``

Saturday 11 September 2010

Saturday 11 Sept 2010 Napton

The meal in The Boathouse at Braunston, formally known as The Mill House was quite acceptable, typical chain pub but OK and two main courses, two sweets and two pints of Pedigree came out just under £25 as the cheapest main course is free. The only off putting thing was to have the Christmas Tree flashing away behind us. Is this the first decorated tree of the season?

This morning we woke early,like 5 am. to the sound of a Bolinder engine starting and then the ex working boat that had arrived in the dark and moored outside The Boathouse departed just as it was starting to get light, he slit past without a ripple just the uneven beat of his engine breaking the silence.
We finally left Braunston at about mid day after first filling with water and then winding in the Marina entrance, we then chugged round to Midland Chandlers who were having a 20% off day . So we are now facing north on the North Oxford and we want to go south on the South Oxford, not a real problem, just back up passed the junction and then off where we want to go. However just then a boat comes into the waterpoint opposite, another boat comes from the Braunston direction backwards to also use the water point. A second boat comes from Braunston, the boat who was at the waterpoint only dumps his rubbish and pushes off, I set off backwards and a boat comes down the South Oxford to turn round in the junction,so there are now 3 of us going backwards, 1 going forwards and 1 stopped in the midst of the mêlée.
We soon all get our selves sorted and we are Napton bound following the boat we thought was stopping for water.
The sunken boat is still causing an obstruction on the Puddle Bank with a tug across the end of it and a mud hopper on the outside complete with orange mesh. We met boats in nearly all of the Napton flight so left all the gates except one open and had them all opened for us except 3 which were with us, a good run in the sunshine arriving back at our moorings at 3 pm.

No comments: