Our stay in Hungerford was quite pleasant. We moored just out of the lock on the tow path side of the canal using mooring pins, the moorings on the off-side next to the park already taken. After several hours on the back of the boat I enjoy the times we get to wander around town. Of course there was our usual call into the closest supermarket along the way which, in this case, was Tesco.
The cruise to Newbury was longer than last time having stopped at Kintbury on the way up. This time we cruised on through Kintbury with only a brief stop while the lock filled to rid ourselves of our rubbish. We were only staying overnight in Newbury this time and it was going to be rather busy. We know Newbury rather well by now having spent 4 or 5 days here on the way to Bath. We came down through Newbury Lock heading for the moorings next to the park. One boat just leaving a mooring, which we took and breasted up together, last time we were here you could have had just about any mooring, it was very quiet. A big audience for our arrival, but really they just wanted to be fed.
There was a small (30ft) boat tied up just ahead of us with the addition of a plastic coated cable running through the unused mooring rings, the cable must have been around 30ft as well. The owner came out for a chat and I asked about the cable, he told me that he connects the cable to each end of the boat in addition to his ropes whenever he is moored in a town, just in case he has his ropes cut or untied. Better to be safe I guess but thankfully we haven't had that problem in two seasons.
Up early and Rachael headed up to the marina with a two-way radio. Having moored across from the Newbury Marina last visit we know how busy it can be and we had already been for a walk and knew the 14 day moorings were full too. Rachael gave the all clear and both boats set off and moored at the marina for what turned out to be one and half hours, the owner loves a chat! We left with both holding tanks empty, both fuel tanks full and both water tanks full. We even got a discount on the pump out because Kevin and I pretty much did the job; excellent!
We arrived at Woolhampton just in time to see two boats come out of the lock and take the last two moorings. Once again we hammered in the pins after getting as close to the bank as we could, all seemed fine. I strolled up to post another postcard and found a nice little village.
We awoke at five o'clock in the morning to find the pound well down, seems the lock had leaked overnight and we were now on a significant list. An unusually early start as we managed to slide off the mud and into the centre of the canal, we were underway by 6 o'clock. The early start was required to get under the lift bridge at Aldermaston Wharf before peak hour. Nothing worse than grumpy peak hour motorists! We cruised under the bridge at 7:15, easily making the designated 8 - 9am rush and not a peep was heard from any motorist. We caught a glimpse of Tyle Mill as we passed, built around 1720 as a flour mill and later becoming a sawmill.
We cruised on hoping to moor at the Cunning Man Pub tonight but it seems even before midday there was not a spot to be had, not that they're designated CRT moorings and I'm only guessing but it looked to me like many of the boats had been there for quite a while...again! We cruised on to Reading where I took the turn into County Lock far too wide and then had difficulty getting across the current to the lock mooring. Should have been much closer to the starboard bank to make the lock entry much easier.
Once through the lock we pressed the button for the light controls and got a green straight away, off we went through reading. Rachael wasn't terribly impressed taking a bit of spray from a grape that hit the side of the boat. One of the lovely residents of Reading with little else to do. Despite this the cruise through Reading was enjoyable.
'Mini Dino Golf' on the canal.
We rounded the junction for the moorings and only two boats currently on the moorings...excellent! With the Kennet and Avon Canal now behind us, we locked up Serafina and headed to 'The Oracle' shopping centre to pick up a few important pieces of kit for Rachael, new waterproof shoes and waterproof over pants.
My final thoughts on the K & A Canal; too many permanent moorers ruin a lovely canal. It is obvious that many of the boats haven't and/or are not capable of moving. I have never had to re-tie up or help so many boaters in boats of such poor condition. The CRT has started; I've never had by index number recorded so many times on one canal, I only hope that they can clean it up.
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