Abingdon

We had a nice quiet night by the Abbey, no sign of any Monks wandering about.

While we were having breakfast a boat went down to the lock, a little while later he cam back again. We left about 10, Diana dropping the stern line for me and walked down to the lock, the stern was about 6 foot from the bank so she walked to set the lock. At the lock the top sluices wouldn’t lift which is probably why the other boat turned back. I cycled the down stream end and hey presto, we were good to go. We passed this sentry as we left.

The river is very wide here but it is also very shallow to the sides, I only met one boat, an EA launch with a couple of passengers in the back.

They turned before they got to Godstow and followed us back down stream. There is another sunk boat just above Sheepwash Junction, you can just see it below the yellow buoys.

To get to Osney lock you have to pass under Osney Bridge, this is a low bridge which effectively stops the big gin palaces cruisers going further upstream.

At the lock the EA boat pulled in behind us on the lock layby and the EA chap leaped off to go set the lock, but there was already a Narrowboat in there coming up, returning from the London Campaign cruise. I entered the lock first and then they came in alongside. I used two ropes and switched the engine off, they kept the engine running and attempted to hold the boat of the centre line. There were some interesting boats moored below the lock, a few free fall lifeboats, Dutch barges and even one old metal ships lifeboat conversion. They were very popular at one time.

We passed the Dutch rowing trio who had stopped for lunch at one of the rowing clubs, they are rowing all the way to London. Their boats are just things of beauty, I bet they just slid through the water.

The Narrowboat and Cruiser ahead of us saw us approaching Abingdon lock so refilled it to allow us to join them, but of course the sluices have to go through their sequence of opening in small increment's, even if the lock is still almost full. The lock has two interesting notices, one looks quite official and the other less so, but makes the point.

   The cruiser left the lock first, then we went followed by the shorter Narrowboat, well he had to stop and pick the wife up. Below the lock, looking over the red floaty things is the weir, looking splendid in the sunshine, the water under the red floaty things is only a few inches deep. You can see the goose standing up it’s so shallow.

 

               

The three of us have since moored for the night on the 3 day free moorings in Abingdon and Diana has already donated some hard earned cash to the towns income. Tomorrow its back to Oxford and the canals.

Today’s Journey 11¾ miles with 5 locks in 4½ hours