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| Copyright Phil Kemp 2005- here is where I borrowed the map from- hope that it is ok |
The sky was brilliant blue and the sun was shining in a beatific manner. After showering and breakfasting, I was shocked that it was already 9.45am. We packed up all our things and got into two cars and headed towards Godalming in Surrey to where their little barge was moored.
At last we met our hostess for the journey- BEAUTY! She is a darling little 25 foot (I think) barge.
They ran through a whole host of instructions for how to start and operate the barge, how to stop, how to speed and slow down and how to turn the gas on, water, operate the loo etc. We practised the tying of various useful knots and loops, practised coiling ropes and neatening them up and throwing coils to someone on land and how to use your windlasses to wind the sluices on a lock open and shut (woebetide leaving them behind!) I felt pleased that I had managed to learn something! We gave Beauty a little scrub with a broom to get rid of a few months of debris and then it was time to embark!
E told me that I should drive at first and it was with much trepidation that I turned the key (the glow-plugs had already been warmed) and shifted the barge out of neutral and into forward motion. I don't drive so this is just WEIRD to me!
Surprisingly, she moved and we headed forward. The rules of navigation on a narrow boat/canal/river are that if you meet another boat coming towards you, you should head to the right side of it, to let it pass- let others under a bridge first and wait for other people who are also heading for a lock.
Beauty doesn't go more than about 4 knots an hour, so you can walk along the towpath at almost the same speed of her. I didn't cope so well with meanders at first- finding turning the tiller a bit too much, or not enough, to change direction.
Soon, we came towards our first lock. As we were heading towards Guildford direction, we were going with the flow of the river and all our locks would be locking-DOWN- that means you're going downhill. Unstead Lock was a fairly tame one.
Firstly, just before the lock, if there are two of you, one of you gets out on the bank and then the other has to head into the lock and then you shut the gates behind you. Someone should always stay on the boat, so CBC stayed on board and I got out. I learnt quickly that you must never strain to open or shut lock-gates as you can seriously put your back out, but lean or push with your body-weight and when the gate is ready, it will begin to shift.
We shut the gates and I got back into the boat and threw a rope loop ( but not knotted) around one of the bollards on the left hand side of the lock. Then E and CBC got out and pulled up the paddles at the front of the lock, so it began to let the water out. As the water whooshed and frothed around me, the level began to fall and the boat began to go downwards. Keeping a firm hold of my left-hand rope which was looped around the , I had to release it slowly as we got lower. Eventually, all the water had whooshed out and we were now 'downhill' and at the level of the lower water so E opened the gates and we headed out. She and CBC wound the sluices back up (river etiquette- leave everything just so for the next user of the lock.)
After we had cleared the lock, E and N said it was time to leave us (I was sad and a little scared!) and they walked back along the tow-path towards Godalming to drive home.
At this point, we had moored by lovely buttercup field. Mooring is a bit like securing a tent. You get close to the bank and then one person jumps out and holding a large metal peg/pin in your hand, you hammer it with a mallet into the ground and then tie a knot (has to be easy to untie) around it. You then do the same with the back rope (there are ropes on either side at the front and back and also ropes on either side in the middle). CBC wanted to pose with the rescue-ring. Who am I to argue!?
Reluctantly, and I'll admit, with MUCH trepidation, we continued on our journey. The river meandered a bit more, and CBC, a good driver, negociated the meanders MUCH better than I. Soon, we came to our next Lock, St Catherine's lock, just outside Guildford. There were a lot of walkers, joggers, cyclists on the towpath and it seems, everyone is fascinated with locking. We attracted a veritable audience.
There were two barges and a rowing boat in the lock, so there were plenty of people to shut gates, windup the sluices etc and we managed to get in and out quickly and safely. We carried on and stopped for a cup of tea by a beautiful meadow.
The journey continued quite well until we reached the Millmead/Guildford lock, having passed the Guildford boating club out in training with their coach riding a bike along the tow-path, shouting instructions. It was a little un-nerving driving alongside something fast!
Somehow, with a massive audience and a fit of nerves (plus CBC receiving a call on his phone), plus a barge waiting to lock-up, the other way, I was really nervous and this locking-down went awfully!!!!!! CBC stayed in Beauty, whilst I went to shut the gates and wind the sluices and somehow, the boat swung out into the middle of the lock and as the water came in, CBC was swung about. He was rescued by some daytrippers who were waiting to come the other way, and I was aided by one of his companions. I think they thought we were total twits and stupid to be left alone. Typical you make mistakes with a huge audience but at least we had help. I grovelled and said thank you lots.
At this point, I had decided that I MUCH preferred being out of the boat and operating the sluices (plus I was somehow better at the knots around the bollards) but CBC declared that we must both know both jobs.). Reaching Stoke Lock, CBC decided I should stay aboard the boat and he should operate the sluices.
I declared to CBC that I wished to watch someone else do it again (and watch someone else lock-up, since we hadn't been shown how to do that- just told), so we sat here and watched two boats go in the opposite directions.
Thankfully, by the time we came to operate the lock, there was no audience here and it went perfectly without any hitches!
Continuing the journey, CBC declared that I should navigate/drive for a while and he went to go and sit at the front in a chair with a beer from a local Microbrewery back home.
Stopping to take a couple of pictures of the nervous navigator in a leopardskin hat (I swore it would never happen but somehow it did). The conditions were just perfect and drifted on. If you want to get somewhere fast, narrow-boating isn't for you- you can't rush the process- the boats will only go a certain speed.
It was all going well until we reached a rather sharp meander. I somehow didn't quite manage to negociate it well and frantically was trying to change direction as we headed towards large overhanging trees.CBC at the front, made a desperate dive for the hold of the boat, to avoid decapitation as the whole front section was swept by branches. His beer spilled everywhere! We also lost our boat hook. CBC came and took pity on me and negotiated us out of the trees and turned round so we could rescue the boat hook. A bit shaken, I sat inside as he drove us onwards and as I drank tea and ate chocolate, I reflected on preferring to be reliant on my own two feet!
At the next two locks, Bowers Lock and Triggs Lock- I resumed my preferred role of opening the gates and sluices- the less boat driving I did, the better!
There is lots of flora and fauna to admire but one of my favourites was the Black Diver. A bird that dives under the water, searching for fish. It then pops up a long time later, then ducks under again instantly. Very hard to actually capture on camera!
I felt like I was trying to capture the Lochness Monster!
Eventually, we found one of the recommended mooring places, by the New Inn pub in Send. We moored up and had some excited chats to some locals, one of whom asked if we lived on board the boat permanently.
At this point, having experienced the loo inside the barge, which was TINY, I made the suggestion to CBC that we go and have a hot chocolate and chips in the pub so we could use their loo, which he concurred.
Inside, we enjoyed our treat and then went into Send to joyfully find a small supermarket which was open. It was a WEIRD sensation. We were only in Surrey, yet I felt like we were in some weird magical world or foreign country prior to it, so it felt so odd walking along a street. We bought some rolls and cheese, supernoodles and chocolate for the next day, and some much needed toothpaste ans headed back for the boat.
We were having such a jolly time that I totally failed to take detailed shots of the interior for you but here's CBC cooking our dinner. The wood-section on the left-hand side housed the toilet and shower-tiny- not even the size of a normal public loo cubicle, but very sweet. To the right is a sink with a cupboard below, an oven, a 2 ring gas hob, some shelves and a hot water heater. Behind those shelves was an extra bed/seating area and on the left was the table and two tiny seats to sit and eat. Behind me at the camera, was two seating areas which joined to make one larger bed.
The asparagus and garlic and chilli Turkey-sausages were delicious!
Whilst I washed up, CBC had little snooze. Some noisy man rocked up with his barge which he kept the engine on for ages. Eventually, we solved the conundrum of how to add 2 planks of wood and rearrange the cushions to make a double bed and went to sleep.
***
Oh woe! The next morning, we woke up to the sound of heavy rain on top of the boat and a slight puddle by my feet. Eventually, we got up and ate Branflakes and decided to head back upstream towards Godalming.
The rain was relentless and it was none-too-pleasant being out in the rain. Here's CBC looking very wet.
When we reached Triggs Lock, we realised we had to Lock-up and weren't too sure what to do. The error we made was to both drive into the lock, but it was really hard to manouvere the boat to coincide with the ladder so CBC could climb out (what we should have done was one of us jump out before the lock and then be there to be thrown a rope to to tie up). Remembering advice of a lady I'd talked to the day before, I told CBC we should tie our boat to a post towards the back of the lock because the boat surges forward when the water starts shooting out from the front gate, to fill up the lock, but he said he couldn't understand why the boat would do that and just told me to hold onto the back rope, looped around the bollard.
As the water rushed in, I called in horror as the boat tugged against the rope and had to hold on for dear life as it rocked around, even though CBC had only opened one sluice a little bit at a time. Miraculously, I didn't get caught under the CILL (front gate bit) or lose control of the boat but a man who was moored and came forward, told us that next time, we should tie up front AND back ropes to the bollards to be secure.
Again, after the scare of this lock, I decided that I preferred to be out of the boat during locks and at Bowers Lock, I got out in advance, tied up the boat and all went smoothly from then on.
At Stoke Lock, we saw this wonderful Heron. He stayed close until the last minute where he lost his nerve and flew off. I
The journey was going well until we reached St Catherine's Lock. We felt like experts at locking up now, and helped some daytrippers who were encountering their first lock! Unfortunately, a green light came on for the water control which suggested their was a problem with the boat (there had been a previous problem). Just to be on the safe side (as you don't want to wreck someone's barge), I phoned my friend and they said they'd come and drive out to check it. I felt AWFUL as they had to traipse along the tow-path from Unstead lock in the pouring rain to find us. The boat turned out to be ok, but it was lovely to see them again!
Back at Godalming, in the pouring rain, my cold now well and truly in full-force after a day of rain, I was relieved to get back to a warm car to go home (we had to be back for Tuesday morning) but it had been a truly magical experience sailing on the Good Ship Beauty!
For more information about the River Wey navigation, visit this site- it is excellent!
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