BETWEEN THE LOCKS
The water between locks is a "reach" and the water between gates is "impounded". Between the locks is where boating occurs.
Locks can be hard work and good exercise [for some] or a bloody nuisance [for others] "Between the Locks" you find pubs and boatyards, water points, sanitary stations, Libraries, Waitroses, Spoons.
Locks can be hard work and good exercise [for some] or a bloody nuisance [for others] "Between the Locks" you find pubs and boatyards, water points, sanitary stations, Libraries, Waitroses, Spoons.
Between the locks is where this book exists and where it draws inspiration from banter, flotillas, tunnels, flora, dog-walkers, fauna, cyclists, gongoozlers.
Cruising, cycling and exploring hinterland "Between the Locks" are activities for me and have been for the ten years it took me, after a lifetime in tides, to build up the lore and the knowledge needed to start a book called Muddy Brown Water and pitch it at a publisher.
Cruising, cycling and exploring hinterland "Between the Locks" are activities for me and have been for the ten years it took me, after a lifetime in tides, to build up the lore and the knowledge needed to start a book called Muddy Brown Water and pitch it at a publisher.
For Pentargon and for this chapter three sets of reaches stand out as unique. They have neither towpaths nor fresh water.
Yet all are "Inland Waterways" as defined
1. Between Sharpness and Bristol.
2. Between Bow and Dartford".
3. Between Limehouse and Brentford
All have considerable amounts of sea water between them. The most dangerous water in Britain separates Sharpness from Bristol. The transit takes twenty-four hours, which includes an overnight at anchor in a 40ft tide, but only five hours of actual sailing. But what sailing! Look at the raw numbers. 30mls/5hrs = 6mph. For a boat that does 2kts over calm water?
Twenty miles of tidal Thames and a night at anchor in a 15ft tide lie between Bow Lock and the "Steam Crane" at Dartford, which happens to be Pentargon's home port.
Limehouse provides an exit to the Thames for a 4hr, 10mile transit to Brentford which avoids a 4day trek across London but supplies a mind-blowing trip under 26 Bridges and passes the London Eye, the Houses of Parliament and Cleopatras Needle while my boat mixes it with ferries, fireboats, tugs and boats of all shades, sizes and provinence.
Yet all are "Inland Waterways" as defined
1. Between Sharpness and Bristol.
2. Between Bow and Dartford".
3. Between Limehouse and Brentford
All have considerable amounts of sea water between them. The most dangerous water in Britain separates Sharpness from Bristol. The transit takes twenty-four hours, which includes an overnight at anchor in a 40ft tide, but only five hours of actual sailing. But what sailing! Look at the raw numbers. 30mls/5hrs = 6mph. For a boat that does 2kts over calm water?
Twenty miles of tidal Thames and a night at anchor in a 15ft tide lie between Bow Lock and the "Steam Crane" at Dartford, which happens to be Pentargon's home port.
Limehouse provides an exit to the Thames for a 4hr, 10mile transit to Brentford which avoids a 4day trek across London but supplies a mind-blowing trip under 26 Bridges and passes the London Eye, the Houses of Parliament and Cleopatras Needle while my boat mixes it with ferries, fireboats, tugs and boats of all shades, sizes and provinence.
There are a few reaches which use THREE locks to impound considerable mileages.
The reach which includes Norton Junction has about ten miles of water and includes the Braunston Tunnel, the limits being Braunston top lock, Watford Gap bottom lock and the top lock of the Buckby flight.
But the daddy or mammy of them all is within Greater London. It includes the Slough Arm, the Main Line, the Paddington Arm, a few of miles of the Regents Canal and Paddington Basin itself.
Its containing locks are at Cowley, Norwood and Camden. Total length of this pound is over thirty miles and is so diverse that I could write a book about it. Maybe I will. Imagine a man-made channel rather more than thirty miles long and about fifty feet wide filled with water to a depth of about five feet and containing, on a good day about 165,137,500 cubic feet of water. Someone with canal time on their hands has worked out that 165,137,500 cubic feet of water would fill 2000 Olympic sized swimming pools.
The reach which includes Norton Junction has about ten miles of water and includes the Braunston Tunnel, the limits being Braunston top lock, Watford Gap bottom lock and the top lock of the Buckby flight.
But the daddy or mammy of them all is within Greater London. It includes the Slough Arm, the Main Line, the Paddington Arm, a few of miles of the Regents Canal and Paddington Basin itself.
Its containing locks are at Cowley, Norwood and Camden. Total length of this pound is over thirty miles and is so diverse that I could write a book about it. Maybe I will. Imagine a man-made channel rather more than thirty miles long and about fifty feet wide filled with water to a depth of about five feet and containing, on a good day about 165,137,500 cubic feet of water. Someone with canal time on their hands has worked out that 165,137,500 cubic feet of water would fill 2000 Olympic sized swimming pools.
A BOOK FOR A POUND?
Survival At All Costs
PENTARGON60906.CO.UK
And At No Cost At All
[email protected]
© MMXXiv
Survival At All Costs
PENTARGON60906.CO.UK
And At No Cost At All
[email protected]
© MMXXiv
