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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.

Friday, 2 November 2018

On and on and on.......

That lie in we enjoyed this morning, maybe the wrong choice was made. We forgot about the mile upon mile of moored boats starting at Cowley Peachey Junction and finishing just beyond Uxbridge lock. All in all 2.5 miles!



So leaving late, it was cruise the half mile to Tesco. Hardly any boats on Tesco moorings which was a surprise, but one we recognised straight away. Maffi and the wonderful Molly was already there. The usual greetings took place and it was decided to travel together and share the next three locks.



We did a very quick shop, untied and Maffi took the lead heading toward Cowley lock.

That's coal boat, Ash. No diesel for sale, unfortunately. And look at that...a short section where we could get some speed up.
But oh... all those moored boats..... tickover speed of about 2 mph made the journey take forever. Then at Cowley lock, we met another single hander. Maffi shared the lock with him leaving us to come up on our own.

Cowley lock
 But our luck changed when another boat turned up. Maffi had long gone and stopping at Uxbridge Boat Centre for diesel we didn't see Maffi again until Denham Deep Lock. At 85p litre, it was the cheapest since leaving the Thames. Bit of a pig to get the stern level with the pump because two boats had taken all the mooring waiting to be craned out but help from a couple of lads got FS into position.

The crane waiting for those boats. FS's stern on that short pontoon. 
 Saying farewell to Maffi we stopped just before Widewater lock. By now it had gone past 3pm and, although we were short by 2 miles of where Ian had planned to stop, that slow frustrating journey had us do only 9 miles and three locks. Looks like an early start tomorrow for us then.





And on the journey,



And still trying out the camera,










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