Foraging for fruits.

It was a little bit misty this morning and it looked lovely but by the time I had new batteries in the camera it had burned off and left with this scene below from our mooring. Soon after breakfast I called Bates Boatyard to see if there was any chance of getting a dry dock. They have a side slipway down the Alesbury arm that seems to specialise in wooden boats and a dry dock at the top of the Marsworth flight of locks at Bulbourne Junction. Jem was very helpful and thought that he would be able to slip us in to remove the prop whilst moving other boats in and out, maybe Friday, or Monday. We should set off and get there first.

Bridge and lock from our over night moorings at Wilstone.

Narrow locks are quite quick to operate but her they don't have the boards on the lower gates so that you can cross the lock and leap over when one gate is shut. I had my eyes open on the way to Aylesbury and noted the spots with damson, bullaces and hazlenuts and as we climbed back up I stopped to check if they were riper. I got a fair amount of Damsons and Bullaces and a few hand fulls of hazelnuts too. All whilst locks we being turned round etc. In fact the eight locks took us a little over an hour.

Tony foraging for damson whilst waiting for the lock.

Wild flowers in a garden by the lock.

There was a day boat with a family out for the day waiting at the bottom of the flight at Marsworth so it was good to have a  buddy and lots of hands to help. We were delayed a little as a single hander was ahead of us but we soon made it to the top. The canal curls round the reservoirs that keep it topped up and whilst we are waiting for our prop to be returned we will have plenty of walks to do. I also have plenty of little jobs to keep me busy too.

Lock keeper telling us we will have to wait a little

Some of the hazel nuts I have collected.

What is left after shelling. Helen says she is going to make some hazelnut toffee.

After finding a mooring near the junction at the top I walked back to the dry dock and had a word with them. I then called the owner Jem back and he later confirmed that they will take us in at 0830 in the morning. That is good news for us as it will only mean a week delay, hopefully.

We took a walk round the local area to get out bearings. Just a little way from our mooring is the Bulbourne depot where many of the lock gates on the system were constructed. Now most of has passed to a creative metal work shop. Helen says she wants a look around the place at some time.

Bulbourne Depot

We walked on a circuit that took us down a part of the Wendover Arm. Only about a mile of the original 6.5 miles is navigable at the moment but they are working on it. Right at the junction at the top of the Marsworth flight of locks is the dry dock we will be using. 

Bulbourne dry dock with the top lock gates and the sign post marking the junction.

We will have to make sure we don't lay in in the morning as they have been very kind to fit us in we don't want to be late. There are some huge carp swimming in the cut at the top and so we spent a pleasant hour with a cup of tea after going to fill up with water, winding and coming back ready for the morning.