Dodging the Woolwich Ferries

In my last post detailing my recent cruise on Indigo Dream we were just entering the Thames from the Lea. We soon passed under the Emirates Airline cable cars.

The Thames was almost millpond-calm with almost no wind. We were punching the tide, but you'd hardly have realised. We were making 5 mph until we caught up with slower boats in front. The only pity weather-wise was that it was all rather murky - but I'm not complaining!

In the photo below you can see three of the narrowboats in our convoy of seven.

Half-an-hour later came the Thames Flood Barrier: we were to pass through Span B. Because I'd done this in 2010 it wasn't quite the amazing thrill it had been the first time, nevertheless, Richard had handed the helm over to me by now, and it was great steering through the gap.

And then ... the Woolwich Ferries. We'd seen one crossing some way in front of us, and as we came through the Barrier the way seemed clear. But then the Essex side ferry started its journey across. Would we get through in time? It looked easy. But our speed against the tide suddenly seemed insignificant compared with the rate at which the monster ferry was approaching. Perhaps we'd have to give in and swing left to go behind it. But we'd left it a bit late for that. The ferry really was very big. Richard, inexplicably, was inside and seemed oblivious to the danger. Oh well, nothing for it but to charge full steam ahead. We waved to the ferry's crew - they waved back cheerfully. In moments we were through, the ferry, towering above us, devouring the water we'd only just left. Phew!

It probably wasn't quite as dramatic as I've tried to make it sound, and I'm sure the ferry captains are used to small boats mucking about in front of them. But it was a relief to have that bit of the journey behind us.

And where are the photographs, you ask? Photos? You must be joking! I was steering! If you want photos you'll have to wait for them to come out in Canal Boat magazine. Deputy editor Martin Ludgate was following the convoy's progress from the bank, and had hopped on one of the ferries to take some photos from its unique vantage point. There'll be more about Martin later.

Now I must read what Richard has written about this trip in Indigo Dream's blog ...

Onto the tidal River Lea

On Thursday I was up at 0630 getting ready for the Big Day. Richard and Sue of Indigo Dream had very kindly invited me to join them on their first(ish) cruise of 2013, from Limehouse Basin to the Royal Docks. This was a St. Pancras Cruising Club organised cruise under the expert guidance of Andrew Phasey on Doris Katia.

I cycled from David's house in Blackheath down to the Greenwich Foot Tunnel, crossed under the Thames and cycled to Limehouse Basin. Here I met Paul, a work associate of Richard's and also a boater. We were let in to the pontoon to board Indigo Dream and met two more boaters: Sarah and Andy of Greygal fame. Unfortunately Sue was missing as she'd had to dash to Wales to look after her mum.

While Sarah steered along Limehouse Cut Richard prepared a breakfast feast for us all - fantastic!

On the Lee Navigation we turned north a short distance to New Era for a better-safe-than-sorry diesel top-up.

Richard lassos the bollard, we diesel up ...

... finish our butties (this is Paul, Andy (sorry I caught you with your eyes shut) and Sarah) ...

... and turn towards Bow Locks.

In the (right-hand) lock it fell to me to lasso the bollard with the bow rope and stand by while the lock emptied into the tidal Lea.

This connects directly to the Thames, with no more locks to negotiate.

This end of the Lea meanders extravagantly as if never quite wanting to meet the bigger waters of the Thames. Here the Dome is behind us ...

... and, just two minutes later, here it is in front.

In the next instalment we steer onto the Thames itself, and encounter the big Woolwich Ferries.

Crossing the Thames at the speed of light

Last night I returned from an excellent couple of days in the Smoke. Not that there's much actual smoke in London these days - what there is seems to come mainly from the chimneys of narrowboats!

I alighted from the train with my new folding bike at Stratford and found a machine where I could top up my Oyster card. It's a good job I did as there was only £1.80 left on it. Then I took a Jubilee Line train to North Greenwich, where David met me on his bike. We cycled to his house the scenic route along the Thames Path. The green laser beam shone out from the Royal Observatory at Greenwich along the meridian.

There was just the right amount of moisture in the air for the beam to show up clearly: too much mist and the beam would quickly get scattered; too pure an atmosphere and the beam would be invisible.

We criss-crossed the meridian several times that evening - here we are within a few feet of it.

I wondered about the wisdom of having the beam pointing up into the sky - what if it blinded aeroplane pilots?

But when you climb up to the observatory itself you see that the laser actually points approximately horizontally to the other side of town. It shoots out of the side of the building ...

... and whizzes past Greenwich Power Station (a stand-by generator for the Underground) and the O2 Arena (formerly known as the Millennium Dome) before crossing the Thames to Blackwall and the River Lea.

And all at 300 million metres per second.

Photographs of the London nightscape are irresistible, aren't they? Click on the photos to see larger versions, and spot the laser beam.

I'm standing under it again here: the beam is coming over my head from top to bottom in this photo, taken from the vantage point of Greenwich Park.

In a later post I'll talk about my adventures with Indigo Dream. Those Woolwich Ferries are big!

In London

Trying to use David's iPad to compose a post. Can't find a way of putting a title in yet. Ah. Done it somehow.

Sorry, there'll be no photo today - all a bit too complicated!

Good train ride with folding bike. Changed at Stratford for the Jubilee Line, then cycled to Blackheath from North Greenwich. Tomorrow I have to be at White City in the morning, so I'll tube it again. After lunch I intend to cycle back along the canal, possibly calling in at the London Canal Museum.

Attaching a video camera to my bicycle

It took most of the morning, but I eventually managed to fix my elderly camcorder to my bicycle.

I had been asked to film a short cycling tour of Wymondham in Norfolk from the cyclist's point of view. It's intended for use in a care home - residents will be able to pedal a static bicycle and see the film on a screen in front of them.

I hope it's OK - being fixed to the handlebars means that every bump and wobble is highly visible!

Old pumping engine at Wolverton Aqueduct

While I'm on the subject of Wolverton Aqueduct, here are some photos I took of an ancient static engine on the north bank of the River Great Ouse, which the aqueduct crosses.

It looks like it used to power a pump ...

... which lifted water from the river to the canal above.

I wonder when it last saw service.

Top Thirty, 2013 week 1

Here is the UK Waterways Site Ranking (top thirty places) as it stood at 1815 on Sunday 6th January 2013. This is taken, with permission, from Tony Blews's UK Waterways Ranking Site.


1 Canal World Discussion Forums (=)

2 Pennine Waterways (=)

3 CanalPlanAC (=)

4 Jim Shead's Waterways Information (=)

5 Waterway Routes (=)

6 nb Epiphany (=)

7 Retirement with No Problem (+2)

8 UKCanals Network (-1)

9 Water Explorer (+1)

10 Granny Buttons (-2)

11 Towpath Treks (+4)

12 boatshare (+4)

13 nb Waiouru (-2)

14 Jannock Website (-1)

15 Captain Ahab's Watery Tales (-1)

16 Baddie the Pirate (+6)

17 Canal Shop Company (+2)

18 Boats and Canals Forum (-1)

19 ExOwnerships (+7)

20 Narrowboat Briar Rose (-8)

21 Halfie (+7)

22 Seyella's Journey (+5)

23 Narrowboat Bones (-3)

24 nb Lucky Duck (+1)

25 Narrowboat dreaming ... Parisien Star (-4)

26 Boatshed Grand Union (-3)

27 boats and cruising (-3)

28 Milburn Boats Ltd (+2)

29 Waterlily (-)

30 Rock n Roll (-)


The figures in parentheses denote the number of places moved since the previous chart;
(-) denotes new entry or re-entry into the chart;
(=) denotes no change.

There are 180 entries, up from 176 last week.

How the Great Ouse was crossed before Wolverton Aqueduct was built

When the Grand Junction Canal was built the river Great Ouse was crossed on the level. This entailed boats locking down to the river and up again the other side. Having walked through the foot tunnel under the aqueduct I found part of the original canal still in water.

The fact that it was in water might have had something to do with the high level of the river - there was a lot of the wet stuff around!

An old lock gate appeared to be floating in a lake.

Just to the south of this point I could see an actual lock, but my access was barred by all the water. I didn't fancy getting wet feet, so I left further exploration for another time.

This area has had a fair amount of money thrown at it recently. The iron trunk aqueduct itself was repainted in 2012; and a cast metal interpretation sign gives lots of useful detail. (Click on photos to enlarge).

I can't help thinking CRT's plan for a "viewing platform" is rather over the top (so to speak).

If you want to look at the aqueduct it is easily viewed, both from the towpath and from below (see yesterday's post for piccies). Why is a platform needed? Disabled access, I suppose. Is this the reason?