I went on a long weekend’s holiday to Stratford upon Avon. I didn’t take the boat with me but still ended up spending half the time on the canal.
Bought a tasty burger from this boat:
Looked around this floating gallery:
Got an ice cream from here:
And took the ferry across the canal. The old chain ferry was built in 1937 and was the last of its type to be used in Britain. A chain lies at the bottom of the canal and it’s hand-cranked by the ferryman. All in all I was very impressed by the way Stratford’s turned its waterside into a busy, attractive and interesting place to visit.
Had some repairs done on Bristol Fashion. The shower waste pump had packed in and electrical problems (including a faulty switch) meant I also had no running water or gas hob ignition. Tim Barfield Marina fixed it and the pumps are now running better than ever. Tim also sorted out some battery issues – thankfully the batteries didn’t need replacing – and pumped out some of the water that was collecting below the engine. The bill came to £240 which seems reasonable. While the work’s been carried out I’ve stayed in the marina, with a great view of Tagg’s Island, an electricity hookup and a wireless internet connection.
Before I first picked up the boat I had to pay for a thousand pounds of work, mostly to ensure the boat met safety standards. Last winter I had to get the gas boiler replaced at a cost of about £600. I’ve yet to replace the window that was broken (vandalised?) in Paddington Basin and I’ve got a wishlist of other repairs and improvements for when I can afford it.
Oh yes, what does B.O.A.T. stand for? Bring out another thousand!
Bristol Fashion is temporarily moored up at Tim Banford’s Marina until some pressing problems (electrics, water pumps, batteries, leaks) are fixed. I’m living opposite Tagg’s Island, ten minutes from Hampton Court in the middle of the Thames, which has a fascinating community of houseboats. The Tagg’s Island website has a virtual reality tour of the island (although it really can’t beat a tour by boat) and some interesting links to its residents’ websites; it’s also advertising bed and breakfast and several houseboats are available for sale and rent. This one’s still being built:
I’ve thought about buying a houseboat before, when I saw one near Uxbridge advertised in an estate agent’s window for about £70,000. It was lovely inside and out, was neatly sandwiched between a river and the canal, had a garden and a shed and a rowing boat… but you can’t get a normal mortgage on a houseboat and it’s not easy to get a marine mortgage either. At the time I just couldn’t afford it.
In summer yes it’s fantastic living on a boat, especially on a big river like the Thames, but I’m not sure I fancy another winter afloat. The though of living in a comfy houseboat with 24 hour electricity, proper plumbing and broadband, but still on the water, is an attractive one.
This morning I woke at half past five in Brentford and attached rope and chain to the anchor. I’d booked a passage through Thames Lock at six am and together with narrowboat Isis entered the lock. From now on all the locks are automated and there are lock keepers (so far a friendly bunch) ready to work the locks and dish out helpful advice to newcomers like myself. No more turning the windlass myself – hurrah!
Early in the morning the Thames is in full flood and that makes the journey easier. The water is flowing from behind, not against the boat and the drop is minimal in locks.
What a wonderful feeling it is to turn onto the wide open river, after many months of living on narrow canals. A great expanse of water ahead, with the sun rising behind and mist creeping around the banks’ edges. Syon House on the right and Kew Gardens to the left. Ahead, Isleworth, Richmond and Twickenham, places that I know from walking but am about to see from an entirely different angle.
Very few boats were out and about this early so the trip to Teddington Locks was short and pleasant. Isis and Bristol Fashion went through the right-hand lock together and moored up for a coffee on the pontoon after. We went to the lock keeper’s office to buy passes for the Thames. I already have a British Waterways licence to use the canal system and no licence is needed for the tidal Thames, but from Teddington onwards the Environment Agency requires payment. The cost was higher than I’d been advised on the phone – over a hundred pounds for 31 days – so I’ll be upgrading my British Waterways licence to a gold licence to enable me to stay on the canals and the Thames all year: that’s definitely the cheapest option and I can claim back the cost of buying the temporary EA licence.
From Teddington there seem to be rowers everywhere, accompanied by long, narrow speedy boats with outboard motors and a person with a loudhailer, shouting instructions and support. Sometimes a cyclist with loudhailer chases the rowers along the towpath. One of the highlights of the day was being completely surrounded by rowers in a race when they overtook us on all sides: a fantastic, chaotic commotion. The best course of action while driving seems to be to pretend they’re not there and just maintain a steady course ahead.
The big tour boats start moving from ten am, on trips to Kingston and Hampton Court. When they turn round in the water there’s little room to pass by so I kept as far away as possible from them. I’m trying to memorise the sound signals that boats make on the river: one loud horn blast when they leave their mooring, three blasts for reversing and five blasts apparently mean “I’m confused, what’s going on, I don’t understand, what are you doing, get the hell out of my way”. Maybe that’s the one I shall be using most.
Bristol Fashion reached Hampton Court Palace at 10.30am and, whilst it was tempting to crack on towards Windsor, how could I forego the opportunity to live outside the palace for a few days? Boats moor beneath the big golden gates at the end of a statued garden; the first night is free and the subsequent 48 hours only cost £5 a night.
It makes a change to be moored alongside big white river cruisers and, given my slightly haphazard mooring technique, I was nervous about bumping into their delicate grp hulls with my 17 ton steel hull. Or maybe they were the nervous ones.
That evening, sat atop Bristol Fashion’s roof with a glass of whisky, it was relaxing to watch the boats going to and fro, making my boat bump constantly against its moorings. There were fishermen and families having picnics on the other side of the river, some lighting fires and barbecues. After the sun went down the river was still busy with boats. And at the end of the night there were fireworks in the palace grounds.
What a fantastic day. Can’t wait to find out what lies ahead this summer.
