That was the plan when we set off early from Heybridge Basin.

Necessarily, and inevitably, having to also refuel WORKBOAT before we could take both upstream.

As well as having little fuel we are also used to WORKBOAT having a lot of smelly water in the bilge. Actually, not too bad this time. Nevertheless a cunning plan with a portable water pump meant WORKBOAT could be completely emptied.

We like to think that we are flexible! The original plan had been to move both work boats up through Beeleigh Lock and have them both working above Beeleigh. However, having seen the amount of flourishing Pennywort in the Long Pond there was a change of strategy. One boat to work downstream from Beeleigh; one boat to work upstream from Beeleigh.

The changed plans, along with the Health and Safety briefing, were given to our brilliant volunteers.

There was no shortage of Pennywort for either team.

The 'downstream' team, using Buster and an inflatable, were soon on the case.

Working steadily down the Long Pond.

Meanwhile the 'upstream' team headed for their Pennywort Breeding Grounds

There was plenty for them to remove, both large rafts and marginal growth.

Whereas the 'downstream' group had the advantage of an inflatable on the water, the 'upstream,' group had the advantage of a diver in the water!

It was tough work for all and especially cold work for one. So the opportunity for a refreshment break was welcomed by all.

Yet again, what a lovely group of volunteers!

Plenty of catching up, swapping tales, hanging around and contemplating the meaning of life (or maybe what else could be done this Saturday morning!)

Then, inevitably, back to the tasks in hand. That's a lot of Pennywort being brought on board.

And of course, what gets brought on board also has to be offloaded.

Above Beeleigh, three crew on WORKBOAT now.

Always good to have someone monitoring things from the bank.

Another impressive amount of Pennywort collected.

And emptied where it can rot down safely and not reinfect the Navigation.

The 'upstream' team had to be pretty smart in getting WORKBOAT down through Beeleigh Lock

Because today there was to be one of those occasional events which prevent the flood gates being opened (in fact, it is what the flood gates are partly for!) A full moon, along with low pressure, meaning that the resulting very high tide makes sea water flow the 'wrong' way over the weir, raising the level of the water on the upstream side of the gates by maybe 30 cm.

The crew on WORKBOAT made it back below the flood gates just in time. Any further delay and they wouldn't have been able to open the gates for maybe 3/4 hour. And not far behind, from downstream, came the downstream team.

We have to hand it to our volunteers - they are AMAZING. Thanks, guys.

Today's work party was very much a repeat of The Real October work party! Three of us started off from Heybridge Basin, on Buster, very early.

The first stop, WORKBOAT which needed some fuel before we could get going..

Unfortunately the five very full tonne bags we'd left to be craned out after our last work party hadn't been - meaning that the pennywort in them had rotted down and the resultant liquid that had come from it smelled decidedly 'pig sty'! Oh well. Something we'll have to deal with if volunteers are going to be expected to work in there.

Onward to Beeleigh lock.

Where we met with the rest of our volunteers and made quick work of getting the two boats into the lock.

And then a third one appeared!

After emptying the rotting pennywort in the tonne bags the very important briefing - first health and safety issues. Next, the plan for the session. (Looks like some imploring was on the cards!)

The inside of WORKBOAT needed some organisation!

Then two boats headed up to Ricketts Lock to work back downstream.

Familiar tasks carried out by experienced volunteers. On Buster two crew and the skipper removed the larger rafts of pennywort from the bankside vegetation.

While a diver and our volunteer in his inflatable got deep into the marginal vegetation to deal with the smaller strands.

Lots of concentration needed to get the tasks done to perfection!

With Buster being the receiver of the Pennywort collected by the diver and the inflatable.

Meanwhile, in the Beeleigh Lock Cut, where the mud was twice as deep as the water, making work there very challenging, another diver was heading for pennywort hidden in the vegetation.

And the crew on WORKBOAT were doing excellent work too.

A diver's eye view of the strands of Pennywort he was removing.

The bag he was collecting it in.

And where it was going

Hard workers everywhere, being challenged by the conditions, but nevertheless rising to those challenges. Refreshments were hardly sufficient reward.

But nevertheless, appreciated by our friendly volunteers.

A pleasant break and a chance to catch up with each other before, all too soon, time to get back to the tasks in hand.

More of the same, but in a different location

More collections

And more unloading

Hopefully our friends at Essex and Suffolk Water will be pleased that we're helping to keep the Langford abstraction point free of Pennywort?!

As always, time was the enemy. There was more we would have liked to have done, but there wasn't time to do it. All credit to our volunteers for giving up their time today.

Back to Beeleigh Lock for all three boats (apparently this swan didn't want to share the lock with us?!)

More welcome help dropping down through the lock

Then time for some to leave at Beeleigh

And back to Heybridge for others, but not before some water-cooling-system maintenance on WORKBOAT.

Almost home!

Huge thanks to our brilliant volunteers who work so hard to keep the Navigation as free from Pennywort as possible.

The downside, as we described in our last Report, is that when it is wet it is very slippery - and therefore dangerous.

We experimented with an anti-slip application during our last painting session on Susan. It seemed pretty effective but we ran out of time to complete the task.

The aim of today's session was to complete the anti-slip in the areas most likely to be used by the boat's crew. (We haven't neglected the passengers! Once we know where the steps down to the deck will be we'll be ensuring there is adequate 'anti slip' there too).

Another great day to be working on Susan. Who'd have expected blue sky and a temperature of 20°C at the start of October?!

A bit of forward planning ensured that we applied the anti-slip on a route round the boat that meant we wouldn't be walking on what we'd already treated.

Having perfected our technique during the last session we progressed steadily. First, the masking tape applied by The Masker. Next, a thick coat of red paint applied by The Painter. Then a liberal dusting of sharp sand applied by The Sander.

Good progress with the paint drying quickly, so time for a break.

With the quick drying time it was possible to remove the excess sand and then The Big Reveal as the masking tape was removed.

We progressed round the areas where crew will be operating, aiming to ensure that no surfaces that they would stand or walk on would be slippery when wet.

With all surfaces treated, time to clean up - the wet/dry vac helps hugely - and return tools and paint to the store. Another fine job completed!

Then with equipment on Buster off to collect WORKBOAT.

The first task - make sure WORKBOAT has sufficient fuel.

Next, off to Beeleigh with both boats - with a bit of preparation on the move.

Swift work getting both boats into Beeleigh Lock.

Then two teams to start on different tasks. For both, though, rather more than we'd expected. The plan had been that we would be clearing up after the large rafts of pennywort between Beeleigh and Ricketts Locks had been removed prior to our work party. Sadly they hadn't been! Meaning that today's work was about removing large heavy rafts of lush Pennywort. Tough, heavy work that had not been anticipated.

One team included two divers - an exceptionally welcome addition to our work.

A frequent technique for this team - release the raft from the bank and tow it away to the bank where it could be pulled up the bank.

Although only a few pics, there was a lot of work done and several offloadings to the bank of piles of Pennywort,

Meanwhile, similar work for the crew on WORKBOAT, but without the advantage of divers to release rafts from the bank. The only camera angle available made it impossible to record the extent of the action.

Much of the removal involved hauling on armfuls of Pennywort. That's hard physical work.

Having done so much heavy work it was only fair to our brilliant volunteers to take a break. So, up to Ricketts Lock for WORKBOAT, collecting our other team, and some stray rafts of Pennywort, on the way.

Despite the hard work that had been done our volunteers were still smiling while they enjoyed a break.

But it wasn't long before they were back to work - emptying some pennywort from WORKBOAT so that there would be room for more!

A return to where we'd left off for both teams.

Including removal of some Pennywort threatening Essex and Suffolk Water's water intake.

And even more armfuls of Pennywort being brought onboard.

Those very full five bags of Pennywort probably weigh at least a ton!

What a session!

Thankfully there were sufficient loyal volunteers to help with getting the two boats down through Beeleigh Lock and through the Beeleigh flood gates. Thank you so much.

Back to Heybridge. The view forward and the view back!

Again, huge thanks to our hard-working volunteers who undertook far more Pennywort-hauling than they'd expected!!

We've made good progress on our previous work parties on Susan and, despite there only being two of us to do the work today, we were determined to put the red top coat on the rest of the woodwork that we'd primed but not been able to paint yet.

We needed to get our tactics right or we would literally paint ourselves into the corners!

Between us we made good progress and, following a quick refreshment break, completed all of the topcoat painting.

Time for a spot of lunch

Then onto another essential tasks. The red top coat forms an excellent gloss surface. But that means gloss surfaces are very slippery when wet. So, in places an anti-slip surface is needed.

It took a bit if experimenting to get the technique right. Masking tape on first (it was excellent low-tack tape)

Then a thick coat of paint

Swiftly followed by an even coating of sand evenly spread across the wet paint.

Working with very fine sand had its challenges! So the wet/dry vac came into its own again.

Overall we were pretty pleased with the results. The places we treated are now decidedly 'non-slip'.

Time had beaten us again, so we stopped there, cleaned the boat and our brushes, returned the kit and headed for home

We potentially need so much kit that taking it round to Susan by wheelbarrow would need many trips - which is where our jointly-owned workboat comes in handy!

Our tasks for today - get the black paint on the badly-peeling timber that joins the side and the base of the hull together and prime what remains of the rest of the woodwork ready for it's top coat of red next time. It's good to see what a difference a coat of the right paint makes.

However much paint-scraping we do there's always a bit more to do before the primer can go on.

One side of the black completed. Now on to the other side.

And of course, adequate breaks for refuelling

Coming to the end of the session, and everything that needed priming is now primed, ready for the top red coat next time.

Thankfully the Supervisor was on hand to offer advice and guidance!

Another good day making even more progress.

And an opportunity the following day to return to do a bit more painting without which further 'engine' progress could not be made. And to see the engine running!

Then off upstream to today's group meeting point - the Landing Stage at Tesco Fullbridge.

All credit to our excellent volunteers who have worked tirelessly to minimise the Pennywort on the Long Pond - and continue to do so.

Two boats, two teams. Ideal

The WORKBOAT team headed downstream, towards Heybridge Creek, to start work, working towards Tesco. We needed to ensure that, less manoeuvrable and with poorer sightlines, it stayed well away from the divers

Three on WORKBOAT and the trusty coracle. There was plenty of Pennywort for them to deal with. One skipper and two crew

And maintenance along the way.

Always a valuable participant - coracleman Steve picking up the small pieces of pennywort that escape the boat crew.

Meanwhile the Buster crew, comprising the skipper, one crew and three divers, got to work heading downstream.

Excellent and efficient teamwork with the divers 'feeding' the pennywort onto Buster.

As with so many work parties on the Long Pond there was no shortage of Pennywort to be removed.

Time for a mid-session break for refreshments. What a cheerful group!

Then back to where both groups had left off for more hard graft.

It's always handy to have a diver on hand when the prop gets blocked! (killcord and keys removed and battery turned off, of course)

With the session coming to an end, a fun way to return the divers to base!

Then straight home for some, and the slog back home to Heybridge for others.

Thanks to our amazing volunteers who work so hard to minimise the impact of Pennywort along the Navigation.

Disappointing to see so much pigeon muck on many of the parts we had painted only eight days previously.

Nevertheless, the job had to be done and we set to the task with enthusiasm and determination.

After an hour and a half of continuous painting it was time for a break.

Then back to more painting and more paint-scraping. The application to the job was impressive!

Good progress was made and eventually it was time for our lunch break. We'd got to a point where we'd used up all of the paint that we were using today.

Progress had been impressive and we considered carrying on. But rain was in the air and we didn't want to risk us, and our fresh paint, getting wet. Time to call it a day, pack everything back on the boat and head back to base.

If only we'd.........stopped a bit earlier! We wouldn't have got wet!

Having assembled paint, tools and refreshments we headed on Buster up to where Susan is currently moored, offloaded what we needed and got started.

With four of us involved we hatched a plan that meant that we could paint away at our hearts' contenr without getting in anyone else's way (or more importantly, treading or leaning on anyone else's new paintwork.)

After a long spell of painting it's good to stand back and admire one's work!

It's also good to have a break for refreshments. What a cheerful gang!

On to more of the same

Another break - this time for lunch. And then a target set for how far we wanted to get before we stopped. Which we met in good time.

One more successful painting session. One step closer to achieving our goal of completing the repainting of all of the internal paintwork.

So, today's Work Party was back again to the Long Pond, continuing from where we left off last time.

As is customary, a couple of volunteers were up bright and early to get the tools, equipment and refreshments ready to take to Beeleigh for the start.

A bit of opportunistic pennywort grabbing as we went up the Long Pond, and it was good to see a brave soul sailing down the Navigation; must have been a bit irritating having to drop the mast to go under the many bridges.

Some very good news was that an expert from Essex Waterways Ltd had, at our request, been along the Long Pond with their weedlifter and very effectively removed the larger rafts. Thank you!

Most of our volunteers for this work party were already at Beeleigh when we arrived (we'll be so pleased when the Langford Road is fully open again!). A good format to be starting this work party with: a skipper and two volunteers on the work boat; a volunteer in a dinghy; and another brave soul in a wetsuit willing to work in the water.

The Pennywort-spotting got under way

With volunteers heading to where they would be working

It wasn't long before effective teamwork was reaping rewards!

Leading to the inevitable offloading of the spoils

Getting into the reeds in order to get every last scrap of pennywort out is so valuable.

A couple of hours of hard work mean that a well-earned break was appropriate.

Then back for more of the same, but further down the Long Pond, below Chapman's Bridge.

There was no shortage of pennywort to pull out from it's various hiding places

And several offloadings were needed, such was the amount of pennywort that was being collected. This was our third.

Time caught up with us and we had to stop. Back home for some, off to the Museum of Power for others and back to base for the two volunteers on the work boat.

There's plenty more to get done and we hope we can keep ahead of the Pennywort Growth Spurt that we inevitably experience at the end of the summer. Our totally-volunteer Pennywort Patrol will be out during the week. Hopefully their efforts will also have an impact.

Sadly, with no cover to protect her, sitting at her berth at Heybridge, Susan's paintwork has started suffering from the ravages of the weather. Lots of our lovingly-applied paint is flaking off.

So we've called on our loyal volunteers to get help doing some re-painting of Susan and we're embarking on a series of painting sessions. This report describes the first two.

The first session at Heybridge was on Tuesday, 29^th July.

First task was to start preparing the paintwork for the primer to be applied. We'd thought that electric sanders would be ideal for taking off flaked paintwork - of which there is lots - and had got together a few sanders.

Sadly, they were useless(!), failing to remove the flaked paint and potentially, worse, concealing large flakes. A quick visit to the local hardware suppliers and the best we could access, not thought to be ideal but the best we could get on the spot that day, were heavy duty wood scrapers. As it turned out, with their tungsten carbide blades, they were ideal and helped us make quick progress.

Ever since Susan returned from St Osyth there has been a pile of planks of wood on board. We're not really sure why it was there. Having moved the pile once to gain access to one side of the keelson it was still in the way for further painting work so we took the executive decision to jettison the pile of wood. Not into the Navigation but onto the bank. It was a tiring task!

A break for refreshments (sanding, scraping and moving wood is thirsty work) and then on to the painting of the grey primer.

With one person working from either end of the keelson

this	became this

A good day's work!

Our second session was on Monday, 4^th August.

Our experience the previous week meant that we were confident that the tools and techniques we'd used previously were the way to go.

More scraping for the first part of the session.

And then just time to do some painting of the primer and replacing of the decking

Before, irritatingly, the rain set in. No more painting, but after a refreshment break, time to do more scraping, helpfully in places scraping off large flakes of paint that concealed damp patches of wood. So, fair progress after a couple of scraping and painting sessions. Lets hope that our next 'Susan' session on 18^th August is in fine weather and with the number of volunteers who have already indicated will be there. There's plenty more to be done!

So a plan was hatched, an email went out, and six wonderful volunteers said that they could make themselves available.

We couldn't complain about the weather (but of course we did). It was one of the hottest days of the year so far. Hydration and Sunscreen were top priorities.

As usual, in order to have the correct tools, equipment and refreshments available in the right place for the work party required an early start by a couple of volunteers.

Some opportunistic Pennywort-grabbing on the way up to Beeleigh and then the pleasant sight of volunteers, already at Beeleigh, ready to get going.

We were soon to be joined by a diver, giving us the perfect team: three on the workboat, two on the water and one in the water.

It was back to the bad old days of having to haul out huge quantities of healthy, lush Pennywort.

Occasionally using the 'tow it away from the bank' method.

Meanwhile, volunteers in the kayak and inflatable, and the diver, did valuable work removing what the workboat had had to leave behind, returning to the Mothership to unloads their impressive finds.

There were any number of offloadings, such was the amount of Pennywort we were collecting.

Finding a tree that provided some shade while we had our first refreshment break wasn't a luxury - it was a necessity! Cool water was appreciated.

Then back to more of the same. And there was plenty of the same!

Tiring work, so a break for lunch was well-deserved.

After lunch, with time running out, it was back to the task in hand, this time prioritising those patches of pennywort that could become seriously out of control by the date of the next work party.

A horrible shock awaited one of our team as he ventured up a narrow inlet.

He emerged later with some very impressive boatsful of Pennywort

The last load of which was offloaded directly onto the bank.

We lost count of how many times the workboat had to be offloaded - tiring work in the hot sun.

But eventually 'time' was called and the relief that heading back to base brought.

Then the return to Heybridge with the work boat. There was still just enough energy to do a bit more opportunistic Pennywort-grabbing on the way back.

One team started from Hoe Mill Lock and motored down towards Ricketts Lock

Any pennywort that could be seen was efficiently removed.

With enough time to be able to do so the team dropped down through Ricketts Lock.

And coracleman Steve was able to take a look up the weir stream, and eventually rejoin the work boat.

Meanwhile, much earlier that morning, another two volunteers had met at Heybridge Basin and packed our jointly-owned work boat, Buster, ready to head to Beeleigh Lock.

A bit of opportunistic pennywort-grabbing on the way, the arrival at Beeleigh and then to the meeting point for this group above Beeleigh Lock.

Then up to Ricketts Lock to assess the amount of work to be done, and the sorting out of on-water, in-water and beside-water volunteers.

There was regular work to be done by the on-the-water team.

And we continue to be impressed by the skills of our in-the-water volunteers who are incredibly skilled in ensuring that the smallest strands of pennywort are removed from the rest of the vegetation.

Again, the Anderson Mk 1 pennywort-collecting devices were in use.

Our patient teams on the bank were ready to offload the pennywort collected on the boat.

The work boat team tackled an impressively-large raft of pennywort just above the Beeleigh upper weir. The bank crew waiting on the far bank in anticipation

All were especially challenged by a large raft towed across from near the Beeleigh upper weir.

Further opportunities for the work boat crew to remove some pennywort

And then everyone, on-water, in-water and beside-water were collected in order to motor up to Ricketts Lock to join the other team for some well-earned refreshments.

It was great to see a happy band of volunteers enjoying their break.

After the break, having seen how much Pennywort there was in the Long Pond, the plan was devised to pick out any priority pennywort on the way back to Beeleigh Lock.

And then head down through the lock and through the Beeleigh Flood gates to deal with Pennywort in the Long Pond.

The bank crew headed enthusiastically along the tow path to deal with anything they could access from the bank and the divers were enthusiastically back in the water.

The team on the work boat both removed pennywort from the bankside vegetation and collected it from the divers. Here's one of the two off-loadings.

Finally, with so much valuable work having been done, the end of the work party. Back to Hoe Mill for one of the boats and back to Heybridge for the other.

Another great work party thanks to the commitment and hard work of the 15 volunteers on today's work party!

Our plan was to have two groups. One clearing the nettles around Dudley's bench and treating the wood: and a second group clearing vegetation from around Richard Coates's tomb.

But the best laid plan and all that. Torrential rain meant that it would be futile to try to apply any wood-preserver to Dudley's bench. So that group's work was cancelled.

Leaving the two volunteers who were to do the work on the tomb at All Saints Church in Springfield Green, Chelmsford.

It's two years since we last cleared the grave. And mother nature had done her best to return it to its concealed state.

Given the pouring rain, whilst there was a very good reason why it was pointless going to Dudley's bench to treat the wood, there was no good reason why waterproofs shouldn't be donned and work done in the All Saints graveyard. So, in the pouring rain, the work commenced.

With one working around the outside of the tomb

And one working around the inside

The work progressed well with all sides of the tomb being smartened up

Of course, everything that was cut out and cut down had to be taken away to the church's composting area.

But finally the job was declared complete.

Not only had the weather improved, our volunteers were invited for refreshments with the church's own graveyard work party. Another lovely group of volunteers.

Several of us met at silly-o-clock to get kit on board workboat Buster which was to be used as a ferry to take the kit to workboat WORKBOAT moored alongside Francoise. We needed to start early to get WORKBOAT above Beeleigh Lock for a 9 am start.

There are two expressions used frequently among our Chelmer Canal Trust volunteers: "If only we'd brought a ........." and "What could possibly go wrong?!". The latter was the most relevant today. What went wrong was that only when we'd started transferring kit from Buster to WORKBOAT did we find that a key essential was missing - the fuel line for WORKBOAT's outboard engine. Meaning WORKBOAT wasn't going anywhere.

A quick assessment of options and it was agreed that the Heybridge team would have to curtail what they had planned to do, simply working from the bank, and 'donate' Buster to the other team who needed a boat to support the work being done by the divers between Beeleigh and Ricketts Locks.

So, with plans changed it was a different boat that headed off to Beeleigh.

And up through Beeleigh Lock in order to be ready at 9.00 am for the arrival of the rest of the team.

Eventually with a very full workboat it was time to move off from Beeeleigh and drop coracleman Steve off to work above Ricketts Lock, usefully removing a few strands of pennywort which had hung on in after some excellent bank work by Essex Waterways.

We've continued to benefit from the divers and their spotters. Previously they've removed weed from in and under bankside vegetation and floated it out into the Navigation for collection by the workboat. With strands of Pennywort getting smaller it was great to welcome a new piece of kit to the armoury - the AndersonWeedHolder Mk 1.

And here's the inventor using one of them for the first time

An excellent bit of kit!

Supported by the crew of the workboat ready to take on board the spoils collected by the divers.

It's practically impossible to describe how valuable and effective it is having the divers being so tenacious in collecting the smallest fragments of Pennywort which, if left, would grow into huge rafts later in the year.

The new pieces of kit were working well!

Superb progress was made, clearing a section of the Navigation we've worked on over several work parties and which has been one of our biggest challenges over many years. And a section that is of great interest to Essex and Suffolk Water which has a water intake here - that it doesn't want blocked with Pennywort!

Time to collect coracleman, divers and spotters and head for a break and some well-earned refreshments.

Back to work, but not before a session practicing 'Person Over Board'. Although in many locations along the Navigation falling overboard would simply mean getting wet and standing up, there could be occasions where an appropriate rescue would be needed and it's good to be familiar with the correct procedure. With someone willing to fall into the water we were able to practice with a real person going overboard!

After that, more of the valuable 'same' in removal of pennywort strands.

Coracleman had worked hard so we thought we'd give him some help getting back!

The end of the session for those who had joined at Beeleigh, and back to Heybridge for others.

In the meantime the Heybridge team had been undertaking their valuable work, again dealing with small strands.

They might look innocuous, small leaves floating innocently on the surface. But under the water strong roots are developing that are going to allow that Pennywort to pack a punch later in the year.

Leaving the strands that are pulled out on the bank allows the Pennywort to rot down safely while allowing any critters living in it to nip back down to the water.

An equally-well deserved break for our Heybridge team. And for them, with no boat to practice with, a chat about Person OverBoard procedure, including the concept of secondary drowning.

After which back to more of the same. Again, so valuable.

What a successful morning. Thirteen fine volunteers contributing so valuably to our fight against Pennywort.

But it doesn't take long for that negativity to disappear in the company of friendly, motivated, volunteers. Making a difference.

And so it was for this Saturday's work party. Four of us arrived in good time to prepare Buster, our jointly-owned work boat, load equipment, coracle, buoyancy aids and provisions and be ready for a prompt start.

Heading to Beeleigh by way of WORKBOAT which we were also using (thanks EWL) and which needed a top-up of the fuel tank.

Then the journey up the Long Pond.

And further up to Beeleigh Lock for WORKBOAT.

Briefings of the various groupings before two teams set off in different directions.

Buster headed down the Long Pond, a great team with the work boat skipper, two crew and a diver in the water. A perfect combination.

When the bottom is muddy and uncertain it's good to have a Gandalf walking stick!

There was plenty for everyone to do

We know from experience that Pennywort is a cunning plant. Whereas it might appear to have been destroyed overwinter (which used to happen 15 years ago!), now it hangs on in and at this time of year starts producing healthy shoots from apparently decaying roots. What and evil plant! But so important that we get as much as possible out of the water before it grows into large rafts during the summer months. The divers who've joined us for the last few work parties have made such a difference to the effectiveness of our efforts.

It's always good to get the diver back on board!

What a great team!

Also having started off from Beeleigh at the same time as the Long Pond Team, further volunteers. Two to work from a coracle and an inflatable above Ricketts Lock, a skipper, two crew and two divers to work on and from WORKBOAT between Beeleigh and Ricketts Lock.

The two divers were soon in the water doing what they do so well - getting every last scrap of Pennywort out of the water - including getting into and under the bankside vegetation.

Of course, the skipper and crew didn't leave it all to the divers - there was plenty they could do independently!

As well as collect more pennywort from the divers.

With time moving on, up to Ricketts Lock to collect the two volunteers who had been working there. And to unload the Pennywort collected on WORKBOAT so far.

Then the collection of the divers for the return to Beeleigh.

Time for refreshments!

And a friendly chat

Of course, as tradition dictates, the group photo! Everyone is smiling!

Then back to work, with time to do more downstream on the Long Pond

And more work upstream towards Ricketts Lock

Again, our volunteers were removing small scraps of pennywort that grow from decayed plants from last year, and soon show strong, healthy growth - especially encouraged by this current run of sunny, warm, weather.

There's always plenty to do!

Before the return to Beeleigh Lock

And some more friendly chats

Before heading off home for some and heading back to Heybridge Basin, and the unloading a cleaning of the work boats, for others.

Thanks to all of our volunteers for an excellent, productive and friendly session.

Two work boats being used, meaning two crews needing to meet early to fuel up both of them and get all the kit onboard. That done it was time to set off.

Then the Long Slog to Beeleigh. But with everyone working as a team we arrived in plenty of time.

First, the briefing and Health and Safety notes.

And then on to the real work of the session - removal of Floating American Pernnywort from the Navigation. At this time of year it has mainly decomposed, but small-leaf growth survives that, when conditions allow, will start to grow into those large rafts we know so well.

Our work has been made a lot more efficient as a result of the brilliant Divers from Chelmsford Sub Aqua Diving Club joining us for the last few work parties. A perfect combination of divers in the water, other volunteers on the work boat and further volunteers on the bank. All credit to the divers for being prepared to get into the water with the air temperature of 0°C. They even looked like they enjoyed it!

The 'Buster' team worked down the Long Pond from where we had finished last month

Meanwhile other volunteers were heading up the Navigation from Beeleigh Lock. Some to work in the water, some to work from the boat and some being ferried to work on the bank.

First stop, Ricketts Lock to drop off coracle man Steve who was to work in the lock cut.

Then back down the pound to work in the same way as the 'Buster' group: Divers in the water, some volunteers in the workboat (called WORKBOAT!) and others on the bank.

Getting up close and personal to the weed makes removal so much more effective than simply dragging it out with the tools we have available.

Especially when there are enthusiastic volunteers waiting to bring it on board!

As both groups were near to the completion of the work we needed to do today it seemed to make sense to finish that before stopping for refreshments (and having to go back to where we left off). So the decision was made to work on and have our refreshments at the end.

With the Call to Refreshments having been made, an opportunity for the divers to get out of the water.

And to collect coracleman from the Ricketts Cut.

And head back to Beeleigh.

And at last, time for some welcome refreshments. It seemed that we had a happy group!

Finally, for most, time to go home,

And for those heading back to Heybridge, the task of bringing WORKBOAT down through Beeleigh Lock

And an opportunity to do a bit more work on the Long Pond on the way back

Before eventually heading for home.

Both boats emptied and cleaned and the tools packed away. Then a prompt departure for some and, sadly, a delayed departure for others.

Some booms have been in place for several years. The material they are made from, despite being designed for outdoor use on water, can become degraded due to exposure to UV light. As soon as a few polystyrene blocks escape from the floating boom the weight-chain in it pulls the boom under the water, allowing Pennywort to float over the top.

Such was the case at Stonhams Lock where one of our volunteers had spotted a problem in our boom across the backwater. One section had started to sink. Two CCT volunteers were available to travel from Paper Mill up to Stonhams Lock to do the repair.

Luckily the weather wasn't too bad and all the equipment was available and in order. Thanks to Essex Waterways Ltd for use of their work boat.

Good progress was made up to Little Baddow Lock and further upstream to Stonhams Lock.

And on arrival at the backwater it was obvious what the problem was.

It didn't take long to remove the failed section and attach one end of the new piece to the existing boom

And the other end to an anchor we've previously installed in the bank.

Our two volunteers are pretty well skilled with this sort of work so the whole job didn't take long and the maintained boom was back in effective action

On the way back, time to check the Little Baddow mill stream for Pennywort. Thankfully none!

While some were just getting out of bed, others were already meeting at Heybridge to sort out the required equipment, load up the work boat, Buster, and head up to Beeleigh. All went to plan, and good progress was made.

The group having met just below the Beeleigh Flood Gates it was time for the Health and Safety reminders and a briefing of the plan for the session. Although the pic seems to indicate a lack of attention this one was taken just before everyone was attentive to every detail!

Two of the group (later three) would be working in the Langford Cut, with one being ferried across to the other bank and bidding colleagues a fond farewell!

The main group set off to an excellent start. Divers releasing weed from the banks, to be collected by volunteers on Buster.

Of course, another important contributor to removal of pennywort from the many nooks and crannies is Coracle Man Steve (although he soon got called away to similar duties in the Langford Cut).

Steady progress led to plenty of weed - fragile and small-leaved at this time of year - being collected by the work boat.

Two additional volunteers turned up. Very helpful having them working from the bank.

The pile of pennywort on Buster got ever bigger.

Necessitating its removal onto the bank.

In the meantime work was being done from either side of the Langford Cut. Not an easy task as access to the water is so difficult both due to dense and thorny shrubbery and also the indistinct margin between solid ground and the water.

Neverthless, very effective removal of any pennywort that could be accessed from the bank. But there were some small rafts tantalisingly just out of reach of our long red poles. The call went out for Coracle Man Steve to join us. Yet again he gets to the parts that other techniques can't access.

Some pennywort pushed to the side was removed by our volunteers on the bank. Some brought directly ashore in the coracle.

The decision was made that it was time for a Refreshment Break and after finishing the tasks in hand everyone headed back to meet at the Beeleigh Flood Gates.

An enjoyable break and, of course, the traditional group pic.

All too soon it was time to get back to work.

Back to the Langford Cut for some.

Back to where they left off for others

Back in the water for the divers.

Back to work from the bank for others.

And after more valuable work having been done, time to finish and return to the Flood Gates - with another of our pieces of equipment being put to good use.

Then off home to clean up, warm up and freshen up for most. A trip back down the Long Pond to return Buster and pack the equipment away for others. There's still plenty of Pennywort left for next time.

Another excellent Work Party. Huge thanks to our amazing volunteers.