Sam Hooke

Canal Boat Journey (Day 2): Engine trouble (Windsor to Hurley)

All trips at this location:

We woke up to a magnificant view of Windor Castle from our boat. We had used stakes hammer into the ground to moor up, since there were no bollards. Since many others had staked here before, it easy quite easy to make use of a pre-existing hole. The river bank was a straight and sheer vertical drop, which made it easy to moor very close to the bank.

Our little red boat with Windsor Castle in the background.
(8:15am) Looking towards Windsor from our mooring spot.
The vertical dirt bank.
(8:30am) A closer view of the dirt bank.

After a cooked breakfast, we set off about 10am.

Two canal boats lashed together.
(11:15am) Two other vessles coming our way, lashed together.
A row of Tudor style buildings along the river side.
(11:16am) The Audor architecture at Water Oakley.

We passed through (L07) Boveney Lock, then around midday we topped up with diesel at Windsor Marina.

A diesel pump on the side of the river by the marina entrance.
(noon) Leaving the diesel pump at Windsor Marina.

Then carried on through (L08) Bray Lock and (L09) Boulter’s Lock before reaching a rather scenic stretch of river. The right side rose up and was heavily wooded, with a clear view towards Cliveden House. We passed the steamer Alaska, moored nearby.

A country house on the hill in the distance overlooking the river, with wooded hillside to the right.
(2:15pm) Looking up the river towards Cliveden House.
An old fashioned steamboat, with steam pouring out the chimney.
(2:35pm) The steamboat Alaska.

After (L10) Cookham Lock the river narrowed, as it passes through a cut.

An arched wooden bridge spanning the narrow cut.
(3:00pm) A seemingly unnamed wooden pedestrian bridge just west of (L10) Cookham Lock.
An unusual house that looks like a castle.
(4:05pm) The peculiar castle-esque architecture of Quarry Wood Hall.

After a while we approached (L11) Marlow Lock, where a bunch of kids were hanging out at the DANGER sign indicates. The sign indicate that the weir that way, so we continued on to the right.

Twenty-ish kids on five boats moored up in the middle of the river.
(4:15pm) Kids moored up in the middle of the river just downstream of (L11) Marlow Lock.

By now it was after 6pm so the lock keepers were off duty. We decided to keep the momentum going, and got through (L12) Temple Lock without issue, then entered (L13) Hurley Lock.

When going up a lock, after mooring up you turn your engine off. Once the lock has filled up and the gate is open, you start the engine and carry on your merry way.

Problem was, the engine would not start. We were stuck, helplessly bobbing about in the lock, with no one else around.

Fortunately I was able to jump off and pull our dead-in-the-water boat out of the lock. I tugged it along and we moored up after a short way, then lifted up the boards to inspect the engine.

Looking down at the engine, having lifted up the floor boards.
(8:35pm) Something is wrong…

After an hour or more of “debugging” with very limited tools to hand, we narrowed down the issue to the cable from the starter motor to the isolation switch. There appeared to be a dodgy connection, and wiggling the isolation switch in the right way allowed us to get the engine going again. By now it was 9pm, so we called it a night.