WAKAROA2015: Paddington Basin to Mile end

Thursday, 6 August 2015

Paddington Basin to Mile end

5 August - Through London to Mile End

A slow start out of Paddington Basin, when I did the weed hatch this morning the water was so clear you could see the prop, the rudder, the bar under the prop, and the bottom of the canal, you could also see the largest collection of plastic that the prop has collected on the trip so far. Its easy to remove when you can see it.

Pretty clean looking water, shame about the prop

Heading out of Paddington Basin over the spa

Little Venice and through our first tunnel, Maida Hill - 272 yards

We passed on some lovely areas and through London Zoo and Regent park heading towards Camden, Do you remember going through the zoo Clara. Unfortunately we also noticed that the tow path has a lot of weeds and tagging, one thing that Milton Keynes has got under control.

We moved off to the 3 locks at Camden, Lock keepers to help made them easy work, this part of the canal is where we saw narrow boats for the 1st time in 2007 so this is where it all started for us.
Camden has people everywhere there was a bridge covered in onlookers, as I passed underneath I called out [How Many Kiwi's] 3 people put there hands up.

We stopped at Kings Cross for lunch , an area with huge development and cranes everywhere.

Kings Cross has definitely changed will be interesting to see what it is like in ten years time.

Off on through Islington Tunnel which is 960 yards

Next stop was at Old Ford lock for water there was a queue of 2 boats ahead of us and a slow slow water tap, while I waited Vicki walked down and spotted a mooring about 200m further on. When she came back the second boat , a wide beam with a dickhead at the helm was still loading water, we filled the lock and opened the gates, and the guy was inside on the phone, Vic disconnected his hose, rolled it up, put it on his boat, told him it was full and off he went, hope he gets a shower tonight.