The Grand Voyage - lots of pics

nickcred

Well-Known Member
Joined
19 Sep 2005
Messages
748
Location
Hampshire UK
Visit site
Hi Guys. some pics from my slow voyage from Temple to Datchet, you'll be glad to know we successfully managed to make it last 3 days

My good friend Neil the party animal joined me on the trip, here we about to enter Temple Lock

IMG00173-20100614-1300.jpg


After a quick chat with Shades we head towards Marlow. I had forgotten how quiet the river can be in the week, for a while we thought some calamity had occurred and we were the only ones on the river :-)

IMG00175-20100614-1311.jpg



As you can see Neil was pretty happy to be the boat and the river

IMG00183-20100614-1340.jpg


Marlow Lock and the thrist was building nicely

IMG00176-20100614-1324.jpg


So after two locks we decided it was probably a good idea to stop for some refreshments at my favourite pub

IMG00184-20100614-1404.jpg


This seemed to make Neil even happier to be on the river, of course we raised a glass to my good lady wife working away in the office back home ;-)

IMG00185-20100614-1405.jpg


Cliveden was as pretty as always

IMG00192-20100614-1544.jpg


IMG00194-20100614-1547.jpg


I decided to steer from the Flybridge of the good old Birchwood 25 (well from the cockpit roof anyhow and as you can see I am pretty happy to be on the river as well lol

IMG00199-20100614-1557.jpg


Boulters Lock and only 4 gongoozlers on the bridge to greet us instead of the normal crowd

IMG00176-20100614-1324.jpg


IMG00204-20100614-1606.jpg


We decided to drop in on our good friend Michael Parkinson as we passed through but unfortunately it appeared no one was home

IMG00205-20100614-1626.jpg


As we hit Bray Lock, not literally, we realised we were in danger of arriving in Datchet on the first night instead of the planned 3rd night lol,

IMG00209-20100614-1638.jpg


After much discussion and deliberation we decided that there was a absolute need for more refreshment so stopped for an overnight at Bray Marina

IMG00210-20100614-1701.jpg


Tueday morning dawned as a gorgeous day

IMG00222-20100615-0809.jpg


After a hearty breakfast we headed towards Boveney enroute to Windsor

IMG00225-20100615-1052.jpg


A tad cloudy as we came into Windsor

IMG00230-20100615-1122.jpg


As we did not want to be in Windsor until the evening for our planned night of partying we decided to head for Penton Hook to see if we could meet up with some friends at Thorpe Park and return to Windsor that night where Mark the owner of my old mooring had said we could stay overnight for free , cheers Mark and good to see you again.

We returned to Windsor with the guys from our destination at Kris Crusiers wondering why we kept going past and not coming in for the service lol and somehow we ended up in need of further refreshment

IMG00237-20100616-1353.jpg


IMG00239-20100616-1353.jpg


More discussion and an idea to phone my good lady wife while she was at work and could not argue to advise her we would not return home until Thursday PM as another night on the boat seemed like a plan, we needed to visit the pubs in Datchet just to make sure the beer quality was ok and to make the most of the final hours of the trip with a bit of fishing,
we succeeded at both :-)

IMG00213-20100614-1905.jpg


What a brilliant few days on the river, thanks to my lovely lady for letting me loose for the trip, to all the pubs and the lockies and my buddy Neil for as always keeping me in absolute stitches all the way down the river. Saturday and we will head to Datchet to take her back to Temple, this time with the family, hope the weather holds.
 
Steering from the "flybridge" of the Birchwood 25, is pretty much obligatory on a sunny day isn't it?

Remember getting some strange looks from other boats as I sat on the roof of mine, steering with my feet through the sunroof!

Looks like you had a good time, bit concerned about the position of the rope in the picture waiting outside Marlow lock, though I guess no harm done if no strain put on it.

So how long you intending on making the return trip last, a week?

Darren.
 
rope

You're right Darren and he quickly learn't the only thing we would fall out about was if he damaged my boat lol, apart from casting off a little too early in the odd lock he was a good crew member :-) especially useful for keeping the beer cold.

Was a brilliant trip and was nice to be able to get out of the cockpit with my feet steering technique

And Byron the fish went back to live another day, he caught two using a lure and a cheapo telescopic rod I had on board, but I swear it was the same poor bugger he caught :-)
 
Top