The early years with Flora Dora were generally on the Lee & Stort and the Grand Union Canal with occassional forays onto the River Thames. Once the children moved on to Universities and other activities we started to take more challenging trips, generally with the SPCC organised cruises.

Emily now has her own boat where she lives and cruises around mainly on the River Lee with her cat, Roger – 'jollyrogertheboatcat' on Instagram – and with the demise of Maid of Gingerbread now works from home on line. Francis has moved out and is now pursuing his music career.

The headings above give some details of the more interesting journeys we have undertaken, my knowledge of tides and working waterways with sea-going craft have come in useful on many of these.

We have cruised the lengths of the Lee Navigation and River Stort, completed the Thames, London and Warwickshire Rings and reached the upper limits of navigation on the Thames and River Wey.

In 2016 we joined the flotilla from SPCC and on a couple of calm days headed to the lower estuary of the Thames turning right opposite Southend and into the Medway. The entry "Medway" above has some more detail and the others cover some of our adventures.