You may have read elsewhere about the challenges of cruising against strong currents and winds, and in cold weather.
You will also have noted that many places, particularly marinas, do not open until May, sometimes the middle of May. If there was someone to be found on the premises, they and/or their facilities were often not ready to receive visitors, especially fussy elderly English boaters.
Put simply, a month or two later would have seen rivers that were more benign, with fewer, warmer winds, and more facilities that were open, operating properly and ready for business.