Matty's moving Magic

After a heavy night of rain we were up early waiting for our guest today.. Matty, our nephew, was coming up by train with his Dad, and meeting us at Leighton Buzzard station. As you could see he was very pleased to see us when he arrived..

After Dad (Del's brother Cliff) got on the train back to Kent we made our way to Tesco's where Matty picked some of his favourite things..

We got back to Derwent6 and then had some lunch. After that we decided to set off towards the three locks at Soulbury.

It's nice to have more crew on board and Matty was soon helping Al on the lock gates and we were guided into the lock by these fellows..

We got to the bottom and filled with water, finding the tap here quite fast, which is a bonus, as it is on the lock landings for coming up the locks.
It was then a case of finding a mooring and we had to get to bridge 106 before we spotted a nice mooring in the sunshine.

Matty wanted to go Geocaching so we soon found a location and got out the etrek to put in the co-ordinates. It took us back towards the three locks and it wasn't long before we found it, well Matty found it.. 

As we were so close to the pub it was rude not to go in for a pint.. While we were in there we were joined by friends off n.b Little Pumpkin and they brought Matty another drink after having the first one thrown over them. After saying goodbye we then made our way back to Derwent6 where Al cooked dinner and Matty prepared us a lovely dessert..

With a long day ahead of us tomorrow we might just have an early night.. 

Strange and quiet

We had another lazy day yesterday in the sunshine.. Del did some brasses and Al cleaned Derwent6 inside, well it seems to work for us.. We spent most of the day chatting to passers by with a cool drink in our hand. Del was out on his bike in the afternoon and Al was reading again.. It has been very quiet here today and it seems a bit strange......but we are expecting a visitor tomorrow!! 

A Special treat

After a chilled out couple of days, we have just dossed in the heat and can't really find the energy to do much to be honest.. We have been using the cratch for most of the day and enjoying watching all the boats travelling back from the IWA meeting at Cassiobury Park. Del  has been out on his bike a lot and Al has read another book. We were doing just that when we heard 'Del and Al' shouted out.. It was bloggers Halfie and Jan on n.b. Jubilee who were mooring up just in front of us.. They popped back to see us and we soon had the drinks and nibbles out.. We had a good chat and catch up as we hadn't seen them for a long time..

They had been to the IWA festival and Halfie was a volunteer there.  After a chat they asked us to look round their lovely boat and we could see they had dinner ready and they then invited us to eat with them as they had cooked too much. They were expecting their children down to meet them for dinner, but they couldn't make it, so Jan had all this food which would not have got eaten.. We were pleased to help out with the chicken, potatoes, and vegetables, and after all the salads we have been having it made a very nice change.. We were also treated with a dessert of profiteroles and apple crumble.. It was 9.00pm when we finished and they still wanted to get on a cruise in the late summer sunshine, so we said our goodbyes and they set off.. It was lovely to see them again and thanks guys for the lovely meal, we just didn't expect that.. Don't you just love boating and the people doing it!!!!

We walked back to Derwent6 with them going off into the dusk evening and sat back out in the cratch, it was still warm.. With full tummies and trying to keep cool we got another drink till we started falling asleep.. It was so hot and sticky we don't think we will get much sleep.... but it had been a lovely day.

Relaxed

We were up to see of our friends Doug and James on n.b Chance and Pauline and Neil on n.b Waterlily leave, but before they went Pauline had brought out some lovely cakes she had made that morning..

We had to sample them before they all left and she left us another slice to have with a coffee later.. We said our goodbyes... We have had a lot of fun over the last few days with them all. When they disappeared out of sight the coffee had brewed and the cakes went down lovely with it.. Thanks Pauline! We then chilled for the rest of the day watching a bit of cricket and cycling on the telly as we were doing so well.. It was a relaxing day and what we needed really.. It was then the Moto GP in the evening and a relatively early night!...

Drinks continued

We had a lazy start to the day as it was quite a heavy night last night.. We decided to miss out on breakfast and run straight into lunch.. It was a cloudy day today so a bit cooler, it was nice not to be covered in suntan lotion and feeling sweaty all day.. Del did some more brasses while Al read her book.. Doug and James were moored in front of us on n.b Chance but never surfaced till lunchtime..  We had decided to have a BBQ at 6.00pm so we all got prepared for a bit of a feast. We had the coals burning hot, loads of nibbles and drinks cooled and ready to flow..

We also had lights in the trees and candles and of course music. We invited Pauline & Neil on nb Waterlilly, and after their visit to the pub they popped along for a drink and nibbles with a chat...

The BBQ was full with meat and we were never going to eat it all, and we also had jugs of  Pimms on the side. As you can imagine it was a continuation of last night..

It wasn't till it all caught up with us and we started to feel a bit cold, that we decided to call it a day.. We cleared up and crashed out with full stomachs and tipsy.... Again!

A little drink with friends

It was a nice lie in for us this morning as the sun was trying to peep through the bungs in the portholes. We surfaced at 9.00am and had breakfast out in the cratch.. Del then set to work on cleaning the brasses on the Houdini hatches, a job he doesn't like doing. It took him nearly all day (with a hour stop in the middle) to do them as they don't come out very often. Al read her book in the sunshine (someones got it right) but she did keep the beers flowing..  At 4.00pm we had visitors, Doug and James turned up on n.b Chance and it wasn't long before the table and chairs came out and the champagne flowed and the table was full of nibbles..

After a couple of bottles we all started to get hungry and a bit merry..

We walked down to The Globe Inn where it was packed but Doug managed to usher a couple off their table as they were eating their dessert so we could sit on a table for four.. Well done Doug! We had a lovely meal and all finished our plates with wine and a few more beers..

When we were thrown out of there we walked back to the boats and were invited onto n.b Chance for cheese and biscuits, with a few glasses of port we had on board Derwent6.. As you can imaging by 1.30am we were all tired and slaughtered.. We had such a laugh and a great time as always. Good job it was only six steps to get back home and roll into bed...

Beer top up at Leighton

With us sitting at Tring Station it was an opportunity for Al to go and see her Mum and Dad and also pick up the things she left down in Kent when we went to see Bon Jovi. So we were up early and she left at 9.30am. Del did some jobs while she was away like checked the diesel tank for water and cleaned the filters. He also checked the water levels, sorted out the bilge and regreased the stern glad greaser.. we also had to repair a bank of lights which had gone out and Del found a loose terminal. Inbetween all that he went out on his bike. The latest on Al's Dad is that he is now having a scan before his second bout of chemo to see if the first bout has made an impact on the tumors found. Al got back to Derwent6 at 6.00pm and we sat out in the cratch with a lovely salad tea.

On Thursday we decided to move so we were up early again, 6.00am in fact and we set off at 6.45am and made our way across the Tring summit to the flight of locks at Marsworth.

We only had to wait fifteen minutes till another boat arrived so we could save water and go down as a pair..

They turned out to be a nice couple who had a lot of boat experience and we made good progress through the flight..

On the way we passed Jill and Graham on n.b Matilda Rose. It was difficult to stop, but we will catch them later in the year we hope..

We did spot some otters on the way, playing in the warm waters of the canal.

Al also managed to find a cherry tree so rude not to have a few for a pie or two...

We ended up doing 19 locks and 18 of them were with this other boat. We stopped at Leighton Buzzard for a Tesco's stop and go as we were dry with drink.

So topped up we set off again and did one more lock before mooring up..  We found a spot where we could get telly and have a bit of a decent phone signal. We had some tea out in the cratch and watched a bit of telly in the evening for a change..

Shallow, just a little

We left the Wendover basin early in the hope it was full of water having been topped up over night.. Well early ended up being at 8.30am and we crept out pulling up mud behind us.. Its a mile and a half to the junction and it was going to be a long journey..

Once or twice we grounded, and had to sit a wait for the levels to come back up..It was like driving a tractor with the mud we were churning up ...

We had problems at the mill again as Derwent6 wanted to go straight on and into these stairs but Al managed to push us off..

We never got out of Idle and then met another boat; we both grounded and somehow managed to pass each other..  He never got to the basin.. after an hour we pulled out into the junction and met a couple going down the locks at Marsworth.

"Its shallow at Cow Roast" he shouted, "you want to go down the Arm" we shouted back. He was right it was shallow all round and we just managed to pull in for water at Bulbourne.

We then moved on to Cow Roast where it got worse and we looked for a spot to moor up.....No Chance! It was just too shallow, so we had an idea that we could get a pumpout at Cow Roast marina. We got in OK but then had to wait about twenty minutes while the boat already on the pontoon got diesel and gas..

When we got on the pumpout it wouldn't work due to a blockage in our pipes. We had to get another coin to try it on the other side and it freed it off and we managed to drain the tank.. so a bit lighter we came out the marina and tried again to moor up and after two attempts we got in.. Not ideal, but we were happy.. 

With a dry boat we then walked down the pub for a well earned drink in the garden but were accompanied by two screaming kids so in the end we walked back to Derwent6. We did manage to get rid of our rubbish though... We chilled in the afternoon and evening and the best bit was taking a long cold shower, after a sticky day...

Biking to Wendover

We have had just a wonderful weekend.. We have had no boats here at he end of the Wendover Arm and had it all to ourselves except for a few fishermen..  It has been too warm to do anything so we nearly used up the stock of beers we have and relaxed in the sunshine..
On Monday we should have moved but sod it, it is so nice and warm we couldn't be bothered.. so we run the engine and Al got three loads of washing done. After some lunch we decided to go out on our bikes, yes you heard right we.. Del had to get Al's bike out and pump up the tyres so she was ready for action.. Del thought Al should see the work done on the restoration work to the Wendover Canal so we headed to Wendover..

We first took a slight detour to a church to see a memorial that was there to her grandad, but the church was closed and we couldnt get a key.. (we later learnt that we had the wrong church!)

We also saw the RAF training camp where her dad was once stationed..

We then  carried on to Wendover and found a nice pub The Red Lion..

We sat in the garden with our bikes close at hand with a refreshing beer for a hour or two before heading back..

Al had a bit of a wobble on the way back and we had to keep stopping, but we made it.. 

With all the washing dry and put away, we lit the BBQ. Spicy Pork steaks tonight with our last two beers....with Al sitting on her sore arse!

Lovely walk to Tring

We were up early as it was lovey and warm and at 8.00am it showed 24 degrees on our gauge, and rising.. we decided to go to Tring for a stretch of our legs and Al needed a therapeutic shopping fix.. We set off across the fields and took our rubbish with us. Del nearly picked up another bag full before we found a bin to get rid of it all..

It was about a mile and half away and had all the shops we needed.. Being a Saturday it was quite busy.. We got a birthday card we needed and Al swapped a few books in the Charity shop. We then picked up some nice things in M&S for a BBQ later today..

By this time the heat was up to 30 degrees and it was very hot walking back, but pleasant.. we got back to Derwent6 to find ourselves still on our own here..we got out a nice cool beer and had some lunch when another boat turned up..They moored in front of us and it was nice to have some company..  After lunch Del went out on his bike to Wendover and came back on the Aylesbury arm... a nice round trip.. Al read her new book she got at Tring in the morning.. When Del got back we lit the BBQ and had some burgers and sausages with a big salad.. we then had a cold shower and sat out in the cratch with a glass of wine till the sun set..

The Peaceful Wendover Arm

On Thursday we had a dossey day.. We stayed at Marsworth and Del cycled round the lakes and Al read her book..
Friday we decided to move and set off at 8.30am and went up the Marsworth flight of six locks..

They were all against us but we had no need to rush so just took our time. We got to the top lock and then made the turn into the Wendover arm.

It was so tight getting round Al had to get off and pull Derwent6 round with the rope.

We started to go up the arm and as usual it was very shallow..

It was a idle job right the way up and at the Bakery Mill Derwent6 wouldn't turn as it was so shallow, so after a bit of reversing and creeping we made our way to the end..

Low and behold it was empty and we had it all to ourselves except one boat which had been there a long time.. They are 48 hour moorings here (if you can get here) but where we moored there are no signs, so it must be 14 days, we think... 

On our way up the arm we met Amanda off n.b What a Lark on her bike, who was taking a look to see what it was like on their trip up to Debdale.. After seeing us she called David to bring What a Lark up with us.. They arrived about forty minutes after us and we soon got out the chairs,beers and eats and had a long chat in the sunshine..

At 4.30pm they decided to leave as they wanted to do so much in their two weeks they had. It was great to see them enjoying themselves and great to see them again. Amanda on her bike and David taking the boat.

After our goodbyes we settled back in the heat watching the wildlife here in the peace and quiet of Little Tring.. We came up here to keep out the way of the IWA traffic going to Cassiobury Park and it seems to have worked..