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Category Archives: On the Thames
More boats that make me smile
This is L’Escargot, a boat I’ve passed several times in Uxbridge and on the Thames: This tiny narrowboat was near Black Jack’s Lock: An imposing houseboat, Queen of the Thames, in the rain: A boat that looks like a Mondrian:
Posted in On the Grand Union Canal, On the Thames
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Goodbye Thames
My summer on the Thames is over and it’s back to the relative quiet of the canals. Left Kingston and made the short trip to Teddington Lock where both locks were filling up with narrowboats. Some of the boaters were … Continue reading
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Nice place, couldn’t leave
I moored near Hampton Court Palace for a few days, on the other side of the Thames in East Molesey. It’s a charming, old-fashioned place with small cafes and antique shops. When I went to leave I found I couldn’t. … Continue reading
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More repairs
Bristol Fashion is at Tim Barfield’s marina again, opposite Tagg’s Island, being repaired. Lately I’ve had a lot of water in the bilge and I asked the boatyard to find out where it was coming from. It turns out that … Continue reading
I’ll sail this ship alone
I live alone on my boat and I mostly travel alone. That brings with it particular difficulties and other boaters, passers-by and lock keepers often offer me help when they realise I’m going solo. Many times I politely decline, particularly … Continue reading
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Bristol fashion behind Bristol
Thanks to Simon Robinson (on a boat called Bristol) for sending me this photo of Bristol Fashion. At the time I was driving round looking for somewhere to moor in crowded Windsor. I’d just got stuck in the shallows on … Continue reading
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The cost of mooring
On the canals, if you choose to continuously cruise, you can stay almost anywhere for free for up to two weeks at a time. On the Thames it’s very different. There are occasional free public mooring places but they are … Continue reading
Temple Island
The first time I drove past Temple Island, several weeks ago on the way to Henley, it was early morning and so foggy I could barely see the banks of the river. The thick bank of fog ended abrupty at … Continue reading
Womad Festival by boat
Attending a music festival by boat transforms the experience. No queuing for toilets or showers, sitting in a tent in the rain or cooking on wonky calor stoves. This year I took my home afloat to Womad (world music and … Continue reading
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Swimming the length of the Thames
Coming up to Caversham Lock I drove past a man who’s swimming the whole length of the Thames, from source to sea. Lewis Pugh started on 17th July near Cirencester and his destination was Southend Pier. He had already been … Continue reading
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