Low bridges bring Olympic rewards

Having spent weeks getting to London today we started to move away. First, as we were next to Spey
overnight, we watched Stephen start its Bolinder engine. One of the key operations was the heating of the "hot bulb" with a blowtorch. The flame is visible to the left.

When the bulb was hot enough it was time to spin the engine. This is done by foot, pressing down hard on a retractable pin on the flywheel.

After several attempts the engine fired and kept going. It was time for us to get going, so we reversed away and turned into the Limehouse Cut.

This was almost entirely covered with duckweed. Immediately past the Bow flyover (over which I have driven countless times) we turned right onto part of the network of waterways which surround the Olympic Park. We shall be passing through the two bookable locks after the IWA festival, but for now we were travelling on the Bow Back River and City Mills River which connect directly with the Lee Navigation. Here is City Mill Lock hiding under all the blocks of flats.

Round a bend or three and under a low bridge carrying the Northern Sewer Outfall …

… we came to the ArcelorMittal Orbit and the Olympic Stadium, now the home of West Ham United FC. Yes, we came under that low bit.

Whatever you think of the Orbit, it's certainly striking.

Carpenter's Road Lock is the other lock we shall use after the festival.

All too soon we were back on the "main line" of the Lee Navigation and ascending Old Ford Lock operated for us by a volunteer.

A short distance north of the lock I saw some powerful lights suspended from cherry pickers. The lights, mimicking sunlight, were shining through windows in the top floor of a run-down-looking office building. There must have been an expensive film production in progress.

Old Ford was the only lock with a volunteer lockkeeper but most of the others we passed through today were paired, one being manually operated and the other powered. I believe this is Tottenham Lock, the powered one. The manual lock is out of shot to the left.

At subsequent locks we made sure the boat was the same side as the control panel!

Other things to mention: the southern end of the Lee is one long - very long - line of moored boats. They go on for miles. I forgot to note where they began to spread out, but it wasn't very far from where we are now, which is at the Navigation Inn at Ponders End. The duckweed must have petered out somewhere too as there's none here. We passed Paul on Waterway Routes and exchanged greetings. (Which reminds me: I must write a post on how useful his mapping system is, verging on indispensable.)

The forecast rain held off apart from one very short shower. Until we'd tied up at the pub when, with excellent timing, it hammered down.

We had a drink in the pub but didn't eat there. It didn't seem the cleanest place. Where we sat there was a vermin bait trap on the carpet, covered in cobwebs. Oh, and there was no real ale. Tomorrow, wind permitting, we intend to stop at the Fish and Eel at Dobb's Weir.

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.

Timelapse: Dobb's Weir to Limehouse Basin

Things are starting to get interesting. This next timelapse film shows us travelling down the Lee Navigation on 20th August 2010 from Dobb's Weir towards London. The Olympic Stadium is clearly visible as we pass the junction with the Hertford Union Canal (Duckett's Cut). We stop just the other side of Old Ford Lock to have a look at the Olympic site; then we carry on a bit further before tying up again for a short while, at Three Mills. Then it's down towards Bow Locks, and onto the Limehouse Cut to Limehouse Basin for the night.

• bowhauling into Carthagena Lock (0.21)
  
  
• train alongside (0.34)
  
  
• taking on water above Stonebridge lock (3.17)
  
  
• unusual loco crossing bridge (3.39)
  
  
• another train crossing bridge (!) (3.52)
  
  
• Olympic Stadium (4.18)
  
  
• tying up outside Olympic Park (4.30)
  
  
• nb Scholar Gypsy passing (4.54)
  
  
• tying up by Three Mills (5.08)
  
  
• passing Bow Locks (5.15)
  
  
• onto Limehouse Cut (5.17)
  
  
• DLR passing overhead (5.29)
  
  
• into Limehouse Basin with nb Fulbourne (5.31)
  
  
• tying up in Limehouse Basin (5.35)

Still to come: onto the tidal Thames.

Dobb's Weir to Limehouse Basin, with a look at the Olympic Park

Friday 20th August 2010

See how behind I am with these cruising updates! We're actually tied up at Folly Bridge in Oxford, as per the schedule, but I haven't had a chance before now to do any blogging, owing to having to make navigation lights on Saturday, and the long cruising days we've been doing since then.

But back to last Friday. I got up at 7.00 and walked to Dobb's Weir Lock to set it, before bringing Willow in.


Further down the Lee, south of the junction with Duckett's Cut, we stopped to have a closer look at the site of the 2012 London Olympics. It's a construction site on a huge scale.


Concrete is made on the spot, with supplies of the raw ingredients coming by lorry and train. Reportedly by boat too, via the Bow Back Rivers, but I didn't see that for myself.


I was anxious to get on to Limehouse Basin, so that we wouldn't miss the safety briefing given by the St. Pancras Cruising Club for those crews going out onto the tideway at the weekend. We turned off the Lee onto the Limehouse Cut, another waterway I can tick off. At the junction are Bow Locks, and a sighting of the buildings of Canary Wharf.


And then we were very quickly at Limehouse Basin, which looked completely different from a boater's perspective. We were directed to a 40 feet gap between boats, so we were able to tie up against the wall. Handy. Willow is the green boat to the left of Solace.


David took Fergus home on the DLR, returning on his own by bike later to join us at the safety talk.

More about that, and about our adventures on the tidal Thames, and how we nearly came a cropper, at another time. For me, now, it's time for bed. Another early start tomorrow!

Canals and the Docklands Light Railway

I love travelling on the Docklands Light Railway in London, especially when I can get a seat right at the front. It's disconcerting at first, as there's no driver. Not a human one, that is. It's all computer controlled, meaning that there's nothing stopping you seeing along the tracks. I took the above photo as we entered Canary Wharf Station.


You quickly get used to being able to see where you're going, and not being next to the driver. It's a bit like sitting in the bow of a boat going along the canal (OK, the speed's not the same, but you know what I mean).

I snapped what I could of the waterways as we crossed them on this Boxing Day 2009 trip: this is Limehouse Cut...


... and, a few seconds later, here is Limehouse Basin


...and here.


Had I looked the other way I'd have seen the Regents Canal heading off northwards.