Events Reports 2010
Events reports written by various Cruising Club Members. These reports are going back to 2003 and you can select these from the menu in the right hand sidebar
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London Ring Expedition May 2010
In the end only three BCC boats were able to participate this year, which was a pity because the weather was glorious sunshine the whole way round.
We have not received any photos yet....
Day 1, Friday - “Hebe 3”, “The Old Boy” and “Porgy & Bess”, with skippers and a few assorted crew members departed from Brentford Dock Marina at 9am on 21st May, and made good progress down the mainstream to Limehouse - only held up by the intervention of a somewhat over-zealous policeman opposite the Houses of Parliament, who insisted on asking so many questions of each boat, and caused such awkwardness in manoeuvring, that 'Porgy & Bess' acquired a cockpit full of river water (plus embarrassing wet stains on the crew's clothing!).
Once free of bureaucratic delays, we managed to get into Limehouse Basin in time for a hearty 'brunch' at the famous Deli, before proceeding to take a new route to the Paddington/Regents Canal - along the Limehouse Cut, past several of the 2012 Olympics structures, and back into the Grand Union near Victoria Park.
Progress along the canal to our overnight stop at Hoxton was brisk, so the boats decided to continue past the Project A restaurant and its canal-side deck, through another lock, as far as the Narrowboat pub, for a pint or two before an early supper. After gorging ourselves on assorted Thai dishes, assisted by Jan Ferber's niece who lives nearby, Charles Curran spent the night aboard 'The Old Boy' at Project A, Derek & Jackie settled for a mooring near the Narrowboat, while the Ferbers plus crew abandoned 'Porgy & Bess' to return to Brentford and proper beds for the night.
Day 2, Saturday - after a successful transit of the Islington Tunnel we negotiated a few canal locks, watched by an enthusiastic audience of tourists,'goths' and so forth, around Camden Market. Then we were into the 25 mile 'flat' stretch of canal which reaches almost as far as Hanwell. A modest lunch was taken in the Paddington Basin, after pottering gently past Regents Park, the Zoo and Little Venice.
Our overnight stop was the Willow Tree Marina at Yeading (near Southall) with splendid facilities for moorers, where we had negotiated a special price for overnight accommodation; (the three BCC boats occupied less than the length of one full sized narrowboat). Dinner in the marina Bistro was most congenial; joined by John Scott and Victoria, as well as Veronika Weisweiller, who made a noble effort to find us and the marina in the depths of Yeading.
Day 3, Sunday - we left the Willow Tree at 10.30 (ish) and made exceptionally fast progress in the direction of the 'Fox' at Hanwell, greatly helped by narrow boat traffic coming in the opposite direction. After lunch the boats were rather slower getting though the last few locks, where the gates are suffering from old age and lack of maintenance.
We moored in the canal above Thames Lock, as Thames tides were not favourable - and it is rumoured that some members with strong livers adjourned to the Brewery Tap.
Jan & Leslie Ferbe
BCC Photo Competition 2009
And the winner is: "Sheila Fish" for her colorful collection from well-known places such as Venice and Brentford Dock!
There will be more photos in this slide show, so please come back and check it out soon!
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