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In 1977 we hired our first narrowboat from Anglo Welsh at Market Harborough.From that moment our destiny was set. In 2006 we finally purchased our own brand new 57' narrowboat which we named 'Free Spirit'. Our aim is to travel the length and breadth of all the navigable rivers and canals of the UK. This will be our story as it unfolds.

Tuesday 30 July 2013

Just a short hop.

Today we have traveled all of 3 miles and 2 locks to the New Inn at Send. This is one place that many bloggers have recommended and as we are having a visit from Ian's oldest school friend Chris ( he was also Ian's best man at our wedding ) we decided that would would try the food at the pub tonight. With the rain beating hard down on us we didn't leave the mooring below Stoke lock until after 10.30am.  I also braved the weather earlier because a lovely couple walking their dog last night told me of a lake about 10 minute walk away. So leaving Ian to check our coolant water levels I made my way in light drizzle to the lake. Then the heavens opened. By now Jade was already wet having made her way to a convenient doggie swimming spot, but I only had a T shirt and body warmer on!. I made a hasty retreat back to the boat where Ian offered to rub me down instead of the dog! I chose the dog! So once under way, with it still raining I might add, we shared both locks, one with a private boat and the second with a hire boat. Never having done a lock before on their own, always having had another boat in the lock to do it for them, they really had know idea of what they were doing. Ian talked them through the procedure and let them do it for themselves. They were very grateful of our help and what I should have mentioned earlier was that as we arrived on the landing they were trying to open the top gate after dropping both paddles with the lock only half full!!Thankfully they let us leave the lock first because it was a good 15 minutes after we had moored at New Inn before they showed up. Plan for this afternoon, walk the dog, tidy boat and then go fishing. If the rain stops that is! As not much has happened today some more pictures of our journey on this lovely river.

Entering the outskirts of Guildford

Bit OTT for narowboats and cruisers. Maybe the good people of Guildford were expecting larger vessels!

Rollers to aid the horse drawn boats were all along this river.
Bridge jumping. Judging by the splash made this must have hurt!





The Bargeman Statue in Guildford
Mooring below Stoke lock
First lock opened on the Wey navigation 1653



The water park.


 And finally:-





2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Wow...amazing photos (..and finally). Fantastic!

Anonymous said...

Hello -

I've just admired your wonderful photos and your beautiful narrowboat. I live in Oregon USA and my husband and I may do a short narrowboat trip on this same canal in late September. Would you have time to correspond briefly with me about your trip?

Katie Pool / klnpdx05@aol.com

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