Hackney Marsh Sunday 21 August 2016

Well this was last nights moorings, very handy for the pub, especially when it kept raining. We ate in there and it was first class with good service and a fine pint of Doombar.Last night I mentioned the overhanging moorings needing our wheel barrow wheel fenders, you can see the overhang better here and without the wheels the cabin side would rub the edge.  The weir its self is very interesting with a very long crest and sluice gates. I  understand it can be quite nosy but at the moment there is very little water going over, however we could still hear it.

We pushed off at 10 am. The first lock is only just round the corner and was against us. Just as we were going in an inspection launch with 2 chaps onboard caught us up.  At the next lock a wide beam day boat had just left the lock and 2 chaps in a 10 ft dingy with a 60 year old Seagull engine had just gone in and were closing the gates. It took several blasts on ours and the launches horn to get them to open them again. Once we had locked down the 2 chaps climbed into their dingy and had great problems starting the outboard engine, sitting in front of us in the lock. Below the lock there were several rowers about and the 2 chap in the dingy nearly ran over the ores of one. They said then were heading for Rammey Marsh Lock but gave up by Lee Valley Boats.

Lee Valley Boats not only hire out narrow and wide beam day boats they also do small electric launches but they are only allowed to go up to the lock or down to King’s Weir. These are very popular for small children to drive with their parents. The boaters of tomorrow.

We lost our locking partners just above Waltham Lock where they stopped to wait for friends to join them. I took the opportunity to apologise for putting them in the undergrowth earlier. They were following and I did an emergency stop, A group were launching canoes into the river, the instructor told the three already afloat we were coming so one went back between the moored boats and the other two went across the river into the undergrowth. I am going dead slow, one of the two decided also to go back to the tow path, then just as I get there the third one shoots out backwards and disappears right in front of me, I cant see it and have no idea what its doing so can only go hard astern and stop until I see him going forward towards the tow path, so he turned round in my blind spot.

The other day I posted about BW’s attempts at floating gardens, as you can see they even put them along the front of the weir.  I think I hit the only one that had anything growing out of it now floating around mid stream by the old overhanging warehouse. It was surprising how fast it moved when the wind caught it.

The lock cottage at Enfield lock still proudly displays the Lee Conservancy crest on the front wall. It is the only one I noticed. 

Here is another shot of the sailing barges moored above Tottenham Lock showing the large windows cut in the side of their hulls. Last week a boat sank in Stonebridge Lock, today there was a volunteer lock keeper on duty, its a pity he couldn’t do something about the 2 boats moored on the lock landing. We carried on down stream looking for somewhere to moor, on the way we met these Standup Paddle Boarders except one was sitting down, we had spotted a couple of places we could come back to if necessary but then we rounded a bend at Hackney Marshes and  there was a 65 foot gap with rings, just what we wanted so in we slid at 5 pm.

Today’s Journey  15¾ Miles, 11 locks in 7 hours