Michael Tyler

Due to late night excesses yesterday, I didn’t manage to get things done as quickly as I would have liked which ended up in my setting off after eating (lunch).

That made it a non-stop afternoon.

I’m now in Kingston on Thames, where my wee sister was born all those years ago. Many, many years ago… :D

Pictures

Took very few pictures today.

Perhaps some of the more picturesque aspects of the Thames have dropped off as we’ve got closer into London.

No more rolling hills verdant woodland. More railways and high rise.

This is what I saw….

Continue reading “Bonnie in London – Windsor to Kingston”

Bonnie is all warmed up now, and ready to go…

So here we go, down to London!

A morning in Henley

Woke up and felt slightly hung over…

Not too bad, but delayed my setting off…

Did an engine check: This is where you 1) Check oil. 2) Check coolant 3) Grease…

You’re also going to notice any excess water in the engine bay.

You really need to do it every morning. Takes about 3 minutes.

If you don’t do it… and all your coolant’s boiled off, that will mean; your engine seizes, locks up and you lose steering, crashing into the next object in your path which will slow the boat down, from approx 5mph to 0 in 0ft.

It’s a 2-3 min check.

Continue reading “Bonnie does London – Henley-on-Thames to Windsor”

Here I am, in Henley on Thames, currently moored here on the edge of ‘Marsh Meadows’.

There are many joggers and walkers by the promenade to the river.

Today

I’ve done as much boating as I possibly could. According to viewranger, I covered 32.21 miles today.

That was starting at 08:40 having 40 minutes for lunch, filling up with fuel at Better Boating, and carrying on until 18:25.

I suspect I could do a little more without the Tesco stop, (toilet paper and beer), and the fuel stop (20mins). But there isn’t a lot in it…. 40 minutes is not a long time.

30 miles is pretty much the limit of what I can expect to cover.

Continue reading “Bonnie goes to London – Day’s Lock to Henley on Thames”

1st day on the Thames.

Snuck on last night and overnighted at the moorings at Kings Lock.

The rain started just after I left Decathlon last night. By the time I cycled back to the boat, I was soaked, so another night drying my clothes out on the fire.

So what…. The boat felt really snug in the rain.

Had a shower with all the hot water, and went to bed.

Woke up around 5.

EA River Cruising Licence

Got things rolling about 9. By about half past, I was looking at setting off.

Just as I popped out to set the locks, the lock keeper arrived,

When you move from the canals onto the rivers in the UK, you move within a different jurisdiction. All powered vessels have to register with the EA (environment agency).

This isn’t a long process. I did it with my lock-keeper this morning. Took about 10 mins.

You just need to give some details of the

• Length of vessel
• Home address
• Phone number
• Number of nights staying on the Thames

For this and the fee, they issue you with a little sticker which you can put in your window. It’s got the expiry date and the number of nights you’re valid on the Thames for.

If you don’t get this, it’s likely you’ll make it to the next manned lock before you’ll have to get one.

Like the buoyancy aid, it’s one of the requirements of navigating on the Thames.

They also issue you with a paper licence, like the one below.

Continue reading “Bonnie goes to London – Kings Lock (Oxford) to Days Lock (Dorchester)”

Starting at 10.10, it was quite a full day, didn’t manage to stop for a lunch break until 2pm.

The rain had abated pretty much, for most of the journey. Wind was up though and the draft, (canal depth beneath the boat), was shallow making it laborious travel in parts.

I managed to stop to get water. 17 miles seems like a lot in a day.

Last time I came down this way, I made it all the way from Aynho to here in one day!

Shocking. I’ve no idea how I did that.

That’s a lot of boating in one day.

Continue reading “Bonnie in London – Tackley to Kings Lock on the Thames”