Thursday 18 June 2012

Mooring outside the Fort Saint George is fine, much quieter than the visitor moorings nearer the weir on the other side. We set off at about half ten a bit further upstream for a pump out. its the first time we have used this pump out facility and its £3 a go, you actually put 3 £1 coins in, no cards to or readers to go wrong, just coins in a slot.

It was around 11-30 by the time we finished and winded before heading back down stream on a hot sunny morning. There were a few rowers about but nowhere like yesterday evening. The were a pair of dogs enjoying the sun on top of a moored Narrowboat, they almost looked as if they were smiling.
As we approached Baits Bite lock I could see the guillotine gate just starting to close, it wasn’t until I was almost at the lock that the boater noticed me and raised it again just before it touched the water. By the time we had locked down there was also a cruiser waiting to come up with the Black Prince Narrowboat. Whilst in the lock a Chinook helicopter flew over and not long afterwards a heard another plane approaching quite slowly. I heard on the news this morning that there are several memorial services for 1st Bomber Command who seemed to have been forgotten after the war ended.

We stopped for a while at Waterbeach to take the dog for a wander and Diana walked into the village to get some fresh fruit. These are Cam Conservancy moorings and are pretty good, its a shame the ones in town are not of the same standard. It was bit of a day for dogs today, this little chap had a word with us from a couple of boats while his mate backed him up from the bank.
The bridge at Waterbeach has a plaque on each side, I can read

one but not the other. It is here that the Cam Conservancy have their yard where they moor their work boats.

We pushed on to The Five Miles from Anywhere where we have sort of moored up, there were 4 cruisers here already so that left us about 15  feet on the end, so we nosed up to the cruiser, set a short spring to hold us back, a long line to the shore and a mud weight off the stern to hold it out. The wind has picked up so we are bumping a bit, I will improve the fendering with wheels etc. in a minute.