Gravel run doing well

Published: Thursday, 08 July 2010

THE latest news on the working boats transporting over 100 tons of gravel is that the fleet passed through Apsley on Wednesday afternoon and  spent the night at  Berkhamsted.

Today (Thursday) morning they will be running down the Marsworth Flight in convoy. Their destination for Thursday night is Stoke Bruerne, Del Brenner writes. (Photographs by David Hymers as they were coming into their overnight moorings at Berkhamsted.)

All seems to be going well even though the loading took longer than expected, and the boats did not get away from Paddington Basin until Tuesday afternoon. Being so heavily loaded they are grounding a certain amount, but they will be driving a nice deep channel through the silt as they go.

Plenty of interest

The skippers are very pleased with the interest that has been shown in their freight convoy, and many visitors have been turning out to see them passing and to wish them well. A lot of help has been given at the locks, and one enthusiastic supporter has been lock-wheeling for them on his bicycle and setting-up the locks ahead.

The intrepid seven-man crew consists of Tom Hill on Archimedes followed closely by James Bill on butty Ara, Mark Rowland on Callisto, Steve Harmer on Themis, Richard Horne on Arundel with butty Joe and Chris Gray in tow, and Mike Askins on a newly painted Victoria.