We’ve finally had a couple of cooler days, making cruising more enjoyable and having dinner one night with Penny and Mark outside the New Inn

Today I enjoyed a visit to RHS Wisley, where I worked part time, as a student and full time member of staff running the Orchid Glasshouses. Nothing remains of them from my time, but the new glasshouses are magnificent.

We wandered across to Battlestone Hill, where I first started as a summer vocational worker, and a place I always feel at home…especially amongst the Eucalyptus trees that I planted some 50 years ago. The fairy dell is still magical, though I didn’t see any badgers like I used to do in the late afternoons.

We wondered around the exotic, walled and rose gardens….perfection everywhere.

It was gradually getting hotter, time for lunch or an ice cream…..

A magical day at a magical place, I hope to return one day….

We had an another warm night last night, dinner at 8 with it starting to cool down by 9. A shower at 10 cooled me down enough for sleep. We are usually up by 6, this morning was no exception, and cruising by 7 to keep out the sun as much as possible. Our first lock was Bowers, let me take you thru it..

This is Bowers from my perspective, I’ve dropped Hazel off at the lock landing and enter via the bottom gates. We know the gates are hard to do, so I motor to the top gates, fasten the boat and climb out via the slimy ladder set in muddy walls.

Once Hazel and I have closed the bottom gates, it requires both of us with maximum effort, I climb back in and Hazel pulls me back towards the bottom gates. We fasten the bowline to a bollard, loop the stern line around another bollard and I hang on the end.

Hazel then goes to the top gates, checks that we are both happy with the lines, and cracks open the top paddle on my side of the lock. Immediately water starts filling the lock pushing the boat back, then forwards as the water bounces off the bottom gates. I control all the movement with my stern rope.

These locks are about 75 feet long, 15 feet wide and up to 15 feet deep. With both paddles open they could fill in 5 minutes ! That’s why it’s imperative to rope up and take it slowly. Sadly some people believe they can do it quickly, usually resulting in flooded boats, damaged gates and occasionally drownings. You can never take them for granted. The noise is tremendous as well, we have a system of hand signals for various operations, including emergency paddle closure, thankfully only used once when a line got caught and the boat started listing.

Once the initial surge is over, and 1 top paddle fully open, Hazel comes back and tighten the bowline, This ensures I have enough stern line to keep the boat central as the water level rises.

Walking across the top gates she then opens the second paddle. By then the boat is emerging from the lock, and I can step off on the opposite side to Hazel.

The last couple of inches always seems to take the longest, but until the water is level with the river you can’t open them !

Once level we open the gates both sides, wind down the paddles to close them, and I coil the lines as Hazel makes her way back. Then start the engine, and exit the lock, usually with a boat waiting to go thru in the opposite direction.

Of course sometimes the lock is set against you, it’s in full sun or you have to share. All part of the fun, the maximum we’ve done is 21 in one day……hard yakka 😀

We’ve used the services at Dapdune Wharf, done a bit of shopping at M&S, and are now moored at our usual spot in Guildford Meadows. It’s definitely cooler and there’s a nice breeze, where’s that ice cream……

After a couple of days at Walsham Gates in the shade to escape the heat we had to move for services. So back to Cartbridge via Newark and Papercourt Locks.

Built in 1633 Newark is one of the oldest locks in the UK and is called so because of its proximity to Newark Priory. Only a few walls remain standing of this 12 to 13th Century building for Augustian monks. It was mainly destroyed during the reformation of Henry VIII.

After the Marina Services, and a quick shower which did nothing to alleviate the effects of heat, we moored at our usual spot in Send, Highbridge, for a quick shop. There was no shade here, and as the temps hit 30 again, a mooring around the corner provided some relief. To early for the pub, but OK for morning tea.

Whisper cruised past with Brian enquiring about our electrical problems. The amp meter is working fine…..so the smart gauge has now decided to play up ! So long as we can keep cruising for another week……then I’ll get the mobile mechanic to take another look. As the sun moved around we decided to head for our first nights spot near Send Church Bridge as it has good shade. Just one lock, Triggs, set in our favour by Whisper 👍

Fortunately nobody was moored there, and i spent the rest of the afternoon moving PT up and down to keep in the shade, as well as washing the rear deck boards. Tomorrow’s forecast is for 29, we will head for Guildford and a chemist for Hazel’s cold.

So a quiet day at Walsham Gates….what to do ?

Say good bye to our new friends onboard Pennies from heaven.

Read, a whole trilogy by Anthony Ryan, glad H bought them.

Photograph the Damselflies and Dragonflies around the banks.

Watch the temperature go up and the batteries go down 😳

So yesterday started well…

An early start as a neighbour motored past and I decided to join him at Millmead Lock, then shopping at Lidl and B&Q for a crimp set to fix our amp gauge problem. On restarting the fridge alarmed and the smart gauge indicated low capacity on the start battery. I decided to move on hoping the alternator would charge it up. It didn’t, but the house battery did, indicating the start battery was defunct or on its way out. All thoughts of a shady mooring evaporated, we had to get to Pyrford Marina for a new battery. This involved 6 locks in 32 degree heat, exhausting H and myself. Fortunately we carried on travelling with our new found friend, halving the lock labouring.

We finally entered Pyrford Lock, and then Marina after saying good bye and thanks to our fellow boater. Finding Rachael, who sold T42 for us, had good and bad news. They don’t sell batteries anymore, but a mobile mechanic was on site who had one. He checked the battery under load, all good nothing wrong with it, ignore the smart gauge! By now it was 35 and we wanted shade, but whilst Rachael was there she informed us there was never a better time to sell and offered a good appraisal. I was sorely tempted there and then because the day had been so taxing. We told her we would think about it and found a tiny patch of shade outside the Marina. I had to move it every 30 minutes to keep it out the sun whilst H crashed inside the 30 degree cabin….

At 9:30 it dropped below 30 ! Time for tea and a cool shower….but no water……the fuse had gone on the pump….time for more running repairs, in which I found a loose connector on the smart gauge fuses..FIXED the original problem …..aaaHH

So this morning we had another early start, thru Pyrford Lock and onto a lovely shady spot at Walsham Gates. There is a RED ALERT for the area, Wisley is going to be the hottest spot in the UK with 40 degrees forecast today and tomorrow ! Emma, the lengthman at these gates, has just visited us checking all is ok and giving us permission to stay for more than 48 hours.

I don’t think we’re going to move soon ! battery and electrical issues permitting.

Making our way back from Godalming yesterday the temperature seemed to increase with every lock. We were so glad to find the perfect spot under some willows that we stayed here all of today as well. The weather forecast of 31, 35 and 39 ! over the next 3 days has forced us to change our plans. Mooring on the Thames is limited at best, let alone in the shade…….so it can wait until the weather cools ! The river Wey offers a lot more shady spots, many known to us.

So tomorrow we will head downstream for services, shopping and shade. I also have to do some electrical running repairs on the amp meter, luckily the smart gauge is now working giving us a good indication of battery condition and life. We must keep that fridge going…..and the ice creams it contains !

The last blog left off with us heading to Guildford. Luckily it was a cooler day, but we still struggled with effects of Jet lag and post virus weakness. I attempted to faint a few times doing locks, so took it very slowly with plenty of sit downs ! A stop was made a Lidl for provisions and Dapdune Wharf for services. Our usual stop at the bottom of Guildford High Street was rewarding with a craft fair, and a second hand camera lens for my Sony.

As usual Marks and Spencer’s provided anything you needed, except a new swim suit for Hazel. The Jaeger area looked good Mum. Then it was onto the meadows for a shady spot and a bit of boat polishing, tiller handle varnishing and a cooling shower !

This morning I was feeling a lot better, but the sun has come out and it’s about 28 degrees at present. We’ve made it to Godalming for a catch up with friends Mike and Sue.

As the Wharf was in full sun we are currently meandering our way back to Guildford, stopping under a shady tree for lunch.

Now do we move on or stay ……..

Well it seemed a long flight to the UK this year, but Qantas made things as comfortable as possible after a 3 hour delay. Sue from Kendall picked us up from Heathrow and dropped us off at Guildford where a hybrid Fiat 500 awaited us. Although it was 7.30 in the morning the temp was 23 and set to climb.

We did a quick shop on the way to Cartbridge Basin, then it was time to unpack. PT isn’t her usual pristine self this time. It looks like I have a lot of polishing, varnishing and general tidying up this year……After we had topped up the water it was 30 degrees inside, time to move to some shade. The upstream moorings at Send provided some temporary relief for lunch, but we had to move on as the sun came round and the boat interior peaked at 30 degrees !

This involved one lock, Triggs, where the jet lag and post viral conditions caught up. H almost fainted and I could barely climb out of the lock to give her a hand. Once thru and into twisty bits we found a nice shady spot to settle in. Having done so Sea Otter Wisper craised past with Brian and Jackie. It was good to catch up, they were instrumental in us moving to Cartbridge Basin.

Cheers SO owners

An early night……and an even earlier start, but that’s for later….

We had a wet start to our journey yesterday, the prop plane from Launnie was in cloud most of the time. After an hour in the Qantas lounge the next leg to Perth had an unusual East to West wind, significantly cutting flight time.

Our cottage at St Louis is so convenient when visiting Kiora, which itself is close to shops at Claremont Quarter, and hospitals which Dad is unfortunately currently working his way through.

Today was spent completing a little list of jobs for Mum, saying hi to Dad, and purchasing a new sports jacket…..I seem to have forgotten mine despite being carefully placed near the suitcase so I wouldn’t forget. I also tried to repair a suitcase that the Qantas baggage handlers had rearranged so that its handle couldn’t be extended. Unpacking and dismantling revealed it had received a blow sufficient to put a buckle in the tubing. Some gentle persuasion and a hammer has fixed it enough to be used. A family dinner finished a profitable day, hopefully Dad can join us next time ❤️

Tomorrow will be a long day…some 22 hours flying via Singapore. The next post hopefully will be in the UK…

With some gentle rocking Prime Thyme’s interior can be very inviting after a long flight.

It’s been exactly a year since the “Baku” incident, and we’re ready for international travel again. It will make a break from the numerous Tassie to WA trips we have recently done.

First up is a couple of weeks aboard Prime Thyme, cruising the River Wey and Thames. Our berth has been moved to the other side of the Marina. Not such a trek for the services and car park. As usual Penny has prepped the boat, and an engineer has serviced the engine and replaced a few bits and pieces.

We then set sail with Viking, a first for us and their Ocean ship, along the Norwegian coastline. Then up into the article circle and ending up in Iceland.

After a couple of days exploring we move onto the Shetland Isles, via Scotland. This will finish up with wool purchases filling up every nook and cranny in our suitcases. I hope to get a few more “Puffin” shots and enjoy the magnificent scenery. We’ve always visited on cruise ship day excursions so this time will be a little less frantic. My daily blog will resume next week, please enjoy it