A day crewing Parglena (xp)

Julian's boat Parglena is in the process of being sold and so needs to visit
Uxbridge dry dock for a survey. Brenda and I  volunteered to crew and so
rose early and set off to Bourne End where we arrived just as Parglena had
returned from turning round below Top Side lock. I mounted Jannock's trusty
lock wheeling bike and there I stayed for the next seven hours, all the way
down to Batchworth. That's 12 miles in the saddle and don't I know it!
We moved along quite quickly until we were leaving Red Lion lock where a
wide beam trip boat left their moorings below and pottered along slowly with
Parglena breathing down it's sternpost. I had cycled ahead to prepare Kings
Langley lock where I found the lock full, gates open and another wide beam
community boat with a panicking Captain. They had stopped the engine whilst
filling the lock and now it would not start. As there was another boat
waiting below to ascend I suggested they pull the their boat into the lock
using the ropes  whilst I had a look in the engine ole to try and find out
why it would not start. I lifted the boards, checked all of the electrical
connections around the starter motor and then tried the key and it burst
into life. Having finally tried the key myself, I suspect that he hadn't
tried turning it past the pre-heat section as it had a very strong spring
against the start position. Whilst the very grateful crew went down through
the lock and the waiting boat ascended, Caro negotiated for Parglena to
overtake the second widebeam now waiting on the lock landing. This left us
following the first widebeam and so I ended up setting for them at Hunton
bridge, Lady Capel's and Cassiobury until they turned round below Cassio
bridge lock to return North.
BW have done some work at Kings Langley lock and so I do not believe it is
the slowest lock to fill on the G.U. any more. Iron bridge lock now comes
close to taking that title.
Before the community boat winded, it was ascertained that the  bow thruster
was not working so the steerer wanted to use ropes to help the turn. I
volunteered to take the centre rope around the bollard to assist with