Balancing on the back of a boat

What a change in the weather! The day started fine, if rather breezy, so we made a reasonably early start from our mooring at the end of the Wendover Arm. By the time we tied up in Berkhamsted we'd had quite a lot of rain. some of it pretty torrential.

A heron guarded one of the outfalls from the Tringford Pumping Station on the Wendover Arm.

At the junction with the GU main line stands Bulbourne Dry Dock, on the (not quite dry)floor of which I lay on my back in the early 1980s blacking myself and the baseplate of Savoy Hill. Now the dry dock seems to be operated by Bates's Boatyard of the Aylesbury Arm.

We watered up just past the Grand Junction Arms (good pressure) and continued along the Tring summit pound. This boat has found a use for a redundant balance beam.

At Dudswell Lock 48 we were helped through by a posse of CRT staff who were gathering in readiness for repairing a top gate tomorrow. The heel post had broken.

We were treated to a visit by Ally, Josiah and Micah this afternoon. Ally had heard good things about the Natural History Museum offshoot in Tring, so she drove us all there to see the amazing collection of stuffed animals. On her way home she dropped us off at our car in Bulbourne; we drove to Berkhamsted and the boat. This evening we went to the Verandah Indian Restaurant and enjoyed their "gourmet night" deal.