A very unusual journey to start the day

Monday (22nd) at 8 o'clock the sun was coming up and there was mist rising too ...

as we left our mooring at Cookham, winded to face downstream once more

and headed into the sun!

Getting through the narrow arch of the road bridge was difficult to say the least, but George managed it with a squint of the eyes!

Once through we winded (turned) again ... can I hear you ask 'why?'

Behind our wake as we turn you can see the lock cut ... it's quite narrow ... we need to fill the water tank and if we'd gone into the cut forward there wouldn't have been enough room in the channel to turn and come out again ... 

so we're in reverse ... and it seems a long way!

We can just make out the lock in the distance now (click to enlarge) and know that the water point is just beyond the bush on the right.  It only took eight minutes to reverse down the cut but seemed like an hour!

20 minutes later we're still filling with water as this hire boat comes to join the queue for the water tap ...

and another twenty before we make our way, in forward gear now, out onto the main channel of the Thames

I like how the owner has built his boat-port roof to match his house

They need eyes in the backs of their heads to see what's behind them!

Approaching Bourne End railway bridge where I had hoped to moor and arranged a Tesco delivery ...

but it was not to be ... there is work going on on the railway line and two hoppers taking up space ...

so we continue upstream where we find a new obstacle to work around

Not just a boat-house then!

We were lucky to find a mooring space on the 24-hour visitor moorings below Marlow Lock ... see how calm the river is today.

A glimpse of Marlow church steeple above the lock

and a wonderful sunset after a quiet day on ...

Tuesday ...

We're expecting visitors tomorrow ...