm truly amazed, slightly dumbfounded and totally confused... did you forget to wind your watch perhaps?? Surely there must be fracture in the time-space continuum above Boveney Lock??

Paul said...

Can you give details of the mooring you have at the start and end of this posting. They look fantastic. We have never seen any useful moorings along here so have chugged on by. Like you we have a hound and so need to be able to get him off for walks.

Love the blog ... we are pining for the Thames at the moment but due to commitments can't move.

We met and exchanged 'hello's ' last year on the Wey and Carole has be following you for a while.

Best wishes ... Carole & Paul

Carol said...

Hi Paul, I’ll put a list on here for you tomorrow. Glad you can not comment on the blog!

Carol said...

Have deleted the two other comments Paul

Carol said...

Paul, that first reply should have read Glad you can NOW comment!! sorry about that!

Carol said...

Hi again Paul and Carole,
This post starts at our mooring at Dorney - from Boveney lock going upstream about ½ mile you will see visitor moorings on your right which are fine but if you go a bit further past the green bouy and round the corner you will see where we were (there’s now writing on the first bit in white paint I think it says PG POINT, we moored on the straight bit just past there. From here you can walk back to the VMs and into the park by the rowing lakes.
At the Clivedon moorings - from Boulters Lock about ¼-½ mile you’ll start see ‘bays’ on the offside (your right) for mooring. The one we’re in is in sight of Clivedon House. There are paths or steps to take you up the hill and there is some great walking up there. There is a cafe at the house/hotel. It’s National Trust Land and there are signs that say there is a charge for mooring here but we’ve never had anyone come and ask for the fee.
Hope you manage to use these moorings soon and explore the area.

Paul said...

Excellent ... thanks very much for the info, we will certainly make note and look out for these moorings this summer, especially the Cliveden one. It's one of my favourite stretches and every time I have the music from 'Three Men In A Boat' in my head (above the noise of the Beta that is !!!) as we cruise.

Carole & Paul

Carol said...

Enjoy! I tried to access your blog Paul but with no luck I’m afraid.

Paul said...

Sadly we are still in the land of the working ... so we don't keep a blog just yet. There is a placeholder, but that's all, to Widebeam - Newlands.

My business life means I travel a lot around the world, but the flip side is that I work from home ... or boat ... when I am not stuck at some far flung airport. So that means we can get down the GU and onto the Thames for summer. This year unfortunately has been more problematic and we are still on our home mooring at Yardley Gobion. Hopefully on the move soon.

Ohhh to be a true CC'er :)

Thanks again for the mooring info. I looked more carefully on google maps and see where you were now. Great spots, and we will make use I hope this year.

Also looked further back at your blog. Maybe we have more in common than I thought? We both launched widebeams within a few weeks of each other and if I read correctly George is ex-RAF ??

Always good to find fellow RAF folk out in the world. I was on Tornado's from 81 to 88. Happy happy days.

Anyway, hope you enjoy 'the pub' in your latest post ... those moorings have always been full and then some when we passed. Seemed quite lively.

Best wishes
Carole & Paul

Carol said...

Hi, yes George did 22 years coming out in 1988. It's not such a small world after all!