Cropredy

First one from yesterday with our dinner and the decorations. Weather wise it was a washout with rain all afternoon and evening, however this morning was a different story, no wind, sunshine what more could you ask for.

It was quite a while before we met another boat, needless to say at a bridge with bushes on the Offside. Last time I was this way there was rubbish disposal at the pub, now like Fazeley its at the marina.
There was a steady flow of water entering the canal just prior to Fenny Tunnel, the blocks really take the power out of it.

Its a long time since I last passed under one of these, I am guessing the plastic drums are for balance for when the deck is lowered.

Claydon locks were all against us and half way down we caught up with a single hander, well he worked as a single hander with an elderly foreign lady onboard who just took photos, videos and chatted into her phone sitting in the well deck. In the past we have always encounter boats moored in the pound below the second lock, for some reason that is now a no no.

Another interesting notice at Elkington Lock, I wonder what the story behind it is,not a problem with low water today, its over topping the top gates.

The boat ahead stopped just past Cropredy Marina so we were able to go by, we were only doing one more lock, Cropredy lock before calling into the

 

 

services and then dropping into a mooring almost opposite between the section reserved for CRT work boats and the long term moorings for the night

 

 

Todays Journey

6½ miles, 9 Locks in 4½ hours

Fenny Compton

We woke to very fine light drizzle and not a breath of wind, the drizzle stopped at 10 am and we made ready to set off, then it started again like no tomorrow. looking round it was the same as far as I could see and no wind, so probably set in for the day. Down below and long mac on, lo and behold it stopped and we had a dry run. We waved goodbye to the mast and set off.

Not much to report on such a short journey, we did pass this tree stump that someone has take a lot of trouble to carve, what would you pay for something like that in your garden and here it is by the towpath for free.

The old wooden footbridge is weathering in nicely, it looked very stark to start with, especially after the one it replaced which was very rustic.

Our target for today was Fenny Compton but then we spotted a nice length pf piling just before bridge 135. Its just long enough for one boat to get on, so rather than risk getting to Fenny and finding all the moorings full we have tucked in here for the night. We were moored in good time for lunch, a nice bit of smoked Salmon and the Turkey is in the oven for this evening.
So all that remains is for me to wish you all a very merry Christmas.

Todays short Journey

2½ miles, no locks in ¾ of a hour

Wormleighton

Well its still windy but warmer than yesterday. Not a bad run up the Napton flight, some with us, some against us and a few that were almost one or the other. We were just as lucky with the weather watching the rain passing both ahead and behind us. CRT have installed one or two lock mooring bollards or posts, a bit more substantial than the old ones.

At the top of the flight we passed our old moorings, we were there for ten years. At least one of the boats that was there then is still there.

We stopped above Marston Doles to fill with water, boy its a slow tap, still it was an opportunity to eat lunch. The visitor moorings by the water point have been designated winter moorings but there is only room for three boats. Just beyond the moorings on the offside is what I assume is an artificial nest, I have no ide who would use it or if its ever been used but its quite substantial.

It was now early afternoon and the sky changed with this cloud pattern, but even that was only there for a short time.

The boat in the hole is now definitely floating and the water level in the hole looks higher than the canal level, they also have a very smart block of dog kennels.

Next on the list was the Tepee glamping site with its canal side bath tub, it doesn't look as if they have any tenants for Christmas, it all looks a bit unloved, but come the summer!

HS2 have installed a temporary access bridge across the canal since we were last this way, I wonder if they will do the same at the Curdworth lock flight where the line crosses the canal. It is across the canal, the photo was taken on one of the many bends in the South Oxford Canal. I will try for a better on on the way back.

The rail line will cross on the far side of this nearer bridge 128. They have pilled the sides of the canal ready and excavated for the footing for the bridge supports. We moored a short way after here just beyond the Ladder Bridge overlooking the famous Wormleighton mast part of the UK Decca navigation system.

Today’s Journey

7 miles, 9 locks in 3¾ hours

Napton

It was still windy overnight and today but its dry. Our first port of call was Midland Chandlers, luckily I could moor outside, I only wanted a door catch for the front cabin door but it set me back the best part of £20. Pulling away from their wharf backward so that we could turn right up the Grand Union/ South Oxford canal.

Its surprising easy travelling up the wider Grand Union section and with few moored boats about we made good time. The only boat we saw moving on the GU section was one we met, luckily they came through bridge 108 just before we got there.
It’s quite surprising how thin the actual deck of the arched accommodation bridges are. Normally you don't get this view due to the walls.

A boat came out of Wigrams Turn Marina some way ahead of us and we then followed them all the way to Napton. The going being much slower now with more moored boats, Napton Narrowboats had 24 hire boats all tied up for the winter. Even with no moored boat our top speed was about 3MPH, these two canoes we met were probably going faster.

As we approached Napton we were much more sheltered from the wind, as we didn’t plan on doing any of the flight today we moored at the first section of piling we came to before the winding hole and Folly Pub.

Today’s Journey

9 miles, no locks in 3 hours

Kilsby

Boy what a night, unfortunately I had to moor with the back cabin under a tree, so if it wasn’t twigs coming down in the wind, it was the rain and when the rain did stop it was the drips from the branches. I always try to avoid mooring under trees and this is just one of the reasons, well several actually.
A boat that had been moored behind us while we were shopping came by while we were having breakfast, they cam back just as we were about to cast off. Obviously didn’t like it this way.
The wind has dropped remarkably but we kept getting very short light showers of rain. There have been so many changes since we were last this way.Clifton Cruisers are doing something to their old workshop with UPVC windows etc.

We managed to do Hillmorton Locks without the assistance of a Volockie, coming up in the middle lock we could see a boat coming down in the top lock so we left the gates open, but he didn’t see us and closed up, he was still within two boat lengths of the top lock as we passed. The housing estate on the bend before the railway bridges looks very well established now, I expect they are all occupied

They have even almost finished demolishing the old house that stood on the end of the site, I wonder if they will put another 4 houses where it use to stand.

Just beyond The Waterside pub is a boatyard and basin, the building in the yard has grown another story since last we came this way. Diana said theylook like 4 front doors on the balcony so are they flats? Then we come to Barby Straight, last time we were this way there was a bungalow by the bridge on the offside, today its a very large house, or will be when its finished. I had to take this view as the sun decided to shine for 5 minutes as you can see by the shadows. We carried on past Dunchurch Pools marina, the wind blowing out of the entrance was quite noticeable, I seem to remember it was blowing a holey last time I went in for diesel, on past the end of the straight to moor up about a quarter of a mile before  Willoughbrook as its normally quite busy with moored boats there.

Today’s Journey

7¼ miles, 3 locks in 2¾ hours

Brownsover

It was quite pleasant when we went to bed last night but the wind certainly picked up overnight, it actually sounded worse than it was. The highest gust I recorded was 25MPH. Although it was quite windy at times today we didn’t have any rain and the wind was reasonably warm, up to 13°C. so traveling was not to bad and Harnser behaves her self quite well in the wind providing we are moving. The only bit of excitement and me doing my good deed was just past Brinklow Marina where this boat was right across the cut, back pin out and bow pin

hanging by a thread. Not the easiest recoveries as I had to board the bows and then shimmy down a 40mm wide sloping gunwale painted with gloss pant with a boat pole in my hand to get the stern across to the towpath, luckily the pin was dangling on the stern mooring rope.
Once sorted, I was able to stop in the bridge hole to do it we continued on our way, not meeting or seeing any other boats on the move, although one did come by before we set off and he may have been responsibly for this boat adrift, we were well tied up so didn’t bother us. At Harborough Magna, Armada Boat hire were getting a couple of boats ready to go out for Christmas and there was no stream of boat coming through the tunnel from Newbold.I expected to see more boats moored at Newbold, there were only about three plus the long term moorings, it was very similar at Rugby and we were able to moor quite close to Masters Bridge 58 for a trip to Tesco to buy the Christmas Fair. 
Back on the boat after unpacking the  bags and having lunch I took a walk round the next corner to see the mooring situation, plenty of space so we moved across the the water point and filled up before going back to the towpath side just before bridge 59. I didn’t fancy reversing in this wind to the spot we came out of with boats moored both sides.

I have been updating Google Maps of our trip, the current trip colour is blue. https://www.google.com/maps/d/u/0/edit?mid=1Xuum06JI2c7JDqGdnB25h9ihBzBA3rg&usp=sharing

Today’s Journey

5 miles, no locks in 2¼ hours

All Oaks Wood

Well last night was a change, clear starlight sky and a bit cooler than of late so this morning we were away in good time, as we got to the narrows I could see a boat leaving Hawkesbury Lock so after inform them we were coming that way I waited for them to exit the bridge, only they stopped to empty the loo, so I sat there like a dummy until I realised.
We were soon away and on the North Oxford, for VW’s in the garden, they have started collecting something else now.

We met a couple of boats and passed a chap measuring a section of towpath, probably to see how much had been repaired. At Ansty Golf Club someone , I suspect CRT have really trimmed the offside, its actually the top of quite a narrow embankment.

We chugged on, the swing bridge at Rose Narrowboats is a lot better since they rebuilt it. a short way passed here we met a lone canoeist, he only went a little further before turning round and over took us in the cutting. I asked him how far he had come and he said he was only doing 10 miles, “only”. We cleared bridge 34 and then slid over the mud from an offside land slide. It doesn’t look much but the mud must go most of the way across the bed of the canal.

We have moored for the night against the piling in sight of the bridge, there are only two other boats here, a bit different to the summer time.

Today’s Journey

8 miles, 1 lock in 3 hours

Hawkesbury Junction

It started raining yesterday evening and carried on all night, I could hear it every time we woke up and it was still raining this morning until after 11 o’clock.
We finally set off at 11-30 in light drizzle which thankfully didn’t last too long.
Last night we were moored at Boudica’s favourite mooring , they even put a plaque up for her.

It definitely felt cooler than yesterday but there were a few boats about. We passed a rather interesting boat moored in Nuneaton, there seem to be a lot more boats moored there these days.

This boat had an interesting set up for what I suspect is a diesel fired warm air heater, with the whole lot sitting out on the roof and a hot air duct running into the boat.

Boot Wharf have a boat up in the bostocks and it looks like they are puddle welding corrosion pits, although I am not 100% sure on that.

Just through Nuneaton we caught up with the two boats that had come by earlier this morning, the second one had just overtaken the first, we chugged along  behind until the one directly in front moored just before Marston junction and the other went up/ down the Ashby, after which we had a clear run again.
Our plan was to moor at Hawkesbury Junction but we spotted a gap just big enough for us to moor between the stern of this sunken cruiser and the

next Narrowboat so we stopped on the Coventry canal rather than going through the lock onto the North Oxford canal where there may be no spaces. Once moored up I looked out of the bow doors and we had a lovely sunset right on the line of the canal.

 

Today’s Journey

9 miles, no locks in 3 hours.

Mancetter

Well the weather forecast said today was going to be fine but the rain woke us during the night and was still at it when we got up, so no rush to leave this morning. We checked the fresh water pump and the container it sits in was dry.
Leaving latter this morning worked well as we met a boat at the first bridge, so the next four locks were in our favour. I spotted this lorry parked in the marina by lock 8. Its a 1947 Chevrolet and is taxed.

I saw this in the wall of the house at lock 6, I wonder if it use to be a tap for working boaters to fill there cans from, it right against the bridge under a bricked up window.

At lock 5 the locks were against us but we met a single handed boater coming down in lock 2, it was lucky we did meet him, his boat was in the lock and he had all four paddles fully open when Diana got there. This did result in the pound between 1 and 2 being a bit low, but we slid through, the bottom gate on lock 1 being open was a bonus.

We stopped to fill with water just above the lock, boy that is a slow tap before continuing our journey south and mooring at Mancetter. Last time we moored here I rescued a sheep on the offside who had spent some time stuck on her back, known as Cast.

Today’s Journey

3½ miles 9 locks in 3 hours

Grendon Atherstone flight

Not a bad drive with the traffic quite light and very few lorries on the road, arriving at the moorings a little after one pm. Someone had kindly re-moored our stern as the stern rope had broken, a little job for when we get back.
Fully aware of how early it gets dark at the moment we were away by ten past two, that included unloading and refilling the fresh water system. I drained it before we left and the temperature inside the boat dropped to –2°C inside the boat on the 1st December, –6°C outside.
The plan was to moor at the bottom of the Atherstone flight but the light was still good when we arrived so we decided to go up the first to locks, as it happened there was a boat coming down in number 10 so Diana opened 11 for them while I waited below. We are now moored between 9 and 10 for the night. About 10 minutes ago the water alarm went off indicating a leak at the pump, I disturb the pump when I drain down by letting air in the filter and this was the cause of the leak, so water off, pump filter joint and filter housing lid opened and reclose, tray dried out and all put back on again, lets hope it OK and we don’t get woken during the night.

Today’s Journey

5¼ miles, 2 locks in 2¼ hours