We Came, We Saw, We Left

2 Locks and 12 miles. Now back at Clayhithe, River Cam

After heavy overnight rain it had eased to light drizzle by the time we set off for Cambridge just before 9am. Other than a couple of of rowers and 1 narrowboat it was quiet trip. At Bait Bite Lock, ( who dreamed that name up,) we met the lovely lady lock keeper who gave us some new maps and an information pamphlet and had a good chat about this and that. This is another easy lock as it is electric/hydraulic so only the digital finger gets a work out.

As we neared Cambridge the presence of run down live-aboard's started to become obvious just after we passed Two Trees boatyard. We also found a new water point with a stainless steel standpipe on the left bank just before a new white walk/cycle bridge which is not yet officially open .

After watering up we carried on past the depressing site of more and more run down vessels all the way to Jesus Green lock. On the bank beside the swimming pool the 48 hour moorings were full of boats that looked to be more permanent than temporary and only a couple of moorings were available on the opposite bank below the weir.

The grass on the bank had only recently been cut and being wet we could see it being traipsed all through the boats. We did speak to the lady on N/b Kanbedun Again who was on the water point by the swimming pool and she informed us that she had been moored by the weir for 48 hours and found no problems. Despite her reassurances we opted to return to Clayhithe where it was quieter and probably the best mooring site on the river Cam.

Regarding the state of the resident boats in Cambridge we have read that repairing and maintaining of boats while on their moorings is forbidden so its no wonder that the boats are in a hell of a state. Do the council or river conservancy expect the boat owners to race off to a boat yard which are few and far between around here or take the boat out of the water every time something needs fixing? Come on guys get real, I feel certain that if the boat owners were allowed to work on their boats on the moorings some of them would at least be a lot cleaner and tidier than at present. As Cambridge is renowned for its water sport and the river I'm surprised that more pride is not taken in the river frontage. All the rowing clubs have clean and well kept premises along the bank so why not the rest of the river?

Mr and Mrs Duck and family, not usually seen together

1134 locks, 1537 miles, 41 Tunnels, 41 swing bridges and 19 lift bridges since Nov 2006