Winter Comes Early Fri 18 Dec 09

The weather forecast for the Daventry area where Harnser is moored indicated that Friday night could well have temperatures in the region of -6 and day time temperatures not getting above Zero. I use Metcheck to keep an eye on the weather for the area I am cruising in. From this on Thursday we decided that we would go to the boat Friday and drain the fresh water system, a job I normally do after Christmas. The weather station on the boat indicated the the lowest outside temperature had been -3 and inside the boat -1.

It is relatively easy to drain our system, I just isolate the main tank, remove the cover from the inline strainer to let air in and start the pump by opening a tap. This allows the pump to pressurise the system with air, I then open the cold taps to blow as much water out as possible before switching the pump off. I then open the hot taps and a valve between the calorifier fill connection and the bath drain. This allows water to drain from the calorifier into the bath and air to enter via the open hot water taps to prevent a vacuum being formed inside the calorifier and causing an implosion. To speed things up I can put the waste plug in the bath and start the bath emptying pump,this then sucks water out of the system and pump it overboard.
Once it is all complete I replace the strainer cover,close the valve between calorifier and the bath waste, so when I return to the boat I just have to open the isolation valve on the tank and switch on the pump to refill the system, as water starts to come out of the taps I just go round closing them in turn, wait for the pressure to build up and the pump to stop to ensure there are no leaks.

Whilst we were there  we also ran the engine for a bit taking the boat down to the top lock and back, this not only charged the batteries a bit but saved us carrying the nonperishable things we had taken to  the boat over the lock and down to the moorings.

Stockton to Napton

Fri 13 Nov
Last night as planned we went to The Boat to eat. They are offering a deal of 2 courses for £5 Monday to Friday, we didn't partake of this but ordered from the regular menu. The rain eased during the evening but had returned by bedtime. 
This morning when we woke up it was still raining but that soon changed and the cruise from Stockton to Calcutt was quite pleasant. We topped the diesel tank up at Calcutt Marina at 67 p/lt. We then continued up the flight to fill with water. The water gauge I fitted earlier this week was indicating empty just as the pump started to suck air, so the calibration was spot on. Just as we were leaving the water point in the rain two boats were leaving the top lock, but we were just ahead of them as I didn't want to end up following them up the Napton Flight. At Napton Junction we turned right along the South Oxford as did the boat following us, but they then turned into Napton Marina. The Napton flight were all with us. We stopped in the top lock to unload the boat to the car and while we were their, one of our fellow moorers was unloading a new fridge from his car, so we took it up to the moorings on our front deck.
We are now back home in Suffolk listening to the wind picking up.

Watford to Stockton

Thurs 12 Nov
Last night we went to bed to the sound of rain on the roof, this morning we woke up to sunshine. A Kate hire boat came passed towards the Watford flight and back again before we had set off at 9 30 am. It was some time before we saw another boat on the move. Back to Norton Junction and sharp right towards Braunston. As we approached the tunnel there was another Kingfisher, quite content to sit there as we passed by. I don't know if its the time of year or weather, but I have never known Kingfishers to sit around like this as boats pass before, they normally zoom off down the cut ahead of you.
We didn't meet anything in the tunnel  but  the light at the far end looked very dim, this turned out to be the hire boat we had seen earlier and as we approached Braunston Top Lock they had just left, but kindly agreed to wait for us at the next, this doesn't save any water but it does save a bit of time and effort, the water went with us using the top lock. We didn't meet any boats in the flight and it wasn't until we got to Butchers Bridge we saw a boat coming towards us. Chatting to the lady from the hire boat she said she was most upset by the attitude of some private boaters to her as a hirer, some down right rude. As a private boater I could only apologise to her. They were not beginners but are trying different boats and cruising at different times of year before maybe buying their own boat when they retire. As we came through Braunston we met Brian and Jill who were bringing their new to them, boat home and were moored in Braunston. It turned out it was them I met in the tunnel yesterday.
At Napton Junction we turned left up the South Oxford/Grand Union, Braunston was a lot busier today than yesterday with nowhere near so many vacant moorings, but there was still lots of room right in the centre. A few boats were moored along the Puddle Banks and also a bit further out of Braunston, but we met very little. We stopped just before Wigrams Turn to pick some sloes, lowering the branches with a boat hook to get the best of the crop, then it was right at Wigrams and down to Calcutt Locks. A pair of Ownership boats were just leaving the locks, going down as we arrived, but the crew from one hung about and drew a paddle for us, she said that they moored their boat at Calcutt and were stopping just below the lock. The other Ownerships boat was on his way back to Stockton so they waited in the next lock for us and we did the last two together.
It was quite busy at Stockton Marina with Ownership returning ready to hand over in the morning and many of the Kate fleet moored in the cut, some three abreast almost opposite the long term moorings.  We carried on past the marina and winded just above Stockton Top Lock, I can get Harnser round here with about nine inches to spare if I get in exactly the right spot and then headed back passed the marina to moor in the first vacant piece of towing path we came to almost opposite The Boat pub. By now it had started to rain and we tied up to a pair of very conveniently spaced mooring rings just on 4 pm.

Braunston at Watford Locks

Last night dinner and a couple of pints were taken at The Old Plough and very enjoyable there were, the size of the pud was something else.
Braunston was very quiet with lots of moorings and very few passing boats. We set off a few minutes past 11 this morning and had to wait at the bottom lock for a boat coming down, this was the first of several Ownership boats we were to meet today, as well as a couple of ex Challenger ones as well. We entered the bottom lock and spotted a boat coming through Butchers Bridge so we waited for them. It was Water Jester, also a shared ownership boat, we use to have a share in Water Witch that were originally run by Southshore Narrowboats. They invited us to leave the lock first and carry on alone as they had some shopping to do, in the end they caught us up at the next lock as the only stopped for a couple of minuets to get milk, and the boat coming down turned the lock without looking, I saw him just walk to the top gate and draw the paddles, however he got his own back as just as he left the lock some one turned the bottom lock on him. We continued up the flight with Water Jester meeting boats at several of the locks. At the Nelson Lock an ex Challenger boat was coming down breasted to another narrow boat with engine problems.
There was an awful lot of water running down at the tunnel mouth where the land slip was, the bank must have been quite fluid in the past. BW really need to cut the vegetation on the land slip as it badly obscures the visibility entering and leaving the tunnel. We only met one boat in the tunnel and they were having problems seeing where they were going, their tunnel light shot straight ahead along the water not illuminating the walls at all and sir was standing on the bow with a hand lamp aimed at the near side wall so madam could see where she was.
At Norton Junction we turned left up the Leicester Arm and continued as far as the winding hole at the bottom of the flight. We moored on the water point and took a walk up the flight. BW have the bottom lock scaffolded out and were working on the top gate, they are also working on the paddle gear of the second lock. We walked to the top of the flight and then back down the other side of the side pounds, It looks as these may have been dredged recently as there is a lot of spoil just below the bottom side pound with a fence round it saying "Deep Mud" The lock cottage at the top of the flight is up for auction on the 6 December, it looks out over the side pounds so has some very nice views but it is very close to the M1 A5 and railway. The bottom lock cottage was also empty.
We returned to Harnser and retraced our steps towards Norton Junction mooring for the night just outside Welton Hythe Marina at about 3-30 pm. So far I have seen 5 Kingfishers on this short stretch of canal, two of them remained sitting there as we went passed them and on the second one I stopped the boat and reversed back to photograph it.

Hillmorton to Braunston

Tues 10 Nov
After topping up the engine start battery we set off in drizzle at 10 am.  It was a miserable cruise to Braunston passing both Rosy and Draco both with no sign of life on ether boats. We continued on into the hart of Braunston and moored just by Butchers Bridge before having lunch at a little after 1 pm. We were just having an after lunch cup of tea when the phone rang, it was Chard the Ipswich IWA Branch Chairman enquiring where we were, it turned out he was also in Braunston so they came round for a cup of tea and a chat. Tonight we intend to meet them in the Old Plough for a meal.

Ansty to Hillmorton

Mon 9 Nov
We were a bit late setting off this morning as I wanted to check the voltage of the individual batteries just to make sure that the faulty one was an old one and not the new one I fitted earlier this year in which case it would have to go back to Bishop Stortford, but as expected it was another of the old ones that had dropped a cell, I fitted them in February 2005 so I suppose they have not done to bad considering they only get recharged by the engine driven alternator. Another thing I needed to do was find out what my 3 mobile number is so that I can contact them. As I don't use the sim in a phone, only the internet dongle the only way I could find out was to visit the 3 web site and open one of my monthly invoices.
We were away just before 11 am to a misty, still morning. We met a few boats on our travels but not as many as on the Ashby Canal. Diana took over driving while I emailed 3 Mobile to ask them what sort of offer they were prepared to make for me to continue with my prepaid contract. In January when VAT goes back to 17.5% I will be paying £10 a month or £120 a year. I can buy a years package for just £80 a saving of £40 a year, so if they don't come back with an offer of £8 or less I will close my contract.
At All Oaks Wood BW were still hard at work with 3 men standing in the water laying sandbags to support the towing path. Even wearing the dry suits and chest waders its not a job I would fancy in this weather. We met a boat at Stretton Stop so the swing bridge was opened for us, but I did close it as we passed. Once through the bridge there were hire boats moored two abreast and a private boat on the out side of them, as we passed him he dropped his rope off and started to set off coming another foot out into the canal and then complaining it was a bit tight.
We stopped at Brownsover, not for Diana to visit Tesco but for me to go to Homebase to buy a new chisel, it was nice to see on the receipt "over 18" and then to Halfords to get some deionised water as the engine starter battery could do with a drop. We considered mooring by the golf course but it was the pleasantest afternoon so far so continued on to Hillmorton. All the visitor moorings below the locks were taken so we continued up the flight, as we entered the first lock a hire boat from Clifton Cruisers came up to the other lock, they had never done a lock before and Diana showed them how it worked, They were a foreign couple and obviously the verbal instructions of working a lock had not completely sunk in. The pound above the second lock was down by about 10", this must have been quite a recent drop as the stones were still quite wet. We moored on the visitor moorings above the locks at about 4 30 pm.

Hinckley to Ansty

Sun 8 Nov
I woke up this morning and looked at the weather station, the atmospheric pressure was the highest its been all week, the symbol at the top showed sun, no cloud. I looked out of the port hole and it was chucking it down with rain, only one thing to do, stay in bed.
We set off at 10 30 am. the sky was showing a bit of blue and the sun was taking the odd peep out from round the clouds but looking into the distance it looked quite hazy.  Our first stop was Trinity Marina to fill up with 80 lts of diesel at 62.9 p/lt plus duty. Its a self service pump and you pay in the office. They have pre printed forms to fill in with your name and address, percentage split you are claiming on the duty split and if it is being used for heating, generator or boat. I always claim 50/50 because of the diesel cooking and heating. We carried onto Marston Junction where the Ashby Canal joins the Coventry Canal and turned left back to Hawkesbury Junction. There was a boat moored between the gauging lock and the junction and as I approached they unties but still stayed there, I thought they may be waiting for a boat to come out of the junction, but as I entered the gauging lock I could see that the junction was clear and just a tug and barge were entering the lock to go up the North Oxford, I indicated to the moored boat that I was intending to turn left into the junction and they waved me passed. As I passed I could see it was the community trip boat Hargreaves and the skipper said they were waiting for me to pass before turning round in the junction. I carried on round and Diana indicated that a boat was coming the other way into the lock so I pulled alongside the police station to give them a clear run out of the lock and round the junction. By now the Hargreaves had completed his turn, but as soon as the other boat had left, the Hargreaves reversed back into the junction again and turned round the other way again, I can only surmise that they were doing crew training and winding practice.
Once clear of the lock I just had to negotiate the long bend with boats moored ether side, a wooden cruiser on my side and a narrow boat coming towards me, why he didn't just hold back until I was clear I don't know, I didn't touch the wooden boat but he ran round against the narrowboat moored on the outside of the bend. We carried on for another hour and moored for the night on the Ansty visitor moorings opposite the Rose and Castle pub at about 3 30 pm. The colours of the sunset as I write this are a very soft pinky yellow glow turning to a blueish purple higher in the sky.