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After buying fuel from Buckden Marina and some bits in the chandlery there, we set off through a few downstream locks and moored up at Godmanchester on another swelteringly hot day which we were finding uncomfortable but Paxton Princess was running well but needing a range of running repairs which I tackled when we locked through Godmanchester and moored up under the new Huntingdon road bridge for shade.
A short cruise to Purvis Marine after a session with a river inspector where we managed to get the temporary visitors registration and then on to St Ives where we found The Waites Quay full but there was space at The Dolphin, the new river pub by the town bridge. An unfortunate row with Diana prevented us enjoying dinner there as she did not like the conflict with Daniel over trying to get him to help and was finding the hot weather too much for her. I fished with the girls until late by which time the temperature had cooled down a bit. Daniel was watching TV all this time and contacting Jason Chambers so as to be able to meet him tomorrow in St Ives.
I was awake first at 7.00am on and made the drinks and had a cup of tea myself. The family were not awake until an hour later at which time I showered and shaved and then went outside with Daniel to take the canopy and windscreens down and then move the Paxton Princess along to the fuel pumps. I bought some 180 litres of diesel at the very good price of 85p per gallon which is much cheaper than in Norfolk. I also called at the chandlery shop and bought a gallon of engine oil and a new electrical socket for the roof. We then set off through a few downstream locks and moored up at Godmanchester on another swelteringly hot day. We are starting to run into problems with the boating routine. I like to have things cleared away and spick and span and Diana just leaves them laying around to do in a spell! The boat is running very well but the hot weather is a problem - perhaps a canopy is the answer.
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A cruise from the Anchor pub in Bedford down river to moor at the St Neots pontoons for a Beefeater lunch and then on through Paxton and Offord locks to moor for the night at Buckden Marina on a quite unbearable hot day.
We had stopped to check at home to find the decorators working well and I also dealt with some local issues as Councillor whilst Diana did some washing as the girls and Daniel swan in the pool. I then brought my computer on board for the trip to accompany my new Cellnet telephone .
We slept well and awoke to the birds at 7.00am on Di got the drinks as I caught up on some reading and then, once the children woke up, we all got going. Diana has established the routine that we shower in the aft facilities and do all else forw'd which seems to be the most efficient way of getting a family of five ready in the morning. I was out mopping again because, although it had started another very warm and sunny day, there was some condensation last night. We got going at 10.00am as the temperature soared in the hot sun and locked through Eaton Socon and eventually moored up at St Neots pontoons again. We had another nice lunch at the Beefeater again (Fried Plaice and Salad for me) and then did some more chores in town. I had two telephone calls. One from Stephen Bloom who wanted to borrow one of our outboards and another from our housekeeper Joan who had some messages for us. These we received quite happily on the boat via our new Cellnet telephone.
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Our first morning routine aboard and we managed well, showering with the hot water stored overnight and then Daniel helped me clean and fold the canopy to give us more space on the bridge. We locked up through Roxton, Great Barford, Willington and then stopped at the riverbank there and took a walk in the hot sun to the Willington Garden Centre and then set off through Castle Mills but could not get through Cardington as expected as the lock was really too narrow.
After solving an engine overheating problem by clearing an inlet filter, we cruised back through the locks to The Anchor at Tempsford again and settled there for the night. We had some drinks at The Anchor pub Diana had spotted a "bouncy castle" available for customers' children to play on. I had taken care to note all of the lock and bridge heights and distances for my log and tracking the river course with the Decca and Plotter; all for subsequent cruising interest.
We had our first morning routine and everybody seemed to manage very well. The water in the domestic tank had managed to stay hot all night and we all had showered this morning, if a bit tentatively for some of the crew! I was out before breakfast washing and mopping off the boat and then, after we had some cereal to eat, I got a reluctant Daniel out on deck and we washed the canopy on the grass and then folded it up afterwards to give much more space and freedom in the bridge. We set off at 10.00am and by this time the day had become very warm and sunny and, in the absence of a breeze, we were glad to make our own. We locked up through Roxton, Great Barford, Willington and then stopped at the riverbank there and took a walk in the hot sun to the Willington Garden Centre.
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The weather today started cloudy and misty and then ended up sunny and clear for the start of our epic voyage. Making our last-minute arrangements at home and then taking off upstream to moor first at St Neots Town Quay and ended up reporting vandalism damage to another boat.
We took lunch at the Beefeater and then on through Eaton Socon lock and cruised upstream to Tempsford. Some fishing whilst the family watched the film "Back to the Future II" on our boat video and then up late in my cabin writing up my ship’s logs
It was cooler and duller today and we had already got much of the work done in order to get away. We were awake early, with me arousing(!) Diana before breakfast. I then sat in my office for a while and worked out all of my credit card and other bills before filing everything away so that the Decorators could get in to wallpaper the room whilst I was away. We loaded all of the last-minute things aboard the Paxton Princess, filled up with water and then prepared the house for leaving. I then liaised with the decorators and gardener so that they could get on. Poor Daniel had a car problem in that his new pride and joy was no longer running. He therefore took it back to the dealer to get it fixed and we collected him on the boat which was quite a satisfactory solution.
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