Aylesbury Circus Fields Friday 18 September 2015

We set of a 9 am. the same time as two boats between us and the junction with the Aylesbury Arm set off so we were third in the queue for the locks, before we had locked down there were two more behind us.

I am undecided about the new housing estate that has been built on the land that was formally the home of the cement works. I don’t think they are to my taste and I wouldn’t want to live in one. The trip down the locks went well with the boat ahead back setting and us back setting for the following boat. Care is needed at lock 3 as when a boat comes down the staircase an awful lot of water comes over the top gate. I was just in time to save getting a cabin full and it could easily sink a boat.

Jim bates has a yard down the Aylesbury Arm where he repairs old wooden work boats.

As we neared the bottom of the arm we were waved passed by a boater just above the lock. There were actually two boats with a combined length of 70 feet and were both single handing their way to the festival, locking down together. As we left the lock they set off again behind us, so again we back set for them as we went. We arrived at the Aylesbury Canal Societies new club house and moorings at about 2-30 pm and were directed to a mooring between two rows of boats. The pontoons in the basins are spaced to accommodate three boats between them. This is our view looking forward towards the canal, we would have a boat in front of us later. As you can see we are moored against the boat on the left and there is a reasonable gap between us and the boat on the right.

So this will be our home for the weekend, so no more posts until Monday night.

Today’s Journey

5¾ miles, 14 locks and 1 junction in 4¾ hours