Day one: Setting off - Molesey to Old Windsor

14 Miles:  5 locks:  5 hours 30 minutes
Saturday evening was a great surprise.
Thanks everyone……… but specially the Admiral of the Bytes.
A great Bon Voyage party in Acton with the whole family!
Super food and plenty of bubbly to set Captain Pugwash on his way

So it is Sunday 1st August and the 2010 pre-retirement cruise is due to begin.
It is stage one with 89 miles to Oxford and only 32 locks.
My intial plan has this stage as six and a half days
Everything including the Brompton bike and the new Honda generator is packed aboard and Maggie, the official photographer is down at Molesey riverbank for the great get-away at approaching 11.00am.

The aim for day one is to get to the Bells of Ouzeley, which is just past Runnymede.
The river is busy and almost every lock we play the waiting game. A couple of time mid-stream!

The trip up to Laleham and Harris boatyard and on to Staines is always great. How many times recently I have been down to 4Marine to get things ready.......
Some great river views and that elegant Town Hall which is now a Smith and Jones pub.

The trickiest lock is Bell Weir, the last of the day.
This lock has side sluices and wow they suddenly push you out into the middle of the lock.
At Salter’s boatyard at Runnymede there is a wonderful steam passenger boat. We must take a tip on this and have the Sunday lunch!

The run from Egham is delightful with the John Kennedy memorial high on the hillside.
Another bend round after Magna Carta island and day one stop is in sight!

Mooring at the Bells is not easy. 
It is a slopeing and stoney bank and it requires mooring pins as the wooden stakes seem to have sunk into the stony towpath. 
Day 1 completed...............The first of many cuppa beckons!