Local boat owners take test run to basin

On Sunday 20th April seven boats set out from the residential moorings at Iver on the second 'Iver Cavalcade' procession to the basin.

In the lead was NB. Becky crewed by Phil and Jack

This local event was born in 2013, when several boats from the Highline moorings which had booked their places at the annual May bank holiday 'Canalway Cavalcade' event were prevented from attending by the closure of the canal at the site of the Reeds' Bridge collapse.

A well spaced out line of boats approach Trenches Bridge

Not to be outdone, some of the residents decided to hold their own event using the length of canal which was available to them, and cruised west to the end of the arm at Slough basin.

Boats still not cruising in 'close formation'. Fortunately no one lost power and had to be towed.

Canal boat cruising is by convention a summer event, and some of the boats will not have moved much during the winter months. Cavalcade is the first major event for the boating community. Therefore a warm-up run to ensure that engines and structures are sound after the winter is a good test before more ambitious outings later in the season.

Accompanying the procession by bike enabled me to move from rear to the front of the group and watch them at several different locations.

It probably also left me the wettest of the participants

It took most of two hours for the boats to make their way from the moorings to the basin, without major mishap, although some were aware of shallow water and weed at some stages.

The longest boats (70 feet) have just enough room to turn around at basin's winding hole, while the shorter ones can steer a circular track without any need to reverse.

The weather forecast for Sunday afternoon was poor with heavy rain predicted. Steady rain fell as the boats turned at the basin, and a heavier deluge began just as the boats returned to their moorings. The rain can be seen on the water here.

The western end of the Slough Arm is going to be dredged in the coming weeks, the heavy plant arrived at Highline the week before Easter. It would be good for some of the participants to repeat their journey post dredging and report on any changes to the navigation.

Amy is double the width of the conventional narrowboats which took part in the event. I was reassured that pre-dredging this wider hull didn't get stuck anywhere in shallow water.