Thank You - Over £3000 Raised So Far

Thanks to everyone who has made a donation to support the Action for Prisoner's Families Helpline. We have raised £3200 so far and hope to exceed £4000 with firm promises in the pipeline.

Also many thanks to the following who have helped with the venture.

Cast Roughly In Order of Appearance

Harry Manisty - for insisting that I had to make the journey upstream
Hilary Manisty - for coping with daily weather updates for the 2 months preceding, during and after + black sealing compound everywhere + obsessive chaos + sowing the cover + marrying a nutter + ...
Christopher Gray - for physical and moral support during the final preparations
Monty Farrow - for a commanding presence at the start and the finish + extreme reporting
Alan Lindfield - for risking the trial journey from Greenwich to Westminster
Alex Allan - for original inspiration and braving the jetty at the start
Lucy Gampell - for running a great organisation and support during the trip
Jessica Berens - for great skill and tenacity with the publicity
Robin and Clare Brown - for encouragement and help with wind experiments
Sylvia and Ian Rutter - for a happy meeting at Cookham and loan of clip-on ammeter
Andrew and Cereze Gay - for Marlow mooring, meal, bed and courier service
Tricia Monro - for enthusiastic support and arranging stopover in Whitchurch
Suzy and Philip - for a wonderful night at the Mill at Whitchurch; may the wheels soon start turning!
Carol Boulter - High Sheriff of Berkshire - For being so game to take the helm in full regalia!
Chris and Margaret Balster - for saving me from the storms and a cosy night on blow-up bed
Max Goodey - for a safe mooring, meal and decent bed
Julian Le Vay - for towpath support and the gift of a great book - 'unlikely adventures of Jack de Crow' - must read for boating maniacs
David Jerger - for gentle ribbing and liquid support
John Powls - for the bottle of bubbly at the end

Final Interview

Many thanks to intrepid reporter Monty Farrow for these last two video clips, one taken approaching the final destination and the other at the point of celebration!

Design Review

I thought I would devote a section of the blog to the design of the solar vessel that completed this 'cruise', and some thought for improvements in the future.

The Boat

My starting point was the boat that I already had - Corvelia - a Thames launch built in 1950. Length: 11 feet 9 inches (3.60 metres) Beam: 4 feet 7 inches (1.40 metres). Corvelia is clinker built with oak planking - the diagram below illustrates clinker (on left) with carvel techniques for wooden boats. And the picture is of Corvelia during the messy business of stripping her bottom and repainting during the spring!





The disadvantage of clinker boats is that they always leak, but the advantage is that the leaks reduce the longer they are in the water as the wood swells and effectively closes the gaps. For Corvelia it took just about 3 weeks for her to almost stop taking in water after sitting on a trailer out of the water for nearly 18 months.

The other disadvantage is that traditional boats like this are broad and heavy (in the image of their owners, perhaps, or vice versa) and not ideal for being driven by small electric motors with minimal torque. A lightweight glass fibre boat - long and thin - would have been better. On the other hand Corvelia is relatively stable and sturdy, important when facing large wash on the tideway and for getting in and out. The catamaran, with lightweight aluminium hulls, is ideal as with the boat designed by Monte Gisborne in Canada - The Loon - illustrated below.



Monte was the inspiration for this trip as he has completed two solar journeys in North America. See www.tamarackelectricboats.com

The shape and weight of Corvelia puts a design limit on the optimum speed in terms of efficient drive power. No doubt it would move along nicely with a 40hp engine, but with under 1 hp it will not get up on a plane! My estimate is that its optimum speed is about 5 knots (nearly 6mph). In practice with my two electric outboards on half power I was making 3.5 knots (4 mph) through the water, with occasional bursts up to 5 or 6 knots when heading a very strong current. Downstream (or no-stream as in the canals) this would have been quite sufficient, but definitely not quite enough against wind and current.

The Engines



My choice of two very basic Minn Kota electric outboards (trolling motors is the proper description, which are in the main designed for fishermen in small dinghies - both quiet and slow) was based partly on economy (£195 each) and partly on the need to have duplicate systems and run each engine normally at half-power. These engines are not designed for continuous use at full power.

In retrospect I should have taken advice on the choice of motor and gone for a model that is slightly more powerful and uses solid-state switching technology to control speed, rather than the simple 'switched resistor' method on my motors which is inherently inefficient. Also it would have been possible to obtain an upgraded propeller that could have added up to 10% more oomph!

I lost one engine to fisherman's tackle that somehow got right into the submerged motor, but other wise they performed well and survived a number of bumps and weed events!

Solar Panels

Each solar panel on Corvelia is rated at 80 watts maximum output. These are linked in pairs to charge each battery. In theory this means that at around midday when the sun is overhead I could get 160 watts of power for each side which converts to 13 amps (Watts = Volts x Amps). In practice I get about 10 amps maximum. If the solar panels could be moved to point at the sun then I could keep this level of charge for more hours in the day. Alternatively the glass covering the panel could be made of small prisms which optimise the collection of sunlight and focus it on the photoelectric (or more correctly photovoltaic) cells that make up the panel; I gather this is one innovation on the cards for the near future.

You can get lightweight 'amorphous' solar panels, of the type used in calculators; but these need a much larger surface area for the same power as the heavier crystalline panels I used.

Each set of panels needed a regulator to ensure that the batteries did not over-charge; not an issue for me in practice! I blew up one of the two and the simpler, cheaper replacement proved sufficient. Good advice and friendly support from Mike at Sunshine Solar (http://www.sunshinesolar.co.uk/) where I also purchased my panels at a fair discount.

There is an excellent discussion on the whole science of solar energy at
www.solarnavigator.net/solar_power.htm

The Batteries



Here is a picture of the batteries! The key to successful electric boating is have decent 'deep-cycle' batteries of the type used in fork-lift trucks; these are different from a car battery, which is designed for high starting loads and then to be kept at full charge most of the time. The basic measure of the capacity of a battery is the ampere-hour, which is the number of amps it will provide per hour from full until empty. My batteries are rated at 225 ampere hours which means approximately 20 amps for 10 hours as you can never get the last bit out! At the speed I was trying to maintain I could only guarantee 15 hours continuous running from a full charge.

My experience is that these batteries proved their mettle on the many days when I was trying to extract the last dregs of power. I probably should have cycled (full charge - 30% charge - full charge) them a few times before the trip.

Overall Conclusions

The fact that I was able to make sensible progress against current and wind with meagre hours of direct sunlight proves the concept and basic validity of the design. A lighter slimmer boat, a lighter slimmer skipper, slightly more efficient engines, a simple means of tilting the panels to face the sun and some decent weather and it would have been an easy ride! Even with the configuration as it is at the moment there are many pleasant days of cruising ahead on canals and downstream stretches of our waterways.

And Corvelia is a happy lady. Landlubbers may be cynical about the spirit of a boat or ship, but there is no doubt that a neglected boat is a sad boat and after a year left on dry land Corvelia is pleased to be on the water again.

Day 21 - 7 miles - Journey's End

Radcot to Lechlade

Approaching the Round House at the end of the 'navigable' section of The Thames just beyond Lechlade. Monty in full boating rig recording the occasion.

A glass of champagne and looking forward to a decent night's sleep!

Even on this last day the headwind was strong, as if the the gods of The Thames were determined to prove my mettle. The view from the last lock towards the church at Lechlade was the moment when I knew it was all going to come good, as until them I had always feared both the known hazards and the UNK UNKs (Unknown Unknowns) that lurk in the wings of any challenging endeavour.

It was lovely to have Samuel (13 and to date slightly bored by the whole thing!) with me for the last section. And also to have ace reporter Monty Farrow (immaculately dressed) and John Powls keeping a pub table warm at Lechlade. Monty's video report to follow later this week as I write up the lessons learned.

To date about £3000 has been raised for APF, but no reason not to make a contribution if you held back to see if it happened! Their valuable work continues as more families struggle to handle the impact of a parent in prison.

Days 19 and 20 - 10 miles - 7 to go

Newbridge to Radcot

After a day of 'rest' I had a long cruise against strong winds and under grey skies to a rather exposed mooring at Radcot. The high winds overnight increased the exposure and at one stage I thought I was at sea! The instinctive order to 'dive' was not obeyed thank goodness.


Leaving Newbridge and 'The Rose Revived'; an excellent establishment.

Since Oxford I have passed through 10 locks and have been the only boat in each. I believe only 3 boats have passed me going upstream over the 3 days on the move, which must say something about the impact of recent floods and poor weather on the use of our waterways.

The new hazard in this section has been the weed. As the river meanders and the banks are left to silt up, then the weed extends into the main river and gets a grip on less powerful propellors. Although inconvenient, this proved the wisdom in having outboards that can be easily raised and cleared. I am not sure how I would have handled the original inboard engine with a deeper prop in these circumstances. Being forced into the centre of the river meant a stronger stream and slower progress.

Have decided to let some promised sun today (Saturday) revive the batteries, ready for the finale on Sunday. Anyone coming out on Sunday should pick me up at about 1130 passing through St John's Lock half a mile downriver from Lechlade - see previous post for map.

Days 17 and 18 - 17 miles - 17 to go

Iffley Lock to Newbridge

Good progress over the last 2 days, boosted by some excellent sun on Tuesday afternoon and Wednesday morning. The river was fast flowing through parts of Oxford and I was relieved to be through Osney Bridge. Approaching Folly Bridge below I was hoping to creep up behind a romantic couple in a punt, but no-one was out.



Now nestling in the lee of 'The Rose Revived' at Newbridge for a 'day of rest' before the final section. Barring major setbacks I aim to complete the final half mile from Lechlade on Sunday, starting at 1200. All are welcome. The towpath follows the south of the river and there is ample parking. Bring a picnic!.



There have been scurrilous accusations that this trip is just an excuse for a pub crawl and that I have in fact been driving up and down with my satnav pretending to be in plausible locations! But these cynics are just armchair sailors wishing they too could be floating on fast-running river in a leaky boat with no guarantee of forward motion!

Excuses over. It was wonderful to meet with Julian Le Vay and Nick Sanderson at 'The Waterman's Arms' for lunch on Tuesday; Nick is a Trustee of Action for Prisoner's Families. Julian lives in Oxford and visits pubs, also appearing at 'The Trout Inn' (of Morse fame) on Tuesday evening.



Also Paul and Vanessa appeared late on Tuesday just as I was wandering back in fading light to my remote mooring - so back to 'The Trout' and a later return in the dark. Paul (Curley) was keen to be on record making contact out of working hours, though he had been searching for me for 6 hours!

Day 16 - 9 miles - 34 to go

Culham Lock to Just South of Iffley Lock

The day started in bright sunlight. In fact it started at 0300 when I mistook the the lights of Didcot Power Station for the dawn! What a joy not to have the Didcot towers brooding over me as if to scoff at my paltry environmental gesture as it belches more nasty stuff into the atmosphere; Greenpeace claim it to be the second most polluting after Drax in Yorkshire.

However by the time I reached Abingdon the clouds had appeared and the rest of the day was overcast. In nearly 3 weeks I have only had one proper 'sunny day'. But a welcome cup of tea from Chris and Margaret (my hosts on day 13) brightened the outlook and convinced me that I should press on even though they had been at Abingdon for 5 days waiting for the current to slacken.

The sign below at Abingdon Lock gave further encouragement.

Though this vessel was a reminder of what could happen to retired Civil Servants who fancy a life on the water!

I was unsure whether I would make the long and lonely stretch to Sandford Lock (the deepest above Teddington), given the warning signs from the batteries. But somehow the energy was there for the final push against the stream and the following mike to my scheduled mooring with a family friend (Max Goodey). Also a delight to hear 'Manisty Ahoy!' from a lone cyclist on the bank who turned out to be Julian Le Vay, a colleague from the seemingly distant past at Whitehall.

One of the delights on the journey has been the friendly support from the lock-keepers; I could not have coped without them. Their jobs are apparently under threat, so I have written an ode in support! The Thames is a challenging and potentially dangerous river and it would be folly for the Environment Agency to take them away.

I must have my say

To the suits in EA

'LOCKEEPERS MUST STAY

Its just not OK

To save on pay

And then betray

The safest way

And prevent delay

On a busy day

If you please

We pay the fees

Which you never freeze

So on your knees!!'

Day 15 - 6.5 miles - 43 to go

Days Lock to Abingdon (nearly)

Batteries charged and advice that the river flow is beginning to ease enabled a tentative restart of the journey on Sunday afternoon. In reality the flow near the locks proved challenging and the poor batteries were again required to deliver full power on a number of occasions. Happily lack of wind made some sections as pleasant as it was all supposed to be!. Word at Abingdon (breakfast arrival) is that Osney Bridge in Oxford is still tricky although the red disc (lock closure) has just been removed. So still hard going ahead. Having left my internet connection 'thingy' at home, I have taken advantage of the local library in Abingdon to write the blog today. A gap on future days this week should not mean I have sunk!

Days Lock looking innocent!



The reality at the weir

Still Delayed at Days Lock

The river is till running too fast for safe progress, but hope to start off on Sunday if conditions improve.

Many thanks to the support team below who have been picking up the pieces as I have moved upstream; ferrying the essential energy for human progress! One of the major frustrations we had early on was the hope that wind power might add some extra amps, especially given the conditions we have had recently. However the dynamics of generating a sensible charge from a wind turbine in a small boat are not practical. The turbine is very heavy, the current generated at a low level very fickle and the blades are dangerous! The other suggestion has been some form of water turbine to harness the flow of the river overnight - although a portable system would be impractical, it could be feasible to have charging points driven by turbines at weirs.



Seen here at Wallingford. Jonathan Brown, Hilary Manisty (long-suffering and hoping I will try The Pacific next), Clare Brown, Robin Brown, MM

Delayed at Days Lock

After the day of heavy rain through Wednesday the River Authority has advised me to stay put until the potential flood waters from the Upper Thames have passed through Days Lock. It would be folly to try and press ahead against the current as seen below!

Listening to the stories of the dramas last year when small boats were washed into the mouths of gorging weirs, the thought of peering through my shallow berth and seeing the following sign pass by is a tad daunting. Perhaps this demonstrates a lack of courage!

Days Lock is a lovely spot, oozing with ancient history plus an association with Winnie the Pooh. See information below extracted from the excellent Visit Thames website (http://www.visitthames.co.uk/).

The area around Day's Lock is said to be the most historic place in Oxfordshire. There are many reasons for this: a hilltop fort was built by iron-age man on Castle Hill and when the Romans invaded they built a camp where the nearest town would be founded - Dorchester.
For centuries this has been a religious area. Neolithic man built ritual henges a mile upstream. During the sixth century, St Birinus established the first cathedral in Wessex.

From the lock you can see two hills topped by trees. These are the Sinodun Hills - known usually as the Wittenham Clumps and less respectfully as Mother Dunch's Buttocks. The unfortunate Mother Dunch was the wife of a less-than-popular local medieval squire.
Day's Lock is the main gauging station for measuring the flow of water in the river. It has another claim to fame too - in 1605 King James I instigated the Oxford-Burcot Commission which built the first locks on the Thames in the 1620s. Burcot is a small village near Day's Lock.

The lockkeeper here is Stephen J Long. He has worked at Day's Lock since 1988 as a relief keeper and became resident in 1994.

The World Poohsticks Championships are held each year on the Little Wittenham and Dorchester footbridges next to Day's Lock. The game is described in A.A. Milne's book, The House at Pooh Corner, written in 1928

Day 14 - minus half mile - 49.5 miles to go

Tuesday started dull and windy but with the promise of some sun later, and then the forecast for a very wet day on Wednesday. So decided to lay up at a safe mooring adjacent to Day's Lock, firstly to put a proper charge into the batteries and then to see out what I hope to be the worst of the weather in relative safety. The winds have been very strong and also the current near some locks quite challenging to a small boat with tiny motors. The half mile back to the lock took me all of 10 minutes; if only I had decided to go the other way!



A small setback! The gloomy stories from the river regulars are all of a repeat of last July when the river rose to a torrent and small boats were washed into fields and the whole river was closed to navigation for 5 weeks! Another poor year could have a devastating impact on the boating leisure industry on The Thames.

Camera batteries need replacing, hence I have 'borrowed' the picture above to show the view from the quaterdeck!

Day 13 - 6 miles - 49 to go

Wallingford to Nr Clifton Hampden

With little sun, storms and strong adverse current each mile was hard won. With a huge thunderstorn approaching I sought haven with nearlby barge - Laura Belle. Chris and Margaret Balster kindly took me on board and given the onset of more stormy weather they generously put me up for the night including use of the amazing auto inflating double bed which ended up almost the size of Corvelia!

Aim to press on to Abingdon today if the weather gives me some leeway.

Day 12 - 0 miles - 55 to go

Weatherbound in Wallingford

One really miserable wet English summer day was inevitable, though two in a row a tad depressing.

But great to have a family lunch at The George in Wallingford, plus Justin and Anna for the pudding and the kind gift of a bottle of 'Kreik Max' to see me on my way. The by some amazing serendipity I bumped into Richard and Sheila Rosser on the towpath near Wallingford Bridge; a few minutes either way and we would have missed each other.

Hoping to make Clifton Hampden by this evening and harness some promised sunny periods on Tuesday to get through Abingdon to just south of Oxford. If I can garner enough battery power to get through Oxford on Wednesday (which promises to be dull and wet) then I could aim to completion at the weekend. But best laid plans......

Day 11 - 10 miles - 55 to go

Whitchurch to Wallingford

A good day in terms of mileage, supported by a strong following wind for a change. However sun was very limited and I literally limped under Wallingford Bridge praying for a last push from the batteries to drive me against a strong current. But happiness at the end of the day with a secure boat mooring and a secure personal mooring in a hotel bed.



It was great to meet with John Powls at Goring and Mark Brett and his family at South Stoke.

Sunday morning is overcast and bleak; what more could one expect for the day of Wimbledon Finals and the British Grand Prix. Given the family motto - 'Press on' - it is hard for me to accept the limitations of the weather and pause the journey. But in reality I have exceeded my expectations on progress and should not be pessimistic. What has become very clear is that with average amounts of sunshine the solar formula does work for a small boat willing to proceed at a modest speed. With the improvements in solar technology round the corner added to improvements in battery capacity, then it will not be long before solar boating becomes more 'normal'. A few technical facts below!


Techy Corner - Propeller Heads Only

Each solar panel on Corvelia is rated at 80 watts maximum output. These are linked in pairs to charge each battery (see Day 7 for more technical details on the batteries). In theory this means that at around midday when the sun is overhead I could get 160 watts of power for each side which converts to 13 amps (Watts = Volts x Amps). In practice I get about 10 amps maximum. If the solar panels could be moved to point at the sun then I could keep this level of charge for more hours in the day. Alternatively the glass covering the panel could be made of small prisms which optimise the collection of sunlight and focus it on the photoelectric (or more correctly photovoltaic) cells that make up the panel; I gather this is one innovation on the cards for the near future.

You can get lightweight 'amorphous' solar panels, of the type used in calculators; but these need a much larger surface area for the same power as the heavier crystalline panels I am using.

Day 10 - 9 miles - 65 to go

Sonning to Whitchurch

Really good progress today, even though I am sure the batteries are feeling the pain! Met a lovely lady from the Reading Chronicle at Caversham Bridge for a moving (in terms of progress, not emotion!) riverside interview. Quite a long haul from Reading to Pangbourne, but following wind helped.

Wonderful hospitality from Susie and Philip at The Mill just next to the Whitchurch Road Bridge. This was all kindly brokered by Tricia Munro - former trustee of APF and still part of their wide network of friends and supporters.

Soon after my arrival the High Sheriff of Berkshire, Carol Boulter, appeared in all her regalia just desperate to skipper Covelia across the mill pond avoiding the weir. Evidence below!

Then H arrived for a happy dinner at the Ferryboat.

Might make South Stoke or Moulsford this evening. The Beetle and Wedge sounds nice!

Day 9 - 6 miles - 74 to go

Henley to Sonning

Good sun later in the morning enabled me to move on from Henley. A spell of strong headwinds and tricky current was a setback to morale, but then the river changed direction and all was sweet again. Lovely mooring above Sonning Lock; enough to prompt me to cook a proper breakfast this morning.

Aiming to make the most of a sunny forecast and press on to through Reading to Pangbourne today.

Day 8 - 6 miles - 80 to go

Marlow to Henley

Dull weather early today, so quite concerned about the state of the batteries. However managed to link up for a mid-channel pit stop for an engine change at Aston; huge thanks to Cereze Gay for stopping the courier somehwere in Marlow and making the link. In fact it was not quite mid-channel and The Flower Pot Inn provided a welcome refresher.

The on to Henley. Apart from large boatloads of merry (aka drunk) corporate hospitality junketeers it all appeared rather quite and low key. I wasn't showered with Champagne and had the feeling that a small boat making slow progress up the course was of little significance to the parade of very fancy boats that were having their prime time for the year!

But found an excellent mooring and the £35 nightly fee (£45 for the rest of the week!) was waived. In my case a decent mooring includes a friendly cafe and the all-important toilets! Also cheered by a visit from David Jerger (our neighbour and his long-not-standing drinking partner, Mike). Quite a decent meal at The Anchor.

Rain overnight and a cloudy morning means I will have to do some Henley watching while the batteries gain a little more for the push on to Sonning. And who should I meet on parade but Cliff and Claire Henson - wonder what they were procuring!

Not too discouraged to have nearly made half way after a week on the River, including one rest day. But expect the next half to be harder going with a patchy forecast for the weekend and the return of the dreaded wind.

Day 7 - 5 miles - 86 to go

Cookham to Marlow

A perfect Solar Day and this should have put fresh life in the main batteries. By proceeding on one engine I have been able to rest one battery completely and this may be the best way to proceed. Ian Rutter was able to lend me a very simple device (the 'clip on' ammeter) for measuring the current (aka amps) being used by the electric motors. So more tests today when I have two engines available.

Wonderful secure mooring at Temple Lock courtesy of Andrew and Cereze Gay, which has enabled me to have my first proper bed for a week; such joy in simple pleasures!

I may have to run the gauntlet of Henley this afternoon, with the press office being ready to announce my mission. I am hoping to sneak a mooring for the night - optimistic?

Technical Notes - propeller heads only!

Here is a picture of the batteries! The key to successful electric boating is have decent 'deep-cycle' batteries of the type used in fork-lift trucks; these are different from a car battery, which is designed for high starting loads and then to be kept at full charge most of the time. The basic measure of the capacity of a battery is the ampere-hour, which is the number of amps it will provide per hour from full until empty. My batteries are rated at 225 ampere hours which means approximately 20 amps for 10 hours as you can never get the last bit out! At the speed I am trying to maintain - a humble 2 miles per hour actual speed across the ground against wind and current - I could only guarantee 15 hours continuous running. The charging rate from the solar panels is on average about 7 amps on a decent day. The maths is not friendly! But of course the panels are charging all the time, even when cruising.

Day 6 - 7 miles - 91 to go

Windsor to Cookham

A lovely day to cruise the Thames, especially without all the weekend traffic. I had Boulters Lock near Maidenhead to myself and then a gentle transit past Cliveden. A 'chance' meeting with Alan Lindfield (Alan took the ultimate risk in accompanying me on the pre launch test day past Westminster) for lunch at Maidenhead ensured that the onset of scurvy was prevented.

A technical setback was the failure of one engine, which may need to be replaced as a repair could take a week and cost much more than the £180 for a new one. It would also be helpful to have some spares. On the other hand batteries are being restored by good qualtities of sunshine, with more on offer today.

Ian and Sylvia Rutter came to meet me at the exit from Cookham Lock in their electric launch. Ian I found is a total expert on all things related to electric boats and my regret is that I did not plunder his know-how before I designed my fit-out. Sylvia edits the excellent magazine published by the flourishing Electric Boat Association - http://www.electric-boat-association.org.uk/. Drinks and dinner at The Ferry Inn removed any trace of malnutrition.

Target is Marlow for this evening, hoping that batteries will be fully charged for the terror of Henley on Wednesday!

The following appeared in the Evening Standard on Monday evening.
http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/standard/article-23503086-details/Solar-powered+civil+servant+sails+the+Thames/article.do

Also this link can be used to see where I am at any time (as long as I have my mobile phone on).
http://live.alk.com/login.aspx?InviteCode=83298878040414&Language=en-US&Email=Mmanisty@hotmail.com

View from the Bedroom