Blue Lias Friday 9 September 2016

At 9 am this morning Julian drew up behind us and after a bit of a natter we set off north along the GU. At Wigrams turn we turned right to remain on the GU  and headed to Calcutt Locks. When we arrived a boat was just coming out of the lock and two boats ahead of us were making their way down. There were boat travelling both up and down the flight so we met boats at each lock which meant we didn’t need to turn any. One of the boats coming out was a Willow Wren training boat from Stockton. They have a training centre and have opened up the old arm at Nelson’s wharf under the old Nelson’s cement works railway line.

The Boat Inn which stands beside the canal at Stockton is now home of the Spice Traders, they use to be in the Wharf at Fenny Compton.

Arriving at the top of the Stockton flight a boat was just coming out of the top lock, but the 2 ahead of us going down were only at the lock below, there were only 3 people between the 2 boats and the lady crew of one of them looked to be doing all the work but I think the lock were already full for them, where as we had to turn 5 of them. When we arrived at The Blue Lias there were already several boats there and although we will be continuing north when we leave we actually went down to turn round before coming back to moor bank side.  This was to make it easier for our friend Connie who is spending the weekend with us to get on and off, as she is still recovering from a knee replacement.

Today’s Journey  6 miles, 11 locks, 1 Junction in 4 hours.

There will be no more reports until we are travelling again on Monday.

Flecknoe Thursday 8 September 2016

Heard a couple of trains during the night but other than that all was peaceful. Mike and Pat moored ahead of us last night but they were long gone before we were about, still we will see them again tomorrow.

We set off at 10 am on a bright sunny morning, the first job was to take water just below Hillmorton lock.  While we were filling up Trevor Maggs came by on his ex working boat Corona.

Hillmorton bottom lock just like Claydon Bottom lock is fitted with cast iron gates.

A few years ago one of the other locks had its cast iron gates removed as being beyond repair, these are now on display by the bottom lock with rather a lot of weeds growing round them.

Yesterday when we came down the flight the off side top lock only had one paddle working, this morning CRT where there trying to repair it, they had stop planks (a dam) in the mouth of the lock so they could drain the water around the paddle to carry out the repairs. Luckily there was a Volocky at the top lock controlling the flow of traffic so the single lock didn’t get used out of turn.

We passed one moored boat that had a novel way of charging his batteries, the had married a car alternator to a lawn mower engine, I suspect he uses this set up to save running his engine every day.

We met no more than half a dozen boats between Hillmorton and Braunston, there was more traffic than that just at Braunston Turn with boats coming from both the Napton direction and from Braunston its self.

Just passed bridge 101 we came across a hire boat hard aground with his bows against the off side bank. I tried to pull him off backwards with no success so we ran a line ashore and tried heaving that way, we had a nice little queue behind us by now. The boat swivelled round with no problem, but wouldn’t come off, so I went passed and took his bow rope and tried that way, he was hard on a concrete shelf. in the end I got to bit of an angle and snatched him sideways finally getting him free.

To give you an idea of what sort of day its been here is a cloud photo I took and its nothing to do with the internet.

As we are only going as far as the Blue Lias tomorrow to the Cutweb Internet Boat Club rally we have moored just before bridge 103, this should give us a little over 4 hours cruising tomorrow, long enough to make bread and charge the batteries before we get there.

Today’s Journey  11 miles, 3 Locks, 1 Junction in 5¼ hours.

Hillmorton Wednesday 7 September 2016

Last night the Boat House was much quieter than it was 5 weeks ago. The food there now is fine and if there are two of you as all mains are 2 for 1 it priced right, however if you are alone then its expensive for what it is. Needless to say we forgot to take a torch and came tripping home in the dark on the mooring rings.

Today boats were going by at 7 am and we set off at 9-30 am down to Braunston Marina to turn. A man was repairing the water tap at the services half way to the marina, I think he was expecting the leak to get worse as he had a Hi Vis waistcoat and Lifejacket on. When we returned to Braunston Junction we head north on the North Oxford canal as we were heading to Rugby Tesco to do some shopping.
I thought I would see if I could wind just before bridge 88 but I think I left it to late turning and didn’t quite make it. I didn’t want to turn round, I just wanted to see if I could and its the first time I have been there with no boats about. I didn’t get a chance for a second go as boats started appearing.

The bridge that WRG repaired has some battle scars now.

We stopped and bought 200 lt of diesel from The Canal Shop at 60p/lt to replenish what we had used on the Thames, it was 80p  to £1 21 there. As we approached Hillmorton Locks the working boat Victoria came up behind us, so Diana set the lock and we waved him through. It must have saved him hours. The boat coming up the next lock only had one paddle up, came out of the lock on tick over and then stopped in the lock mouth and the bottom lock the boat stopped in the lock to reattach his fenders which he then had to make sure he didn’t snag coming out.

The only place we could find to moor in Rugby was where the old water point use to be, I am sure there were rings when the water-point was there, but they have gone now so it was a stake and one ring. We walked through the new retail park to get up to Tesco but its hard work crossing the road. coming back we used the path that leads from the back of Tesco to bridge 58 and then along the towpath to the boat. Once the shopping was loaded we cast off and went another half mile or so north to turn and retrace our steps.

Clifton Cruisers have a boat on the hard in their shed, I could only see the stern but the prop caught my eye, I enquired about it an its actually a steam boat, I have no idea which one. Remember this prop only turns at about 150 RPM max, mine does 600 rpm max and most modern boats will do 1200 RPM Max. We carried on for a bit and then moored beside the golf course a short way below Hillmorton Locks.

Today’s Journey  Note the north bit where we went and came back. 12¼ miles 3 locks 1 Junction, 2 canals in 5¾ hours.

Braunston Tuesday 6 September 2016

This was our view last night. I actually took the photo this morning before we left.
We didn’t hear anyone go passed early so at quarter to nine we were off. There were at least 5 boats moored behind us facing our direction.

I thought I should be like everyone else coming this way and post a photo of the boat in the hole by bridge 122.

We bumped into friends who were out on their boat just before Marston Doles Locks, when we arrived at Marston Moles top it was against us, so we had to turn it, so we were a little surprised to see a boat going down in Marston Doles bottom as we had not seen anyone ahead of us.
We stuck lucky with the Napton Flight meeting boats just in the right places, we had to wait a few minutes here and there but no delays, the only ones we had to close were the bottom ones. The Buffalo were enjoying the sun on their backs munching the grass near the second from top lock.

The Trust have put a notice by the bottom lock, boats are continually getting stuck in the second one, I don’t know why they have their fenders down on steel Narrowboats as only the rubbing strake would rub the walls and that is what its designed for.Napton Narrowboats have virtually their whole fleet out still, I thought it may be easing off by now. Its good to se they are doing good business.

Our original plan had been to moor somewhere near bridge 100 but as the weather had warmed up we pushed on to Braunston as I have a fender on order from Tradline who are based in the marina, unfortunately its not ready yet. We moored opposite The Boathouse where we will eat tonight. Since we have been here things have filled up with several boats breasted up beside each other, lots of them are heading to Stoke Bruerne for the Weekend at War event they hold every year.

Today’s Journey 

13¾ miles, 9 locks, 2 junctions, 2 canals in 6 hours

Wormleighton Monday 5 September 2016.

Well it rained all night and it rained on and off most of the morning. We left at quarter to ten and a boater told me there was a queue for Cropredy lock, there were 2 boats ahead so not to bad. I dropped Diana off to dump rubbish and visit the shop for a jar of Horse Radish. The bins at Cropredy were overflowing, its probably since the festival.

The willow as you approach the lock is obscuring the visibility more and more, I feel a letter to CRT coming on.

Below the lock we came up behind Nb. Jameson a sort of self catering hotel boat. They can take up to 4 guests and each day the owners arrive in the morning and drive the boat all day and then leave you for the night, returning after breakfast the next day. They try to moor overnight by a pub or restaurant so the guests can go out to eat if they like.  You can see full details on their web site http://www.skipperednarrowboat.co.uk/ We were to follow them all the way to the top of the Claydon Flight, helping at each lock.

As we locked up Cropredy Lock a group of about 45 Ramblers came by, I tried to count them but failed as they dodged round the lock gates etc. The bottom lock of the Claydon Flight is the only lock I have seen that still has cast iron bottom gates, Hillmorton had one until a few years ago when the were deemed beyond repair. You will see they have wooden beams, unlike the pair in the unused lock at Stoke Bruerne. We met boats at every lock but that only slowed things down. there were those who chatted when the lock was empty before considering moving, one who had a discussion before untying to go into a lock when the gates were open and it was empty, some stopped so far back you weren’t sure if they were using the lock or mooring up. All in all a slow run, once we reached the top of the flight the boats seemed to dry up. We stopped at Fenny Compton to talk with old friends we had a share boat with and only one boat passed in each direction, much different to the morning. We needed water but there were two boats on the water point, the back one didn’t realise that there were two taps, the front one had finished but where having a late lunch, so we lay alongside them and used their hose to fill our tank. That all out of the way we carried on to Wormleighton where 2 boats thought it would be a good idea to moor on the outside of the bend just through Griffins Bridge 131 not the best spot to chose. We moored for the night just before Ladder Bridge 129. By now we had lovely clear blue sky and late afternoon sunshine.

Today’s Journey 10 miles, 9 Locks in 8 hours

Cropredy Sunday 4 September 2016

Last night we couldn’t get a table at the Great Western Arms until quarter to nine, to say the place was busy would be an understatement. The service was very good as was the food but it is more expensive than your normal canal side pub.

This morning we were away at quarter to ten, I had to hang around for a boat to come under Aynho bridge, I didn’t see them until I untied and then the wind caught me so we nestled against one of the boats on the offside, a good old Norfolk boy.

At Aynho Weir Lock there was a hire boat on the lock moorings having breakfast we we laud beside while Diana set the lock, he then had the nerve to push off in front of the boat following me as I went into the lock. Like yesterday there was next to no movement on the Cherwell. Well in the green.

Nell’s lock was against us as we had a boat ahead of us, we caught them up at the next lock as a boat pulled out ahead of them.

Someone is now farming goats on quite a large scale on the opposite side of the canal to the pig place.  We continued on into Banbury and noticed that there are plans to build a pub, restaurant and basin by bridge Haynes Lift Bridge

We stopped to dump the rubbish below Banbury Lock where my daughter and Grand daughter were waiting to meet us. They came for a short ride up the lock to where we moored outside the Banbury Workingman’s Club. Unlike the rest of my Grandchildren, Lucy is not impressed being on the boat and would rather not be there.

After they had left we set off again, since we were last this way there has been a large retail park built just before the railway bridge.

I did my good deed for the day just through Bourton Bridge where there was a boat just drifting around the cut, we stopped, captured it and re-moored it, I wonder how many boats passed while it was still hanging on one rope, its unusual for them both to let go together. We decided not to go into Cropredy for the night but to stop just after Slat Mill Bridge, again since we were last this way the bank has been piled from the bridge to the bend, we moored just round the bend as there were already several boat on the straight.

Today’s Journey  10 miles, 8 Locks in 6 hours.

Aynho Saturday 3 September 2016

We were awake early for us so set off earlier than planned, we were off by 9 30 am on a reasonable morning without a breath of wind. The nights are cooling down now so everywhere is wet in the morning from the dew, this morning when I looked out there was mist rising from the canal.

Our first stop was at Lower Heyford to fill with water, when we arrived there was a boat already on the water point with the hose connected but the valve in the upright position, so I gave him a call and asked if he had finished filling. Turns out the leaver is 90 deg. out and upright is on, not pointing to the water outlet as normal. He said he wished it was finished as he had things to do, but the tap was very slow. Turned out he had been there an hour and then we waited 40 minutes for him to finish before we could start. Once we were almost full we set off as by now there was another boater waiting to use the tap, we can fill again tomorrow in Banbury.

Now the weather is turning boaters are getting their fires going,as you can see by now it was chucking it down. 
We haven’t need any extra heat yet as we have an engine in an engine room and the heat from that spreads right through the boat, something we could do without in the hot weather.

For some reason the chain used to pull up Heyford Lift bridge has changed arms and the one its on now is not so ergonomic to hold down as the old one.When we got to Somerton Deep Lock there was bit of a queue and a Day Boat was trying to turn round. It seems they couldn’t get the bottom gate fully open to allow another day boat to leave. When we moored up the chap at the front or the queue returned with his keb, he had been down on the day boat trying to clear behind the gate to let it open fully without any luck, so the plan was fill the lock, the day boat would back out, empty the lock and the chap at the front would try to get in and clear it some more. With him pushing forward with a JP3  engine and us wriggling the gate he finally got in, had a rack around and gave it bit of a blast with his prop. The day boat then came down and squeezed through with us again wriggling the gate. The other day boat that was waiting below the lock also decided to turn and head back to Heyford so it was my turn to go in. Harnser must be a bit narrower as I slipped in without a problem, but I held back against the bottom gate before giving full power with the rudder her over to the left this forced lots of water around behind the gate in the gate recess and on full rudder I have very little forward propulsion so didn’t shoot down the lock. I then locked up. The next boat came down and while the lock was finishing to empty he also poked around in the door recess with his pole. When the lock was empty  the gate opened fully, something I have never seen before and he was able to continue on his way. We just checked that the last boat waiting to come up was OK and then made our way to Aynho for the night.
When we arrived at Aynho both the spaces on the visitor moorings before the bridge were free so us and the other boat that was stuck below the lock had room to moor.
What should have been about 4 hours boating took us 6½ hours.

Today’s Journey  9½ Miles, 2 lift bridges and 5 locks in 6½ hours

Kirtlington Quarry Friday September 2 2016

Back on the canals so back to canal starting time. We set off at 10-30 AM when a boat came down the lock ahead or us. We had to do battle with a willow tree as we passed The Highwayman pub just before the bridge on the bend. These willow completely obscure you vision for a short while. We had avoided one earlier which caught the boater coming towards us. I wonder how many pairs of glasses have been damaged by them? O can you see the bridge or who is coming through it? Thought not.

A couple of things I have not seen down here before, the first was how empty the Thrupp visitor moorings were, only 3 boats between the lift bridge and The Jolly Boatman. also there was only one at the other end near Shipton Church. The  other first was the flow on the river Cherwell, you couldn’t perceive any movement at all, the only flow seemed to be coming from the old cement works. Thrupp Canoe Centre seems to do a good trade and we had to watch out for them as we made our way to Shipton lock, we had better luck than the boat we met, when we passed they were all in a bunch but as we passed the Narrowboat coming the other way they where all over the place going both sides of him poor chap. Once they get close to you, you can’t see where they are. Two Canadian canoes followed us down to Shipton Weir Lock and dragged them overland to the river, they had been advised not to go through the lock, but this one shouldn’t presented a problem.

I don’t know what is happening at the old cement factory but the whole area near Bakers Lock is covered in white dust, I always fancied mooring below the lock but not in that mess. Again a Pigeons lock there were very few boats moored. We had to turn this lock as we now had a Day Boat in front of us, I don’t know where he popped up from as its the first we had seen of him. Once up the lock we just went a short distance to Kirtlington Quarry. There was one boat already moored there but we moored a long way ahead of him, however the left just after we arrived.

It stayed dry and warm all morning but has just started to rain.

Today’s Journey  5½ miles 5 locks in 3¾ hours

Oxford Canal Kidlington Thursday 1 September 2016

Against my better judgment we walked round to the Kings Arms pub to eat and I must say it was first class, The service was good, the food was good, the menu choice good, even the Rosa wine which was the cheapest on the wine list was good.

This morning we didn’t leave until quarter to ten, the reason for leaving earlier on previous days was to moor up earlier as the best mooring spots soon disappear in the afternoon. We had only just left the mooring and crossed the river when this Salter’s Brothers trip boat “Goring” came round the bend. As we cleared the Kennington Railway Bridge I could see an EA Patrol Boat coming out of the Iffley Lock weir stream, as he rounded up the driver called out “hello Brian” which had me guessing for a bit as I couldn’t see him clearly. When we caught up with him at Iffley Lock it turned out to be Richard a fellow Narrowboat owner who I see about once a year as our paths cross, we both worked offshore for Shell many years ago. 

The lock was quite full with three Narrowboats and the Launch so we had time for bit of a chat. At Folly Bridge we carried straight on under the main bridge but the patrol boat to the left hand longer route but still got to the other end before me. As you can see its another corking day on the river. As well as Richard, a volunteer driver and the EA Patrol Officer there was also a police constable. They are trying to join the EA on regular patrols of the river now, this is something that has been happening on the Broads for some time called Broads Beat.

At the moment the skyline of Oxford is dominated by cranes, not the flying type but the lifting ones. We were to share all the locks on the Thames with the Narrowboat in the photograph.  There wasn’t room for us all at Osney Lock so us two had to wait for the next locking, chatting to the other boater he planned to go further up the Thames where as we planned to turn off at Dukes Cut.

Coming up the Thames I couldn’t see any signs indicating this was the entrance to the Oxford Canal via Isis Lock, it’s through the bridge on the right.

We carried straight on, for a short way the willow trees on our left had been pollarded but where they hadn’t been done the river was very closed in with the trees, two wide beam boats meeting would have problems. Once we reached the meadows it all opened out again, there were horses, foal and cows all grazing together. There was just us two Narrowboats at Godstow Lock, the other one and the Patrol Boat had gone into Isis, The patrol boat had been disappearing off down lots of the side channels. At Godstow Lock there were divers working on the weir, I couldn’t see what they were doing there. I don’t know if the tubular bit on this boat was made specifically for the boat or if its something off the shelf intended for another use. They didn’t seem to marry up very well. We struck lucky with Kings Lock, this is the first manually operated lock and although the sign said “Self Service” the lock keeper had just returned as we bold up, so we didn’t have to do it after all. All the locks below here are powered so even on “Self Service” you only have to press buttons, all the ones above are manual and require muscle power to work them. As we left the lock much to my surprise our locking partners turned right down Dukes Cut to the South Oxford Canal, I thought he was spending another couple of days on the river. Not wanting to chase him up all the single locks we changed plan and went upstream a bit. We couldn’t go far as out Thames Visitor Licence runs out at Midnight tonight so no point in doing any more locks.

By the mouth of the River Evenlode we passed this encampment behind the moored boats of tents and marquees, the whole lot surrounded by a double security fence. If anyone knows what’s happening I would love to know. I don’t think its anything to do with the boats but I have seen events held here before.

We turned shortly after this and headed back down to Ducks Cut, I had forgotten how long it is. We arrived at Dukes Cut Lock just as a boat was coming out towards us which was handy then as we turned left up the Oxford Canal a boat entered the other Dukes Cut Lock so that was right for us as well. We stopped a short way up the canal to fill with water, not the fastest tap on the system my a long way, but not the worst I have come across. Once full we set off just as a hire boat was lifting Drinkwater lift bridge, Diana was walking and I cleared the old railway bridge just as the boat cleared the lift bridge and his wife started to pull the bridge down again. Luckily Diana explained that we were coming through and it would only take a few seconds before she could lower the bridge and get her key back.

We moored for the night just before Kidlington Green Lock, ever since we have been here there has been a stream of hire boats going down heading back to their base in Oxford.

Today’s Journey  13 miles, 1 river, 1 canal and 6 locks in 5½ hours