Here we go again!

That is never getting under the bridge to open the barrier!

6.30am and we are holding station outside the restricted zone. True to form, the barriers are still blocking the river so passage is being delayed yet again.
Add to that the fact that after being refused permission to moor the other side of the bridge just 50 yards away and watching 3 other boats being allowed through to do just that our frustration levels are starting to rise.
7.45am  We see a boat in the horizon coming towards us, is it the Security boat? No its a river hoover, cleaning the river that is going to be used the least this summer leaving all the weed and rubbish in the busy parts of the river for the rest of us to deal with.  8am and we are still stuck here!! I have spoken to 4 different people who all assure me that there is someone on their way since 7am!! Obviously they are running on river time as a 10 minute job is taking FOREVER!!

8.33am After 20 minutes of faffing about, giving our details to the G4s guy, speaking to 1 IWA Volunteer and 2 BW bods they finally open the barrier.  Better late than never, at least we are on our way now.
8.57am We finally arrive at Old Ford Lock after the nightmare of G4S incompetence apparently it was his first day?  I feel for the poor bugger as it wasn't his fault and for a change it wasn't BW's fault either.  

I thought the saying was if you pay peanuts you get monkeys.  I think it should be if you pay huge wages and bonuses you get monkeys!! 

9.47am we finally arrive at Lime House Basin!!  All the stress and anger is somehow calmed at the sight of a rather beautiful Sailing Barge by the Name of Cabby.   She was one of the Vessels to be selected to take part in the Avenue of Sail at the Queens Diamond Jubilee Pageant this year.
Cabby was the last wooden barge to be built in Rochester and was started in 1925.  If you are interested I have placed a link with more information about her HERE

Swans trying to sneak through the control zone

9.52am we are sharing Commercial Road Lock with a family of swans who were turned back for not booking passage with BW to Lea Bridge Road.  Where they would have displayed their passes I have no idea?  We all managed to get through the lock safely though and the volunteer lock keepers decided to let them through back into Mile End without any cavity searches or getting the police involved :0)

Mark, You are going the wrong way!!

10.54am we arrive at Mile End Park and have time for a quick social with John on Word on the Water and Sam on the Waterways Woodturning Boat.  A lot more trading barges have arrived for the Olympic Floating Market.  You can buy all types of food, glass jewellery, hats, vintage clothing and all manner of sweets treats and gifts there.  I highly recommend you take the time to give it a visit during the next 10 weeks.

13.38pm We are off on our way again and heading through Old Ford Lock on the Regents Canal.  Mark and Yogi had had a quick pint in the pub while I was having a look around the floating market so we were running even more behind now!  Hey Ho, the sun is shining and its a lovely day.  The Olympic moorings are starting to fill up and I recognised a couple of the boats from up North already there and in place for their 10 week stay in the Capital.

14.58pm we clear the prop of rubbish at Sturts Lock for the second time. We had already got a Tent Bag off the prop at Johnsons Lock. This time we had a lovely range of wire coat hangers, carrier bags, bailing twine and heavy duty plastic bags.  I feel terribly lazy, I have hardly done a thing all day apart from sit on my arse on the roof of the boat having a lovely time.  Mark, on the other hand has been doing all the locks and prop clearing and apparently is also having a lovely time!  Works for me. :0)
The weed and all the rubbish is a real bind, (if you will pardon the pun).  It seems that no sooner have we come out of a lock that we have completely lost power and steering due to the amount of it floating around in the canal in huge dense clumps.  Its making the whole journey a long slow, laborious one.

17.25pm we drop Tom off at the Cumberland Basin after he noticed us at Camden Locks.  The place was crammed with tourists all asking the same old questions.  'How much does it cost? Is it cold in Winter? Are you a tourist boat? Can we come for a ride? What, you live on it? etc. etc.  I have learnt not to make eye contact with them as once you have they've got you for ages.  As I was keeping my head down looking everywhere but the crowds that surrounded me I'm sure I heard a little voice call 'Ronni!!'  I looked up and saw Young Tom from the Island!! 'My god Tom, you're the last person I expected to see' I exclaimed.  'We haven't seen you for ages!' We had a quick chat and he chucked his bike on the roof of the boat and started to help with the crewing in exchange for a lift on the boat.  This gave me some time to run off and grab some cans of drink, we were all parched and it was even too hot for Tea!!