Thursday 29 April Napton

Yesterday evening two fishermen set up shop between the front of our boat and the entrance to the marina for an all night session after carp. We had bit of a chat, they had not heard anything of BW's plan to open miles of canal fishing and thought  good thing until I pointed out that some of those miles not let out to clubs was right where they had set up now and that they would be expected to pay for a permit, suddenly it wasn't quite such a good idea especially as in their opinion BW didn't do anything for fishermen. I called to see them last thing at night to see what they had caught, nothing. When I went to the loo at 5 am this morning there was no sign of them.

We set off a little before 9 this morning as we had an appointment with the BSS examiner at Calcutt at 9 30. or a little after, it was actually a little after when he arrived. It was the same chap who did it last time and we passed with no problem, in fact he felt a bit guilty that I was not getting my money's worth as its a fixed price inspection and we don't have gas, so only take half as long to do. Once done I filled with diesel at 76 p and we headed off up the locks.
It was bit of a squeeze getting away from the service point as another boat with kitchen roll paper in his macerator loo was along side us and two boats had just come out of the top lock waiting to enter the second, plus a boat coming up. One of the boats coming down backed up a bit and I got round and into the lock before the boat below had left the lock. There was a short delay before Diana could start filling the lock as the other boat wanted to deploy his fenders all round. I didn't mind as they were only pipe fenders and Calcutt locks are quite wide so very little chance of jamming up, in fact there was probably the best part of a foot of water between us.
Once clear of the locks we headed down to Wigrams Turn and turned sharp right onto the South Oxford. We had a brief stop at the old brick yards as I had seen some large bore plastic pipe in a yard there and the Dilham Canal Society want some to run a culvert under the canal, so I took a couple of photos and went to find out who owned it. We then carried on the The Folly moorings where we moored for lunch and because it was raining half the after noon. There was a steady flow of boats coming past and when we did set off all the Napton flight was with us, plus we met several boats coming down, so that compensated for the rain. We are now moored below the top lock for the night, we will move up to our moorings in the morning after we have put the dog in the car as its hard work getting the old boy across the gates now.

Wednesday 28 Ventnor Farm

Last night we ate in the 2 Boats,they had a good range of beer on in readiness for this weekends beer festival where all 6 pubs in the village join forces to put a full village festival on. One of the dishes on the specials menu caught our eye, game pie. When it came it was a good sized bowl topped with flaky pastry. It may not be to every ones taste as it was very strong and  gamie with rich gravy and lots of none discript meat. We enjoyed it.

This morning again there were a few spots of rain early on, but this soon gave way to warm sunshine. We took a walk into Long Itchington to the Co-op, its a very pleasant walk across the fields from beside the bridge below the 2 Boats pub.
We finally set off towards the lock and as I went up to set it another boat came into view, so we had someone to share the load with. As they had their dinner cooking in the oven we stopped opposite the Blue Lias for a lunch break. Just as we were about to restart a boat left the pub moorings and went up ahead of us. We waited a short time before setting off and met a boat coming out of the bottom lock, this meant that all the locks were against us but in favour of the boat ahead, even so we quickly caught them up, in spite of them leaving the top paddle up when they left the lock and us having to turn each one.
We had seen Sean at the bottom of the flight and he walked up and set the top lock for us. In conversation he told me that Ravens had been seen in the area in the last couple of years. I'm not sure I could spot the difference between a Raven and a Crow if they were not side by side. We  said goodbye to our new made friends at the entrance to Ventnor Farm Marina where we have moored for the night ready to go just a quarter of a mile to Calcutt Marina in the morning to have our 3rd BSS inspection, hopefully it will pass as they passed it last time. While we are there we will also fill up with diesel and maybe get a pump out.

This is the first place that I have been able to connect to the internet via 3, both Long Itchington and the Blue Lias were no 3G signal areas, although I have got a connection at Blue Lias in the past.

Tuesday 27 April Long Itchington

We had a late start today as there were one or two jobs I wanted to do in the engine room and its more comfortable with the engine cold, consequently it was ten to eleven before we got away and we had not seen a single boat on the move.
Between where we had moored and the first lock we met a pair of boats, and the next lock a single was coming down and at the lock after that another single coming our way. At Fosse bottom we met a pair and another pair following them in the next pound. After that it all went quite again. We stopped for lunch just above Welsh Road lock as we are well ahead of schedule, we need to be at Calcutt first thing Thursday morning for our BSS inspection. After a leisurely lunch when I primed some more of the roof where the paint is bubbling off we set of towards Long Itchington. We met a single Ownerships boat above Bascote bottom lock where I tried to find out the latest on the Ownerships sager that is being talked about on the internet without and luck. On the approach to the next lock was a boat moored on the lock moorings, I expected it to be a hire boat but I was wrong, it was a boat from a privately run shared ownership syndicate.
As we left the second lock of the Bascote lock a hire boat was just entering the top of the staircase and Diana went ahead so that we could go into the bottom chamber which was empty before they dropped the top chamber into it. It worked well and we passed in the staircase saving time and quite a bit of water. From here we chugged slowly on the the mooring rings at Long Itchington arriving about 3-30.
As I type this the hire boat that we spent yesterday with has just gone by, they did manage to see Warwick Castle but didn't have time to go in, they have to be back at Nuneaton Thursday night.

I don't know when you will get to read this as this is the first time for months that I have not been able to get a 3 signal, I will post it as soon as I can.

Monday 26 April Radford Semele

This morning I woke again to the dawn chorus, if its that good why don't they do it at a reasonable time of day like 7 am.?
We left Lowsonford at 9 am. first away with a good road, CanalTime were not far behind. We met three boats between here and the junction so were able to leave a few gates open. At Kingswood Junction it was hard right and back onto the Grand Union canal heading South. There was next to nothing about and I don't think we met more than two boat between here and Hatton. We were going to fill with water at the top of the flight, but there was already a boat there taking water and the top lock was almost full so we carried on down. The top lock was the only one with us, all the rest were against us.
We carried on down alone through 6 locks until we found a hire boat stopped for lunch on the lock moorings between the two locks. There were 5 of them in an 8 berth, 70 foot Valleycruiser boat. They jumped at the opportunity to join us and we continued down the flight together. We could see a boat moored half way down the flight,but they were making no effort to come up towards us until we started to drop the lock above them. By then it was to late as a pair of boats breasted together had come up from the lock below them and were passing them before they realised what was happening. So at the end of all this they still had the remainder of the flight against them as they followed the breasted pair up to the top.All this gave us a good road down the rest of the flight and with one member from the hire boat working ahead opening top gates we were soon down. Unfortunately the chap working ahead didn't know how many locks there were and carried on to Budbrooke Junction looking for more.
Cape locks were a joy, both top gates were wide open on the top lock and as we locked out, two boats were just leaving the bottom lock coming up. Still requiring water we planned to stop below the lock and fill up, but again there was a boat taking water, as we opened the bottom gates he packed his hose away and made ready to enter the lock, another gate we didn't have to close and we pulled into the water point to top up.
The hire boat stopped for a cup of tea and discussed the possibility of visiting Warwick Castle tomorrow morning. We both set off together with them mooring at Tesco overnight, planning to take a taxi to the castle tomorrow. We continued on to moor at 6 pm. opposite Radford Semele church. We were surprised to find this is still wrapped in plastic following a fire there several years ago.

Sunday 25 April

Last nights moorings were much quieter than I expected them to be. As we were in town we ate out,walking a few hundred yards from the basin/town centre where things were much quieter. We found a nice little Italian restaurant called iL Bertorelli  http://www.ilbertorelli.co.uk/ that had some vacant tables. The service was good and the meals very tasty.
I needed to post some letters but all the post boxes we came across were sealed for the weekend. We found out later that this was because the town was celebrating Shakespeare's birthday. http://www.shakespearesbirthday.org.uk/.

This morning we woke not to the sound  of the dawn chorus or as I expected the mechanical street cleaners, but to the sound of rain on the roof at about 6 am. I don't know how long it lasted but it had cleared up before we were up. The Canaltime that had followed us down yesterday set off at 8 am so they were due a good road from all the locks they left yesterday. There was no point in hurrying away and chasing them up the locks so we left at a few minuets after 9 am. We just left the basin into the canal as a hire boat  was setting the first lock to go up, so we were still right behind some one. The did offer to let us passed but we told them to carry on.  As we left 4th lock the pound was well down and I was soon on the bottom, just being able to move of tickover. This is quite a long pound and I caught up the the hire boat in front stuck in the bridge hole about 150 yards before the lock, Diana had walked up and even though the boat ahead had dropped a lock full of water she ran some more down and soon had them afloat, I was going nowhere for a bit and then I slowly started creeping forward to the sound of the base plate scraping the debris on the bottom. The 5th lock No. 65 is adjacent to a wide road bridge forming a tunnel into the lock mouth, I had to bowhaul through this.
Once up the lock the next pound was just on weir with nothing flowing down the bywash. We were a bit short of water so stopped at the old Stratford Court Cruiser base to top up, but the tap was so slow we settled for half a tank. There is a notice in the window of the closed offices saying that Valley Cruisers hope to open up there with full services shortly, unfortunately the notice was not dated so I don't know how old it was.
We caught up with both the hire boat who had stopped for water and the Canaltime boat who had broken down at bridge 63 which now gave us the good road. The Canaltime pulled out behind us and followed us up the next 3 locks. We had bit of a problem at lock 47 and invited the Canaltime boat to pass, as they were mob handed the back set for us all the way up the flight to lock 40 which was as good a being in front. We didn't see them again after this as the long pound is quite shallow and limited our speed greatly.
We met a few boats between here and Lowsonford  so apart from leakage the locks were all with us. The weather managed to behave its self until 6 pm when it started to rain which continued right until we moored up at quarter past in almost the same spot as we were in 2 nights ago.

Sat 24 April 10 Stratford on Avon

Last night we ate in the Fleur de Lays. The food was well up to its normal standard and luckily I had the foresight to walk round when we first moored up and booked a table, because by 8 pm it was packer. The baked cod went down a treat with a bottle of house white.

This morning was not so bright but still warm and pleasant, we pushed off at ten to nine, just as the CanalTime boat ahead of us were poking their heads out. The left just behind us and caught us up at the last lock before  Stratford Basin. They had extra crew join them for the weekend and they walked ahead setting the locks. We started off with all the locks in our favour and pulled away from them, we only met one boat all day but after lunch we started to hit empty locks and a couple on bikes told us that there were 2 boats going down ahead of us and we followed them all the way.
We had a slight upset in one of the locks when Harnser hung up on a brick ledge on one side of the lock making her tip sideways quite dramatically, By the time I had realised what was happening and run to the front of the lock to drop the paddle she dropped free. The dog didn't even wake up, but I did.
There were a couple of spaces in the basin when we arrived and a boat who we did the BCN explorer cruise spotted us coming and waved us into the spot. I spun round and slipped in backwards without touching boat or pontoon, I just wish someone had videoed it.
We moored up at 4 30 pm and since we have been here the CanalTime have arrived and 4 boats have left going out onto the river making a bit of space for any late comers. So far the area has been quite noisy with drunken youths on the other side of the basin, but our side has been quite peaceful.

Fri 23 April Lowsonford

Last night we were moored up with slack lines and hard aground but during the evening the pound rose by a good 4 inches so by the time we went to bed we were on an even keel. While we were eating dinner a boat came down the flight which set the locks in our favour. It wasn't the quietest of moorings with background traffic noise, the odd train and this morning a mixture of the dawn chorus and vans on the industrial estate opposite.
This morning we were away in reasonable time at ten to nine, we didn't want anyone slipping by and turning all the locks. We were almost half way up the flight when we met a single hander coming down, so at least he had half the flight with him. He told us that he had met two boats who had moored half way up the flight over night so we only had a few more with us and he was right. After turning a couple of locks we saw two boats coming down by the BW Hatton works, so at least we could leave gates open.
As we passed the steerer of Button End called out that he had been following our blog. We now had the locks with us and a couple of gates open right up to the workshops. Things changed on the bend and again it was turning locks but then another boat started down the flight  which set us up to finish. The weather was just about right for working the flight, bright and clear with no wind, nice and warm but not to hot. It had taken us just over 3 hours of steady plodding along.
Once clear of Hatton we started to discuss which way to go and decided that Stratford would be our destination. As we passed the WDYC I noticed that they still has several narrow boats sitting on the hard following blacking.
I failed to turn left into Kingswood in one go, but I blame it on the boat moored near the mouth who was running his engine in gear sending a flow across the cut.  Once on the Stratford Canal we found the locks all with us and we even met about 3 boats coming towards us.
We have moored for the night opposite the Fleur de Lays at Lowsonford at about four thirty pm.
Once moored I set to patching up some more of the flaking roof in the warm afternoon sunshine.

Thursday 22 Warwick

Not so cold last night and several planes crossing the sky. I had to slack the mooring ropes and push Harnser from the towing path to try to get us onto an even keel.
One boat passed before we set off at 10 am this morning however after he had gone a boat came up the locks and moored just ahead of us, giving us one good lock. Later we met a pair of boats coming up and in the next pound we met the steam Narrowboat President and her butty Kildare coming towards us breasted up, luckily we met them in a gap with no moored boats so we were able to pass with no one going aground.
Lunchtime saw us moored in Leamington Spar and after a bite to eat we walked into town. Here we visited the gardens and the towns museum in the old Pump Rooms which was free. Several of the paintings on display were loaned by Councillor Albert Holt JP, I must check if we are related as there were some expensive pictures on display.
Mid afternoon and we were away again in the bright sunshine, real T shirt weather. Delta marine were putting the final touches to the paint work on a new Dutch style barge.
Until now we have been dropping down at every lock since we left our moorings, now we started to climb with the two Cape locks which we did alone, just like all the rest we have done today.  Tomorrow we have the Hatton 21 to look forward to as we climb the hill out of Warwick. For tonight we are moored just by the Budbrooke junction opposite the Saltisford Arm.

Wednesday 21 April 2 4 1

Today you have 2-4-1 Tuesday and Wednesday.

We left home just after lunch on Tuesday, Once we had got by all the tractors, skip lorries towing trailers and even Iceland, well that what it said on the back of an artic that only did 40 mph we had a reasonable run,all this was between Lowestoft and Bury St Edmunds. The A 14 was no problem.
We arrived at the moorings at 5 30 pm and moved the boat straight down to the lock, this was to save getting Magic across the lock as he is getting decidedly doddery on his pins. As we left the moorings a LNBP boat was coming up the lock, they were on a training exercise with new crew onboard and they display a large notice telling you they are training so other boaters are aware of what's happening. As soon as they cleared the lock we went in and started loading up from the car,we had almost completed operations when a second LNBP boat approached the lock,so we had to carry the last box from the car to below the lock. Thy were only going as far as the Engine Arm to wind and then moor up for the night. We continued down the flight to moor in the bottom pound, from here it was an easy wander to the Folly for dinner. When we went in the lady behind the bar explained they only had a very limited menu as the chief was in Fenny doing a charity bungee jump, so I settled for ham, egg and chips while Diana had scampi and chips plus a couple of pints of Hooky.

This morning we woke to a clear,bright frosty morning and set off just after 9 am, we had already had several boats pass us. As we passed the moorings below the Folly we saw a duck with 17 ducklings only a few days old. Again there were boats moored right across the winding hole which would have made life difficult for anyone wanting to turn.
We continued on passed Napton Narrowboats, they had most of their fleet out which must be a good sign this time of the year. At Wigrams Turn we turned sharp left towards Calcutt, luckily we were stopping at the top of the flight for water as two boats coming up turned the lock as we approached, they had no idea we didn't intend going straight down.
While Diana topped the water tank up I went to the marina to book a BSS examination for our return journey, I now have to wait for a phone call confirming they can do it when I want it. Once filed with water we went into the top lock, closed up and waited until a Calcutt hire boat had finished maneuvering below the lock before drawing the paddles, Just as Diana drew the first paddle a boat appeared behind us, so paddle down, top paddle up, gate open and wait a few minutes for them to arrive. It turned out that the people onboard also came from Suffolk and were in the process of changing marinas from the Blisworth arm to Ventnor Farm so we didn't share for long.

We moored up for lunch just passed Stockton Top Marina on the long term moorings, most of which now appear to be vacant. Having just finished lunch a boat came by and I enquired as to whether he was going down the flight and could we join him. Before he agreed he asked if I was single handing, as there was a single hander waiting above Calcutt who when he joined them didn't do a stroke of work in any of the three locks.
We had a pleasant trip down to The Blue Lias where they stopped for the night, meeting only one boat half way down the flight.

After saying goodbye we continued alone hoping to buy an ice cream  at Shop Lock, but Tim was closed. We met another boat leaving the next lock and then two more single boats before Bascote Staircase. At the staircase there were three painters working on the top chamber gates, each had a windlass as well as a paint brush and they set the top lock for us. I had already dropped Diana off so she went and emptied the lower chamber, I do wonder if any of them would have gone and done it if Diana hadn't. Once we were clear of the lock they drained the top chamber into the bottom one so they could open the intermediate gates again. If they did this after every boat they must have wasted many lock fulls of water.
We moored for the night just below Welsh Road Lock at about 4 30 pm.

Tuesday Wormleighton to Napton

It was a full moon last night but you couldn't see it because of the cloud. When I took the dog out last thing it was fine drizzle, he wasn't too impressed and went on strike, digging his paws in and putting his head down. The third time he did this I gave him another pull and ended up taking a lead and collar for a walk, leaving a dog on the towing path looking at me, as soon as I stopped and turned round he picked up his collar and we walked back to the boat. This morning when we got up it was still raining.
This clock change is giving me a problem, half of me is on summer time and half on winter time still, the other half hasn't a clue what its doing. As we don't use an alarm clock we have been sleeping late, but then we go to bed by the clock and cant get to sleep, meal times are not to bad,I suspect it would be worse going the other way.

We set off at about 1030 and by then the rain had stopped, we had a gentle run back to the moorings only meeting a couple of private boats and a British Waterways work flat being powered by an outboard motor. At Marston Doles locks we caught up with another boat, it was about the 5th or 6th time we have seen them, the first time was at the bottom of the Foxton flight last week and since then we have been leapfrogging each other or meeting each other.
We just arrived at our moorings as it started to rain and it has done this on and off all afternoon. While Diana was getting lunch I took the opportunity to fit the solar panels and was pleased to see 1.5 amps going into the batteries between the showers.
After lunch it was time for an oil change,this didn't go quite as well as planned as the filter wrench pierced the filter case allowing oil to leak out, luckily I had already put my tray made from plastic guttering under it so all was not lost.

Monday Wormleighton to Wormleighton via Fenny Compton

We woke to rain,only to be expected as it was very cloudy last night and the pressure has been falling steadily. so we were in no hurry to get up and away. We heard "Albert" go by with his lovely sounding Ruston & Hornsby engine, much nicer than a BD3.

The rain stopped and we set off at twenty past ten and made our way to Fenny Compton where we winded,this operation would be a lot easier if there wasn't a boat permanently moored in the end of the winding hole or even if he moved backwards as its very tight to come through the bridge and get your bows in behind him. There is room for us to wind without having to get tight in to the bank, but anything over 60 foot would need to. Once round we tied up and filled with water.

We had just completed filling up when a boat came backwards along the canal, waited until we departed and then also winded to follow us northwards along the cut. Once past the long term moorings 2 Hare's came out through the hedge and bundled off along the towing path, unfortunately I was to slow to get a photograph. It then started raining again. We continued on to moor about a 200 yards south of where we were last night at about 12 30 pm. by which time the rain had stopped again.  The boat that came backwards, winded and followed us, came by and moored in the spot we were in last night.

Sunday Braunston to Wormleighton

We woke at a reasonable time considering the clocks changed last night, I do wonder if the boats each side of us forgot to change there clocks as dead on 9 am i.e. 8 am yesterday's time their engines started.

We set off at ten past ten in sunshine, just before we left a brand new boat came passed us,no licence disk and no number plates,we seen several like this now. Is it a case of the tax is in the post or are they just getting a few free weeks. We met quite a few boats during the morning, most of them in good places for a change. Napton Narrowboats had about half their fleet out when we came passed but there were very few boats in the normal places like by The Bridge at Napton and The Folly.

We had Sunday lunch in the Folly complete with a couple of pints of Hooky before getting on our way up the Napton flight. We met three boats on the flight so all the locks were with us for a change. The first two were hire boats and I was glad we met them as opposed to following them. At Marston Doles I though I would check the winding hole for length. The notice says 50 foot so I thought I would try to get round, what's 7 foot between friends? It's slightly more than the distance between the towing path and the point of the winding hole. It was a very pleasant afternoon and we continued southwards finally mooring at 6 30 pm by the radio mast at Wormleighton

Saturday Crick to Braunston

This morning started much brighter and we were away just before 10 am. We arrived at the Watford flight just as a boat was coming into the top lock, Diana fond the lock keeper and we were on our way as soon as this boat had cleared the lock. I upset the lock keeper by not drawing the red paddle first, there was no point as the next chamber was full to overflowing and when I did draw it to keep him happy the level actually fell by 6". I wasn't happy as he had seen me do it but went to tell Diana off. I think its a case of red before white is the only way to do it, don't think, just like some people walk up to a lock, raise both paddles before trying to open the gate when a lock is already full.
At the railway bridge there were two long lengths of tree in the cut, one was long enough to almost stretch from bank to bank, I guess they must have come down in the recent winds. At the winding hole I met a boat coming very slowly through the bridge, I held back to let him through only to find he was followed by two more, I don't know how far they had been following him but the back one looked right cheesed off. We met several boats between here and Braunston Tunnel but nothing in the tunnel which was just as well. I had not seen any boats ahead but half way through the tunnel I could see a shape silhouetted in the distance. I thought that maybe the contractors were working at the tunnel mouth but by the time we got there it was all clear. At the top lock there was a cruiser waiting to enter the lock and they were to wide to get through one gate so went down alone, it was them that I had followed through the tunnel and if they had met anyone it would have been tight. There were a few boats coming up the flight so at first it didn't make much difference to us letting them go ahead and a second boat joined us going down. Once we stopped meeting boats it became a pain as the lads with the cruiser left both bottom gates open as they went and just to top it all the boat we were sharing with stopped at the Nelson for a few days. We pushed on alone,finally meeting a couple of boats coming up at the bottom lock.
A short stop was made at The Stop House to fill with water before heading for the open countryside. Tia was moored opposite The Boatman on his way to Foxton for the weekend extravaganza so we stopped for a while to catch up on the new and examine his new "Bio degradable dog poo bags". We continued on our way to moor for the night just before bridge 99. There was only one other boat moored on this stretch when we arrived so we were able to moor well spaced out in the piece and quiet. Since then there have been several other boats arrive and until 10 minutes ago we had one each end running their engines. They stopped them at a few minutes to 8.

Since we have been moored here I have put a bit more paint on the roof over the rust patches, refill the stern greaser and cut the keep for the rear door bolt into the step. Its only 3 mm brass but it felt like standing on a brick.

Friday North Kilworth to Crick

last night the wind blew and the rain hammered down, it was a good job we were eating on board and apart from walking the dog we didn't need to go out.
This morning started bright and we set off at 10 30 am but soon the clouds were gathering  and just before Yelvertoft it turned quite cool and started to rain. The new marina at Yelvertoft now has about half the electric points installed on the jetties and they have moved a lot more soil. The earth dam is still across the marina entrance but the water level looks good inside, I don't know how long BW will make them wait before allowing them to remove it.
We moored at 3 pm in almost the same spot that we moored in a week ago on our outward journey. No one complained that we were in their winter mooring then so I don't expect they will this time.
As I sit here typing this I have a good WiFi signal on an unsecured network, the only problem is they want £3 an hour to access it. I will stick with 3.

Thursday Foxton to North Kilworth

The heavy rain of last night lead us to a very spring like morning,warm and sunny with very little wind. We said goodbye to Clive and Rita over coffee and chocolate biscuits and headed off towards the lock flight at 1045 hrs. We were straight into the locks but as we were following another boat they were all against us, we were the third through that morning. We had just completed the second lock when the keeper walked down to tell us that there was another boat coming down and that we would have to pass in the middle of the flight. We were to remain in the lock and the other boat would pull over in the basin to let us pass. We continued up the flight arriving at the basin while the boat coming down was still a couple of locks away. The basin was very low and if we had not been instructed to wait in the lock it is debatable as to whether we would have cleared the cill. As the other boat dropped down to the lock above the basin, the outfall between the basin and the side pond above started to gush water and Harnser started to rise in the lock.By the time the gates opened on the next lock we were well up and could clear the cill with ease. The lock keeper who was accompanying the boat coming down laid down at the mouth of the lock with an arm stretched down as far as he could reach ready to take the centre rope of the descending boat as he left the lock. this was to enable him to pull them against the side of the basin and allow us to pass.
We were now on the top half of the flight and of course all the locks were now at their lower level so drawing the red paddle filled the lock we were in while the white paddle only had to drop the chamber by a few inches. We were just about to leave the top lock when 2 boats arrived to go down. We pulled in for water just in front of the "Cheese" boat and while the water tank was filling bought 3 Welsh cheeses from them that we hadn't tried before. The water pressure on the taps up here is far better that that to be found at Market Harborough which was bit of a relief. Once full we continued on towards Welford and through the Market Bosworth tunnel. By now the sun had decided to play hide and seek with the clouds and the temperature had fallen a few degrees, looking to our left it looked decidedly unsettled with rain in the distance and that was the direction the weather was coming from. After a bit of discussion we made the decision to moor just passed the Welford arm against the concrete edging. Like all good decisions this was changed and we moored about 200 yards before the arm. The reason for this was that the wind and rain that was just starting would be against the side of the boat and not the back doors. So at 1500 hrs we called it a day and sat down for a glass of red wine and a piece of our Welsh cheese.

Wednesday Market Harborough to Foxton

Last night we went with Clive and Rita for a meal at The Waterfront and were most impressed, for the type of establishment and food it was very good value. We started with a plate of rolls and an offer of extra if required, a nice bottle of house wine, 4 starters and main courses for less than £60. The portions were so generous that Clive had to finish Rita's main course, Diana asking for a doggie bag and none of us being able to manage a sweet.
It rained heavily over night and was still drizzling this morning but it had cleared up before we left. We made our way back to Foxton and I was very pleased to see a Kingfisher swooping towards me along the canal, but only one. Once in Foxton, Clive and Rita pulled over for the night and we continued on to Debdale to fill up with diesel. While we were there I took the opportunity to examine a boat they had out for blacking and sitting on a pair of trestles about 6 foot high, these are to facilitate the cleaning and painting of the base plate. There is a lot of discussion about whether on not its worth painting the base plate and if it all gets scraped off on the canal bed. All I can say is that all the mussels hanging on the bottom had not been scraped off so I can only surmise that the paint wouldn't be scraped off ether.
Once full of diesel we headed back to Foxton in nice warm sunshine, we moored with Clive and Rita and while Diana and Rita took the dog for a walk I took the opportunity of the warmth to prime the areas of roof that I had scraped back to steel yesterday. I also replaced the seal on the weed hatch, a job I have been intending to do for sometime. While I had the weed hatch top off I checked the prop for fouling and found a load of blue material with plastic piping and zips which I think may at one time have  been a bag.

Tuesday Foxton to Market Harborough

Last night we had an enjoyable meal in The Foxton Locks Inn with Clive and Rita. It was a lovely clear star lit night which caused the temperature to fall to below freezing. We were disturbed some time after midnight by an engine running and this woke me several times over the next few hours, I think it was moored somewhere behind us.
This morning started very sunny, so much so I thought I would have a ply with the solar panels while Diana took the dog for a walk. When she returned we had another changes of plans and joined with Clive and Rita in a trip to Market Harborough, we didn't get away until about 11 am and took a slow run down mooring just out side the basin. Diana steered all the way and I scraped the lose paint from the roof and treated it with rust killer ready to prime, needless to say at this point the sun went in and it started to drizzle, so the patches are still waiting for the paint. This afternoon was spent in Market Harborough with a trip to the towns museum followed by a run round Sainsbury's to top up the food store.

Monday Market Harborough to Foxton

After walking round the the BW office to buy a new pump out card we set off at about 10 am. Although it was sunny it was quite windy which made it interesting passing some of the moored boats slowly. Not far out of town I spotted a Moorhen sitting on her nest,I couldn't tell if she had eggs or not.I can only assume that the poor old Kingfisher has a hard time with the canal freezing this year as I haven't seen a single bird and normally we spot a few below Watford and again on the Market Harborough arm.
After yesterdays problem with the road swing bridge we both got off to open it.Diana at the operations end,releasing the lock and me pushing at the towing path end. As we passed through Foxton I was hailed by another boater, Andy. He has been following us all the way from Napton, always being about one day behind. We have never met before but he has followed my postings for several years. Once through Foxton we carried on to Debdale Marina where I had a word with Dave about our paint work, it has gone from micro blistering to the paint on the roof coming off in hand fulls leaving shiny bright steel below,it is even obvious to me that there has been very little adhesion between the primer coat and the steel. There is still talk of this being due to the exceptional winter we have just had, the paint didn't fall off the last boat when it was iced in for 6 weeks of my friends boat in Belgium where they have been able to walk around the boat on the ice, or maybe its the wrong sort of cold. Whatever it is its obviously going to cost me lots of pennies to put right. After talking to Dave we winded and headed back to Foxton just as the rain started. We are now moored just before the locks with Clive and Rita again ready to go to The Foxton Locks Inn for a meal tonight.

Sunday North Kilworth to Market Harborough

We looked out at about 7 am and it was decidedly foggy, but very bright above with all the signs of being a grand day. By the time we were up the fog had lifted but looking out it remained misty until lunch time. 
At twenty past ten we said goodbye to Clive and Rita and set off on our way. It wasn't long before we came across our first fishing match of the season. I don't think I have ever passed through such a friendly bunch of fishermen, there were about 30 of them in all, but they were in 4 small groups, each group being between a quarter and half a mile apart. This meant that you were not on tickover for yunks but just a short stretch followed by a bit of ordinary cruising, even so, poor old nb. Balmaha managed to end up in the middle of the last bunch.
We stopped at the top of the Foxton flight to finish our lunch and set off again a 1 o'clock. There were no boats coming up so we were able to set off as soon as we arrived at the top gate and a volunteer lock assistant offered to help us down, he didn't have a windlass but took care of the gates on the towing path side. It took us just 50 minutes to do the flight and when we got to the bottom we found the boat ahead of us moored on the lock moorings drinking what looked like their G&Ts. A tight right hand turn and through the new swing bridge on the Market Harborough Arm before mooring on the visitor moorings to walk back to Bridge 61 shop and the museum to purchase some reading material. The visitor moorings were all empty, they were moored on lock moorings or the water points just at the bottom of the locks.
The next swing bridge which carries the road across the canal is very stiff and Diana couldn't move it. I had problems with it and had to pull from the towing path side to get it to move at all.Once I got it started it was OK, but once Diana had taken the boat through I had to get it closed again,all went fine until the last few inches which I achieved aging from the towing path end. There are stories of boaters having to use the boat as a battering ram to get it open and closed.
We continued on towards the end basin passing Dewern6 on the way, another boat we had not seen for some time. Once in the basin we made good use of the BW services block as we were in a desperate need of a pump, luckily I had a BW card in my file, it was a bit ancient and I was not 100% sure it would work, but work it did and in a few minutes we had an empty tank, I am sure that if there had been a second boat waiting it would have been sufficient to do their tank as well,an excellent unit, well done BW. It was gone 6 30 by the time we had finished this so we just drew backwards out of the basin to moor for the night. In the basin were more old friends that we had not seen for some time on nb. Hadar, so we walked round to see them and partake of a cup of tea while we caught up on the past year.

Saturday Welford to North Kilworth

Not much of a trip today really, we woke at a reasonable time and the weather was fine,but it didn't last long and soon we were in steady rain, so much so that we intended to stay put for the day. Diana took magic out for a walk and brought him back half drowned with mud all up his back legs, it didn't bother him but he needed a clean up before coming in.
At about half 10 I decided to start the engine to charge the batteries if we weren't moving, but by 12 it had brightened up and the rain stopped so we pushed off.  Once out of the end of the Welford arm.we turned right towards Foxton. We had only done about 500 yards when I spotted a friends boat moored ahead. We slid in close behind them and moored up before going to bang on their widow. If I say Mary Celeste you will know what I mean, no sign of life. They had had lunch and the porthole curtains were drawn, so may be they had gone for a sleep. A few good bangs at the stern and still no sign of life. We returned to Harnser and employed modern technology, the mobile phone. The had decided to take a walk to North Kilworth and were now on their way back.
On their return they came round for tea and biscuits, later we will go round their for a couple of beers,not a bad deal.
So that's it really, just one lock and the Welford Arm, it must be one of our shortest days ever.

Friday Crick to Welford

Last night we moored nose to nose with a boat painted in an almost colour scheme to ours except they had a red roof where as we have a grey and rusty roof, it was even painted by the same person as ours but 12 months earlier. This morning they set off quite early, I don't know what engine they have but I can think of a lot of worse sounding alarm clocks.
We didn't set off until 10 30 on a warm sunny morning. Work is cracking on at the new marina at Yelvertoft with the pontoons all in and the basin full of water. It looks as if they filled it using pumps as there are three large pumps with their suction lines in the canal. All the temporary dams in the canal have been removed and all that is between the basin and the canal is an earth dam in the marina mouth. There is still a tremendous amount of landscaping to do and they are moving large dumper truck fulls up the road away from the site. The marina offices look a bit out of place in the middle of it all.
We pushed on along the Leicester Arm and as we did so the weather turned markedly cooler until we turned right into the Welford Arm when it was quite overcast. We made our to the end of the arm, meeting one boat on the way "Ubique" there is another boat of this name in Crick Marina.At the end of the arm we winded and the first boat on the visitor moorings offered to move back to make room for us, we declined his offer as that would have put him very close to the winding hole and there were plenty of spaces a bit further along the arm. The strange thing is the mooring rings continue right across the winding hole and if boaters use these I would think it would make it very difficult to turn. We moored for the night opposite the layby a little after 3 pm. Not long after mooring up it started to rain again, still it stayed dry while we were travelling.

Thursday Braunston to Crick

9 am and I am off out with the dog walking with Brian from RN and his dog Ghost, Diana is off to the village to get a few odds and ends with plans to meet at Butchers Bridge. 9 30 and I am off, hardly any boats moored in the village and several people enjoying breakfast in the Gongoozlers Rest now under new management. Just past the marina entrance I met the freshly stretched Caxton coming towards me. I hovered at Butchers Bridge as I could see Diana coming down the path. The boat moored just through the bridges was untying so I was hopeful of someone to share the locks with. Wrong, it was Matilda Rose and they were waiting for me to pass before they reversed back to the water point, so we did the flight alone. Needless to say all the locks were against us until the second from the top where we met two boats, There was a short delay at the top lock as the BW contractors were loading a pair of gas cylinders onto a short tug to take them to the tunnel mouth. There is still a lot of work ongoing here and speaking to the chap supervising the moving of the cutting equipment they will still be here for another 6 weeks or so. They are relaying the towing path between the top lock and the tunnel, installing culverts and drains in an attempt to cure the muddy mess that I have always known. On the off side they are installing the flexible fabric piling but instead of using the normal wooden stakes they are using scaffold poles driving them in with a pile driver. At the tunnel mouth there is still bit of a Temporary dam where the ground water is being drained into the canal but they have built a brick sluice to allow this to happen when work is complete.
We met one boat in the tunnel and this was the only boat we saw on the move until we arrived at Crick. On the Watford flight BW are hard at work painting the lock gates and as it was lunch time when we arrived I had to walk right to the top of the flight to find them before starting our climb, needless to say, yet again all the locks were against us.
We stopped outside Edwards to fill with water and then moved on to moor for the night opposite the two marina entrances. There is a sign that says its winter moorings until the end of the month all the way along this stretch controlled by Crick Marina, so I am not sure if we should be here or not, I am just waiting for a boat to come along and the steerer to shout "O you are on my mooring" if he does we will move, if not we will just stay until the morning.

Wednesday 17/03/10 Napton to Braunston

We actually arrived at the boat last night at about 6 pm. While I filled the water system, no leaks this time and lit the stove Diana trundled back and forth with the wheel barrow unloading the car. The battery voltage was still quite good when I turned the power on but lost half a volt running the water pump. The engine fired up first shot and pushed a few more amps into the batteries. As time was getting on and the stove was not up to temperature we decided to drive down to the Folly pub to eat as we have heard some good reports about the new management. Where the top dining room use to be is now the pool table and food is served in the lower dining room round to the right as you go in. I don't know if they are still claiming to be a pie pub, but they have dropped the large range of pies from their menu, however they had beef and ale pie on the special board so we gave that a try and it was worth  it. The pie contained lots of large pieces of meat in a very tasty gravy. The chips were hand cut and nice and long and it was all fresh and hot. I would say its the best pie that I have eaten there for 12 or 13 years when it was a pie pub. The beer was good as well with a nice pint of Hook Norton. To finish off I had a nice fresh pancake with ice cream. We will defiantly visit again.
We returned to a nice warm boat and settled down for the night.

This morning the weather was grand, nice warm sun and just a light breeze, during the night the inverter had shut down on "low voltage" the batteries were sitting at 20.5 volts. We started up and moved down to the lock where I loaded our 4 new Trojan batteries aboard, the only down side that I can see with these batteries at the moment is that they don't have lifting handles, just two slots where a removable strap handle is fitted. We then drew back along the towing path clear of the lock moorings to fit them. I was a bit concerned that they would be to tall and I would have to modify the battery box, but the lids went on with at least a millimetre to spare above the terminal posts, these batteries have both posts and bolt, as I used the bolts it meant the top of the post was the highest point. Being American the terminal bolts are probably AF, luckily a 14 mm spanner fitted nicely.
This all done we were on the move, I unloaded the old batteries while we were in the lock and then moored below the lock both to carry the batteries from the lock side to the car and also have a bit off lunch. I returned to the boat after moving the old batteries only to see that the Sterling Battery Management panel was showing zero charge. First thought was that the alternator had packed up, so I stopped the engine but the readout was still zero, no discharge. The next thought was the panel was faulty, but on investigation I found that I could rotate the signal wire connector on the shunt round the screw. Now the mystery bit, the screw was dead tight, but I could still move the connector, this connection has not been touched since I put the panel in about 6 years ago and in that time it has never failed to give a reading. The problem was cured by putting a washer on the terminal screw to make sure the ring connector was tightly nipped up.
We set off again  at 2 pm  down the flight. It looks as if the bywash culvert has collapsed on the second from the bottom lock, lock 9 and the boat in front of us flooded the towing path. seeing this we waited until they had left the lock and Diana had drawn the top paddles before dropping down lock 10.
There were three boats moored opposite the towing path below the Napton flight, one of them had his front mooring rope right by the "No Mooring" sign.
As we passed under bridge 107 there were two dead foxes floating in the canal, I found this quite unusual as I very really see a single dead fox in the cut, but two together seems most strange, I wonder how they got there.
By now I had expected them to have lifted the sunken butty on the puddle banks,but no,its still there, out side the motor with a dumb barge on the out side of it making the channel quite narrow, it was like this last time we passed through. We carried on into Braunston mooring for the night just after 6 pm opposite the old "Mill House", I can't remember the new name, I hope they don't leave the extractor fans running 24/7.

Observer Ethical Award nb. Tia

Many of you in the Braunston/Napton area will have come across Graham on Narrowboat Tia selling Ecover cleaning products. Graham has put his name forward for the Observer Ethical Award in the "Local Retailer" Category.
To win this award which would give not only his business but also the Inland Waterways good green publicity in the National Press, Graham  requires people to vote for him.

If you would like to support Graham in his environmentally friendly business then please vote for him  on the Observer web site at
https://www.global-research.net/oea/details.asp to vote you need to register, but you only need to put in your name and email address to do this, the other fields can be left blank.

Once registered click on "Best Local Retailer" and "Vote Now" The details to enter are:- Tia,  South Midlands, CV47 8HU

More details are on Tia's web site at http://www.tiacares.co.uk/

Tuesday Fenny to Napton

Last night we ate in the Fenny Wharf,it was curry and a pint for £5 - 95 followed by a sweet which was not included. We had not been in bed long when it started to rain quite heavily. The overnight temperature only dropped to 0.9 deg. but there was still a good ground frost which resulted in several stretches of the canal being covered in ice. The first job was to fill with water before setting off to Napton. The first boats we met were quite close to Marston Doles and they were 3 canoes, shortly after that we started meeting narrow boats, 5 in total before we reached our moorings, After loading stuff from the boat to the car it was a case of draining the water system again, this time making sure the length of copper pipe in the toilet was also drained. This all done we were on our way home at 2 30 pm We had missed the rain but we were going to find plenty between Napton and Suffolk.

Monday Cropredy to Fenny Compton

We set off at our normal 10 o'clock ish, there had already been a few boats past. Diana discovered the British Waterways Lock Garden that nether of us new existed before, for those of you who don't know it you can find it between the church yard and the canal just below the bridge at the tail of Cropredy Lock. There are a couple of round picnic tables as well as 2 bench seats overlooking the canal.
We met a steady stream of traffic which resulted in all the locks being with us. One of the boats I met in the top pound at Claydon was called "Wild Kitten", I wonder if it belongs to Wild Cat Boat Training?  if so it could account for the queue of two at Claydon Top Lock waiting to come down.
The summit pound is down by several inches which is probably to an unexpected increase of boats at both Napton and Claydon as we have seen more boats on the move today than the rest of the week put together. The low water made it slow going just prior to Fenny Tunnel as we dragged the mud a bit . We moored just before the Wharf pub at Fenny a little before 2 pm and I installed the wiring for the pair of solar panels that I intend to install, I managed to get about a tenth of an amp out of them at 4 pm. I hope it improves when the sun shines a bit. The plan is only to have them on the roof of the boat when she is at the moorings to reduce the self discharge of the batteries while the boat is not in use, but first I have to get a method of securing them.

Sunday Kings Sutton to Cropredy

Not long after we moored up yesterday evening two other boats joined us,one in front and one astern.  We set off this morning at 10 am and stopped to get a few bits and pieces in Morrison's at Banbury, making good use of the new piling outside Travis Perkins right by the bridge leading to Morrison's. When we returned from shopping our two neighbours from last night were moored behind us. We had lunch while we were stopped and then headed off towards Cropredy where we had decided to stop for the night, we would probably stopped below Slat Mill but BW have back filled  the piling with dredging's completely covering the towing path, not the best place to be with the dog. We finally moored up around 3 30 pm. on the visitor moorings at Cropredy below the lock, hopefully this is not some ones long term mooring who has just gone for water of something.

Saturday Lower Heyford to Kings Sutton

Last night we ate at The Bell, both the quality and the quantity was of their normal high standard. We had a table for 7 in the restaurant, with an imitation open fire burning gas so were nice and warm.
Funny Old Day.
This morning Magic decided that he would like to go out for a wee at 6 am. at that time everywhere was wet and it was drizzling. He then decided that he would like a drink followed by early breakfast. Once this was all out of the way we were allowed back to bed for a few hours.Next time I surfaced it was white with frost outside, so I hate to think what the roads were like.
It was gone 10 when we set off, me steering and Diana working the alloy lift bridge,she had just lowered it and crossed back to the towing path when a boat came the other way. BW have piled the towing path to the north of the bridge for a couple of hundred yards so I decided to come along side to check the depth,it was fine and would provide a much better and quieter mooring for visiting the Bell.  Thanks to meeting the boat the next lock was with us, but after that it was a bit hit and miss, some full, some with us and some half and half. We only met a couple of boats today but there were moored in places like Aynho than when we came down. At Aynho Wear Lock there was a full flock of sheep around the lock with only a couple left in the field. A foot path joins the towing path here and someone had failed to fasten the gate. Diana did excellent service as a sheep dog and soon had them back through the gate where they belonged, far better than some of the 4 legged varieties on One Man and his Dog. We decided to moor just above Kings Sutton lock as we didn't want to be to close to the motorway overnight. There is a well piled edge along here, but it is well used for dog walking with lots of evidence left between the canal edge and the path,the bit you step onto as you get off your boat.
O I forgot to mention yesterday that I bought coal and diesel from Dusty, who plies the canal from Oxford to Cropredy selling such things from his working boat, so we can have the boatman's stove alight again to keep our legs warm as we cruise along, I will just have to try to get some more fire lighters in Banbury tomorrow.