Oxford Canal North

There was a bit of a frost this morning but it soon cleared and by 9:15 I was ready to move.

First stop was the services for the usual fill and empty, nice to find recycling as well as I had taken a 25kg coalbags worth of plastic bottles out of the canal in the last few days.

Then it was through Hawkesbury Junction on to the Oxford canal and the Sutton Stop Lock with a rise of about 7" it didn't take long and as I was leaving a holiday hirer asked me if I had every lost my boat doing what I do (I bring it to a halt just past the gate, hop off while I close the gate and then back on and away) I told him no, but in wind or with a strong bywash I keep the centre line handy, or even tie up first, I have had a few moments J

Just after the lock this chap was enjoying the sun.

Then not too far along I came across this sunken boat, fire damage by the looks of it, luckily plenty of room to pass, I expect it will be there a while. I hope the owner/s got off ok if they were aboard.

Lots of boat traffic today, the silly holiday season is now well underway, I slowed as a boat come through a bridge because between me and the bridge there was a lot of overhanging branches and I didn't want to force him into it, I waved him on, he never moved, I flashed my tunnel light and then waved him on again, he never moved, another boat was now coming through the bridge so I moved on he was drifting across and reducing my space now, and I ended up rubbing on the shallows,as we passed I told him but I don't think he was a hirer.

I would not fancy living here if the canal every burst it's bank.

Of course I met a boat at the bridge at Ansty, it was about 50/50 who had priority but the other chap yielded so that was nice.

This I liked, but look at all those solar panels, I wouldn't have that many.

Perhaps this one should have a roof full of solar panels

It's for sale at £85,000, not for me at that price, it must be exceptional inside.

Approaching Rose Narrow Boats base I yielded to another boat, it is wide enough for two if you take it very carefull but it's easier to wait especially when the sun is shining, who needs to hurry, Going through the tiny pedestrian swing bridge and another hire boat appeared so I left it open with a reminder to him to close it after he had passed.

I decided to stop for a cuppa and a sandwich just before Brinklow Marina, the sun was out and I ended up staying put for the day, my intended stop at Newbold would probably be busy so I will move up there tomorrow morning instead.

Totals Today: 8 miles : 1 Lock

A little diversion for a food shop

Yesterday I stayed put waiting for storm Katie to blow over, it wasn't necessary as Katie seemed to bypass my mooring entirely. This morning was cloudy and chilly with showers forecast but none appeared.

So at 9:30 I unchained and headed off for Hawkesbury Junction, a few boats on the move but not as many as over the bank holiday.

It was a calm uneventful trip and I was soon going straight through the junction to make the detour down towards Coventry and Tesco instead of turning onto the Oxford canal.
Passing beneath the busy M6 motorway.

I had to pass Tesco and travel a bit further to wind (turn) but I was temporarily moored by 11:30.
Two trips to the store a cup of tea and a blueberry muffin later and I headed back to Hawkesbury.

Last trip down here I think people were seated on this so I thought it rude to take a photo but today it was empty.

It has not been dumped, it's a concrete settee sculpture? seat, I think it's a lovely idea, there should be more of them.

Back at the junction and a boat was just moving off as I arrived so I nipped in there, almost exactly the same spot as last year so if you want to see my mooring you can look here and see what I got up to last time.

The weather has been cloudy and dark one minute then bright and sunny the next, not bad for March J

Totals today: 7 miles

Hull Blacking.

On Wednesday 23^rd I moved from Far Coton back up the Ashby canal to moor up outside the Ashby Canal Centre ready for taking the boat in on Thursday. I went in and asked about the arrangements and everything was set for the next morning around 9am.

At 9:30 having not heard anything I went back in to find them busy shifting a couple of boats to clear the slipway for me, they asked me to reverse the boat in, if possible, but if not come in forwards and turn the boat once in, not wishing to appear incompetent and reasonably happy to accept the challenge I reversed in, it went well and I was guided onto the dolly’s with instructions from Nigel, the boss, and then slowly Quinquireme was pulled up onto the slipway with me stepping off to take a few pictures.

My view as the bow started to rise up clear of the water, weird feeling.

Almost out

My location for the next few days

Before starting any work.

View from on high.

The original survey had shown there was some wear to the chine, this is the projection of the base plate past the hull sides which protect the welds from wear when the boat rubs along hard surfaces usually at its mooring, a chat with Nigel and we decided to weld a new section about a metre long to the area showing the wear, this is quite a usual repair method.

Prior to repair, the worn area is from the vertical weld to the start of the curve

Steel strip welded in place

All finished

The hull was pressure jetted and scraped off  then once dry one coat of blacking, Intertuf, was applied, allowed to dry overnight and the second coat applied on Friday, it was then necessary to allow it to harden during Friday afternoon and Saturday.

Pressure jet washing done

Before and after pressure jet washing

And after blacking

The grey blobs are sacrificial anodes which protect the hull from
 galvanic corrosion by sacrificing themselves,
they are replaced whenever necessary.

This morning, at my request, Nigel's son opened up especially to re-float me and see me on my way, all in all a very painless operation and from my research on prices very reasonable as well, it was very lucky for me that I was able to fit into this cancellation slot in their diary as after this their slipway is booked until the end of July.
So at 8:30 I was back in the water and heading off, but not before allowing a boat to pass before I could exit and then waiting for another boat coming through the next bridge as soon as I had straightened up, where did they come from at 8:30 on Easter Sunday  J

It was bright for the first hour or so as I made my way back along the Ashby passing Hinckley yet again but the clouds came out and it was decidedly chilly with the occasional shower. Quite a few boats on the move as Easter signals the start of the holiday hires season.

All went smoothly until I reached Marston Junction, an acute left turn, initially blind as you pass beneath the bridge, I sounded my horn and managed to make the turn quite well despite the wind, there is another blind bridge as soon as you have straightened up, so again a long blast on the horn, no response so I proceeded only to meet an oncoming boat in the bridge hole, both into reverse to stop, the lady did not seem to want to give way to me so I reversed back further, by now another boat was making the turn from the Ashby to the Coventry as I had done, so he had to hold station mid turn, and I had to take care not to reverse into him, but all was soon sorted and on we went, I don't know why the lady had not acknowledged my warning blast, either she didn't hear or didn't know what it meant, frustrating but no loss of life J

Passing the very weird but amusing gardens at Charity Wharf.

And then mooring up for the day not long after, the forcast tomorrow looks bleak but I will see how it goes.
I am  continuing along the Coventry to Hawkesbury Junction where I will re-join the Oxford Canal North Section, skirting Braunston and heading to Calcutt Boats.

Tonights mooring





Totals today: 10 miles

Celebrations.....

......for the birthday boy.

It’s been a bit of a busy time mostly moving backwards and forwards to get into position for happenings.

On Wednesday 16^th I moved from my mooring outside of Nuneaton and entered the Ashby canal

Approaching Marston Junction - The Ashby Canal left under the bridge

It was a bitterly cold wind blowing across the open areas but otherwise a nice day and the only thing of note was passing the water point at Lime Kilns when I spotted N.B. No Problem filling with water, I know Sue is a bit camera shy and she may have spotted my camera because she ducked into the shadows of the canopy but poked her head forward and waved after I had put the camera down J

I moored up temporarily just after bridge 16 at Hinckley and walked along to look at moorings ahead because I had visitors coming on the 19^th and I wanted easy boat access for them, there was a lovely little section of new pilings right opposite 'The Marina’ Brewers Fayre pub where we had a table booked and I decided to move onto that, however, when I tried it was too shallow, how clever is that, put in new pilings but don’t dredge alongside them, oh well plan ‘B’ again I moved forward and after a couple of attempts found a section where I could moor, it is a bit of a problem generally on the Ashby, shallow edges. I was now too far from the pub especially as the towpath was muddy, but I had noticed there were a couple of visitor spaces owned by Trinity Marina right outside the pub, so I rang them and booked a slot for Saturday and Sunday night.

On Thursday I got my trusty bike out and rode to Halfords about 3 miles away and purchased a new radio/cd player, back on the boat I fitted it in the saloon which meant lowering my previously fitted  12v socket to give me enough room in the electrical cupboard behind it, it also meant re-positioning the ariel on the roof and running a new cable for that, but I got it all done and it’s now working properly.

The two exposed cables are for my small inverter which powers the TV

On Friday I began the shuffling, first I had to go ahead to the next winding hole to turn around, then I came back past the pub to the next winding hole and turned again, I was now facing the correct way, for my next move, and I moored where I had originally stopped temporarily (I hope you’re keeping up), on Saturday morning I moved forward onto my booked mooring right outside the pub, perfect.

My visitors arrived Saturday, my ex wife Elaine and my three children, Sarah Adam and Chloe, Adams wife Natalie, and their daughter, my granddaughter, Hazel, my sister Carol and her partner Peter, phew what a lot! We had a meal in the pub that evening and then they all squeezed on the boat to give me my birthday presents and to allow me to give Hazel her presents, her 1^st birthday is on Wednesday. It was a lovely evening, thank you all for coming along, and thank you all for my gifts.

Carol and Peter had booked into the Premier Inn for the night and so on Sunday we went for a little cruise to find a pub for Sunday roast, there was a little moment which I won’t enlarge upon but Peter now knows not to steer into moored boats using the water point again! 

All in all a great weekend.

The next thing on the agenda is the blacking of the hull, so this morning I set off cruising past the huge Triumph factory on the outskirts of Hinckley.

I carried on past the Ashby Canal Centre where my blacking will be done and down to Sutton Cheney Wharf to do the necessary empty and fills, then on to Bosworth Marina where I winded (turned) again and came back to moor for the night at Far Coton.

Tonights Mooring

Totals this post: 20 miles : 0 Locks : Numerous about turns J

Wombles needed......

......in Nuneaton.

Yesterday began well, I had the remaining five locks of the Atherstone flight to go up and then a lock free cruise to Nuneaton, I was in no rush at all and at 9:30 I went up on deck with a cup of tea just as a volunteer lockie was passing, he stopped for a chat, as you do, and just as he was departing he said “I am just going down to the next lock so hang on a bit and when I get back I’ll set the locks for you”, oooh lovely, so I waited until he came back and off I went, he walked ahead setting the locks and opening the bottom gates, closing them after I entered, then went to the next lock while I filled the lock and exited closing the top gate, easy peasy, love a good volunteer J

In the first lock

The services are on the right immediately after the top lock so I swung out left and reversed back onto them for the usual fill and empty and a cuppa while waiting.

On the service point

Then it was off again through lovely countryside.

This stretch is very pleasant cruising up until you pass Hartshill, I had stopped there on the way up, but after that the bags and plastic bottles start appearing in the water, lots of them, you are approaching Nuneaton where the canal seems to be used as a rubbish disposal area, it gets worse the closer you get, I passed an old TV, smashed but recognisable, floating, along with a child’s tricycle, also floating, numerous bags of rubbish on the banks and in the trees as well as in the water  and so many drinks bottles you would think a marathon had just passed through and they hadn’t tided  up yet.

I had intended to stop but it rather put me off, so I continued on, just outside the town I heard a loud crack and a splash and looking behind me a rather large branch had broken off a tree and come down in the canal, a lucky miss, had that landed on my solar panel it would have smashed it, lucky timing.

I continued on until I saw a nice more rural spot and moored up for the night, I am staying put today as well.

Current mooring

Totals yesterday: 7 miles : 5 Locks

Project updates, for those interested:

My battery bank before and after the replacements:

My fuel theft preventer, this is as it was, accessible with no lock.

I started with a lump of 5mm metal, a hacksaw, a club hammer, blowtorch and drill and fashioned and then painted this device.

Add a couple of padlocks and a retaining chain ( you soon learn not to drop things in the canal!) and that is it, it wont stop determined thieves, nothing will, but should prevent the opportunists.

And finally, as newsreaders say, for those of you who don't know what a Womble is Link. They lived on Wimbledon common and collected rubbish (I think! never watched it, honest)

And I know it’s gonna be.......

......a lovely day.

A beautiful start to the morning saw me moving away from Polesworth at 10am.

Passing Stiper’s Hill where the boys with toys were out in force, loads of white van man’s having offloaded the bikes either for themselves or their sons and thoroughly enjoying what looked like a fun morning, the photo’s not great, I didn’t put the specs on and it needed a bit of zoom!

While in the field almost opposite more important things were happening, eating.

According to Mr Google there was another recycling yard at Bradley Green right by bridge 48, but I saw no evidence at all, I think it was probably just a registered office address. My theory had been to moor there overnight if I found it ready for Monday opening but instead I decided to head into Atherstone.

With the sun shining and pleasant views not even the thought of 6 locks ahead could diminish my feeling of well being, actually I quite like locks.

Arriving at the first lock which was in my favour I nipped below for a quick comfort break, strolling casually up to the lock I found a lady had started tuning it to her favour, ‘oooh where did you come from’ she said, I pointed to my boat on the lock landing and smiled, nothing was going to upset me today, not even someone turning the lock without looking first, there were four adults on the boat so after a quick chat I headed back to mine in preparation, and went in after they came out.

The next two locks were in my favour due to the boat that had gone down and at the fourth one I arrived just as another boat did wanting to come down, the lock was still empty in my favour again so the couple locked me through that one.

The fifth lock was a bit puzzling because some lazy so and so had left the top gate open with the paddles up, but nobody had been in front of me and it could not have been a boat coming down, so I guess someone had moved off a mooring and gone up, not good from either a correct procedure point of view but also from a water conservation angle, lazy person! Ah but don’t let it spoil this lovely day Alan J

The next lock was full but a boat was heading down so I opened the top gate and waved him in, he was on his own and asked how many more locks he had to go before Polesworth, I told him six including this one, he said ‘it’s hard work on your own’ I just agreed but it’s not too bad on single locks, doubles are a bit harder.

After going through the lock I moored up , it is empty on the visitor moorings, not another boat in sight, yet when I came down before it was almost full, next weekend no doubt will be busier!

I wandered into Atherstone and topped up supplies before settling down with a cuppa, the Sunday paper and Dire Straits on the CD player, what a nice Sunday.

Totals today: 4 miles : 6 Locks

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