First week

Apart from settling in and exploring the very local area we've also been busy doing a few tasks on Still Rockin' and people/boat watching ...

On Sunday Hambledon Houseboat Gypsy Willow was expertly steered by Peter round the moored boats through the now very narrow channel to moor up on the rising pontoon in front of us.

Unfortunately the 3-mobile phone signal here is nonexistent inside the boat and if we're really lucky we can get one bar standing outside on the grass so yesterday (Monday) after some research on the best coverage in this area George took the bus into Marlow to the Vodaphone shop to enquire about a pay-as-you-go sim to tide us over the winter. The visit was well worth while. As as well as buying a £10 sim card he also received information about contracts with Vodaphone.  We are currently paying 3 £30 for 30gig monthly and with Vodaphone we can have 50 gig for only £25!  No brainer indeed.  So today he will contact 3 to give notice to terminate that contract and obtain a PAC to enable him to keep his phone number and arrange a new contract with Vodaphone.  For the time being though the number has changed (if you do need to contact us though please comment here or on on my FB page and we'll get back to you).

Today ... well it's a bit chilly even so far south as we are it was -8.9 degrees at 6am this morning!

 Frozen webs on the pram hood cover

 ... and fantastic light at 6:45

... note another boat arrived on Sunday too breasted up opposite us.

One of the tasks George has completed was to make a wide gangplank as due to shallow water the gap is just a bit too wide to stride, he's covered it with a nonslip covering and it's working well staying in place by stoppers fixed on the boat end to stop it from moving about although we're not sure what will happen when/if the water rises.  Will be interesting to see!

If you read the blog regularly and are very observant you will see where the wood came from for the gangplank!

Enjoying the views

There were quite a few people on the marina island yesterday making their boats safe for the winter ahead.

On Tuesday when we arrived at Hambledon Marina we walked up to Hambleden village approximately one mile away.  As we walked we noticed a box of cooking apples outside one of the houses for anyone to take but we didn't have anything to carry them in so we left them there.  Late yesterday afternoon in the cold sunshine we went out to see if they were still there ...

If you click on the picture to enlarge it you should be able to see the box of apples on the grass verge from which I chose four apples for a pie on Sunday.  You can also see the signpost pointing to the right - Rotten Row ...

The pavement runs out here but walkers can take the path through the kissing-gate to reach the village.  We decided to walk up Rotten Row, a lane with no pavement but very little traffic.  We didn't go far as it was getting late in the day but we did find a few public footpath signs to explore another day.

Back at Still Rockin' yet another lovely sunset, it'll probably another cold night too!

First frost

-3 yesterday morning forming quite a hard frost on the grass

2:30 and we're off for a walk

Over the walkway crossing the Thames just below Hambledon Lock

Houseboat Gypsy Willow moored in the weir stream, she will be brought round in the next few days to be tied to the rising pontoon in front of Still Rockin'.

The walkway is a bit of a dog's hind leg - looking towards the lock

At the first bend now looking back to the marina

... and forward again to the next bend

... where opposite someone likes a very groomed lawn

Now at the lock end of the walkway looking back towards the Mill and marina

Hambledon Lock and Weir taken in 1952

This is the most recent picture I could find showing the walkway and weirs. 

(Marina on the left and lock on the right).

Continuing our walk along the Thames Path looking over the river to the Marina and Mill

Hanging about!

George loves a fairy glen!

Half three and we've nearly complete our circular walk and we're back on that walkway with a very dramatic sky

Not sure if these are tufted ducks or Scaups, what do you think?

Growing fast!

... and we're home!

Can you see what I can see?

He'll have to have good eyesight to see a fish in the river from up there!

First day

... a settling-in day yesterday, tidying up and putting away items we'll not need for a while like life-jackets, mooring pins, etc.  The weather was fine and sunny but oh so cold, it's hard to believe that just two days ago it was just like summer!

We are aware that there will be other winter mooring arriving so what's going on around us? ....

... a narrowboat making a lot of noise

... with Marc (marina director/manager) at the tiller.  This is the way he gets the silt moving out of this channel, it builds up from a small inlet just behind where Still Rockin' is moored








Marc has also opened the sluice from the weir on the other side at Hambledon Lock to help too

... and asked George to run our engine and move the tiller to wash the silt away.

The narrowboat is now moored opposite us and later in the day dutch barge Kyrenia arrived and moored up.  I don't know if anyone will be staying on these boats whilst they're moored here. 

A cruiser has also arrived and moored infront of Kyrenia, it's starting to fill up!

Sunset after a busy day.

It feels good here, I think we'll be ok.