Goring Friday 6 June 2014

The Moorings here on the Forbury Loop were almost absolutely fine. The down side the birds sit in the trees and poo on the boat, but we didn’t here anyone all night. If anyone is considering using these moorings this month they will be closed from 8 am on the 12th to 12 mid day on the 15th for the Water Fest.

You may recall last time we left the Kennet there were two Black Swans with a Cygnet, when we came back up last night there was no Cygnet, this morning no sign of the Black Swans.

We left just after 10 and carried on round the loop back to the main river, passing the site of some new flats. I think they may look better if they leave the scaffolding up when they finish.

Once on the river it was down stream passed the old Huntley and Palmers building back to the Thames at Kennet Mouth, here we turned upstream and stopped at Tesco’s, we haven’t been to one lately.

Just as we were leaving nb Zygnema was also ready to leave, they are one of the boat we shared with yesterday, so they followed me to Caversham lock where we were joined by a hire cruiser and a very nice wooden cruiser called Lady Florence, this was originally powered by a petrol Gardner but is now an electric hybrid. It looks good from the front but looking at the stern is even better, with a sharper point than the bow. Needless to say we didn’t see her again until we had moored for the night at Goring Lock.

Reading bridge has some nice stone work on the sides of the arches. Again the flow on the river was playing with us. Although the yellow boards are down there is still a good flow in this reach the strongest being just above Reading Marine by the railway wall. I had the engine on a steady 1000 rpm and our speed varied from just over 4 mph  on the wide sections down to two and three quarter mph. by the railway wall.

At Mapledurham Lock the EA have some old Rymer weir paddles on display. Years ago this is how the water flow was controlled, a row of Rymers formed the weir and to let more water flow the lock keeper would draw more Rymers.It was just after this that we saw another very splendid wooden craft, this time a bit smaller and maybe in my price range, but just as beautiful making its way sedately upstream.  As well as the paddler there is a small dog onboard. Just look at the shape head on. 

A little further on was another traditional Thames Craft a rowing scull, but not 3 Men in a boat as in Jerome K. Jerome writings but Three Ladies in a Boat and it looks as if they are sponsored by our local brewery Adnams of Suffolk.

Work is still ongoing at Whitchurch lock but there is not much visible change other than four piles in the riverbed since we passed some 6 weeks ago. I guess they must have made some headway in that time.

This weekend at Beale Park there is a boat show so there were a few very smart boats moored along the bank at reserved moorings. By now the sky was a light blue with fine cloud, the vapour trails from the planes were casting shadows on the lower cloud so looked like dark trails on white clouds, then I spotter this formation over the trees.

We arrived at the visitor mooring at Goring with a fair old flow on the river to find loads of spaces, however since we have been here they have slowly field up for the night.

Today’s route. Note the squiggle in Reading.