A short cruise....

......and the start of another project.

Having replenished some perishable foodstuff, watched Strictly Come Dancing and the Mexican Gran Prix, napped a few times and read a few books I thought it may be a good idea to move from my current mooring, overlooking a graveyard, today, well before tonight, Halloween ;-)

It was a foggy start and I didn’t set off until 11 as I was in no rush and only wanted to travel a few miles to charge the batteries and get into a sunnier position for the solar panel to be of benefit, it was in shade where I was moored, the sun came out and it was a beautiful 1½ hour cruise amazing weather for the time of year. 

Not much to say about the trip, I think I only passed two other boats on the move, holiday season has more or less finished and the summer cruisers are mostly now either in their chosen marina or back at home for the winter, it's lovely!

So I'll just give you some pictures of the journey.

Wheedon Wharf, now a private house.

Still some fog but lovely views

Another dinky, spare room for the boat in front?

Stowe Hill Wharf and workshops

The Narrow Boat, Stowe Hill

Private dwelling,convenient for canal or local road

Glass of Red ?

Heyford Fields Marina

Doh!! .......Too Late

I passed a couple of nice rural moorings but knowing what I had planned for the next few days I thought it might be wise to moor up near a pub, in case frustration leads me to drink.
So I went on to Bugbrooke and I am moored right opposite The Wharf pub.

Tonight's mooring

Totals today: 3.5 miles

I spent a few hours this afternoon making a start on the new project, more about that later, but I will be here a few days until I get as far as I can with the first phase.

Confused.....sometimes, but no matter.

It was a lovely bright day yesterday and as two boats were moving into the first lock in front of me I decided I may as well move forward to the water point and top up while waiting for the lock to clear. Another boat appeared and they also went through the lock before I was finished, I was pleasantly surprised that two of the crew seeing me finishing up had waited and they locked me through, the ‘skipper’ explaining that he had spoke to his boat crew on their walkie talkie and they would wait for me at the next lock so we could go down the rest of the locks together, it was all very organised or so we thought.

As I left the first of the 7 Buckby locks I found I was following a different boat, presumably they had just moved off and were now between me and the well meaning fully crewed boat, arriving at the next lock things got a bit confused with instructions flying about and I had no idea what was happening, both gates were opened and the ‘interloper’ moved into the lock, the crewed boat did not look as though it was going in so in the end I went in with the ‘interloper’ whether that was the plan or not, and from then on shared the remaining locks with the couple on N.B. Cavalier.

Following the surprise boat after the first lock

It was a pleasant descent the seven locks dropping us down 62’ 10” and with hubby on the tiller and his wife working the locks, with as much assistance from me as she would allow, we were fairly quickly going through the bottom lock.

They were heading for Blisworth Marina for the winter and stopped after the lock to visit the chandlers at Whilton Marina so having said goodbyes I was on my own for the lockless run to my intended mooring.

Whilton Marina, I had traveled here by car in my search for a boat.

It was really quite pleasant conditions as I cruised along occasionally clearly the prop of leaves with a quick burst of reverse gear, an autumn pastime for boaters.

Just another one that caught my eye.

All along this section of the canal you are accompanied by the M1 motorway, sometimes visible sometimes not, but always heard.

Busy motorway as usual

Looking at this very lovely scene you wouldn’t know the motorway is about 150 yards on my left and the drivers using it are certainly not aware of my presence.

Passing the very often photographed old man reminded me of my journey up this canal last year, not much has changed, he certainly hasn’t moved :-)

I liked this boat Frieslan, I wondered what it’s like inside, but I will never know.

This one isn’t going far at the moment.

Arriving at my intended stop at Weedon Bec I took a mooring on the offside which is handy for the shops, I had stopped here before so was pleased to find a space where I wanted to be. I will stay here for the weekend and maybe move on Monday.

Current mooring pics taken from the opposite end of the boat, the bow, for a change!

Totals this post : 5 miles : 7 locks

Light in the tunnel.

Yesterday I moved on from Braunston, stopping first at the service point to do the usual fill and empty, unfortunately just as I was finishing with that two boats appeared from behind me heading for the locks, that meant a delay for me, so I pootled along as slow as I could manage but when I reached the lock they were both still there waiting for a boat coming down, oh well the delay allowed another boat to catch up with me so I had locking buddies for the trip up the six Braunston locks (1 -6 ) which lift or lower you 35' 6" in all.

Waiting at the first lock where a pair of boats were ascending.

My locking buddies for the ascent N.b. Saros,

While waiting I snapped the Chandlers.

My companions were a family of four on holiday but not for the first time on a narrowboat, so things went quite smoothly, as is often the case Dad steered while mum ran about working the locks and keeping a close eye on the two young children, it all went well until she couldn't close one of her bottom gates, I walked around the lock and had a go as well but something was caught against the cill, a half dozen swift pushes and pulls on the balance beam created enough turbulence to move whatever was fouling it and on we went.

No real time for pictures as the locks are quite close together and I don't like distractions when sharing locks, I like to keep an eye on everything and small children around locks always heighten my apprehension. But they were both well behaved and polite and the trip was a pleasant one, leaving the top lock (6) they decided to stop for lunch before the tunnel so we said our goodbyes and I headed on.

I was looking forward to testing my new tunnel light, I know it may not be very exciting to most of you but to me it was quite an event ;-)

Approaching the tunnel entrance.

Braunston tunnel is 2042 yards long, I have been through it before but this time I could actually see ahead of me, it was a different experience :-) add to that I was also able to tick off another first, passing a boat in a tunnel, despite having been through quite a few tunnels this was the first time I met traffic, not one but three boats, I was very happy , small things please me sometimes, and............

The roof changes appearance along the length, some bits rendered.

Some brick, some stone, 

 ......with my camera on a different setting I finally got the flash to work in a tunnel, it's only taken me two years to work that out ! It wasn't totally successful though and seems to be a bit hit and miss but at least I got something.

And looking back.

Coming out of the tunnel on the short summit section it's quite clear Autumn is with us and it was very lightly raining.

But I didn't have far to go before reaching Norton Junction and this delightful little toll house,

which Pearson's guide tells me was the base of the late Commander Fielding of the Salvation Army who along with his wife ran mission boats Salvo and Aster ministering to the working boat families needs. It is now a holiday cottage.

It was then onto my mooring for the night at Long Buckby Wharf where I had arranged to meet the fuel boat Callisto today, he has just been and I took eight bags of smokeless and a top up of diesel.

I had a walk around the junction but like many of them it is just that, two canals meeting, in this case the Grand Union Mainline and the Grand Union Leicester line, not much to see at all apart from the toll house.

Current mooring:

Totals this post: 4 miles : 6 locks : 1 tunnel

Back on the Grand Union Canal

My rural mooring was lovely for a restful few days but when you have no projects ready to work on and the only thing to do is go for a walk it can get a little too restful.

Yesterday I made the short trip into Braunston, only a distance of about three miles but surprisingly busy, still a few local hire boats on the move.

Lots of boats moored up along the route giving each other a bit of space.

How about this one for a 'little' project?, Hmmmm....maybe not for me!

I wonder who it was that fixed this sign on the side of the bridge, of course I tested mine and was pleased to find they worked :-)

I was soon approaching Braunston with the view of the Church and Windmill building rising out of the countryside, the Windmill is now a holiday retreat offering 6 floors of luxury living for  up to 6 people, about £700 for 3 nights in June next year, very nice!

Then it was through the junction with it's twin bridges, left for the Oxford North and right for the GU, and onto the first mooring, that was me done, a short but necessary trip as I needed supplies and tomorrow, weather and mood permitting, I will head off again and be back to working double locks.

Current mooring:

Twin Iron Bridges, from my mooring, left is Oxford South canal and
 straight on is Oxford North

A busy place this Braunston

Winter repairs for some

Yesterday I looked out of my bow doors and saw this moored in front of me.

It's a Canal and River Trust workboat loaded with new lock gates ready to be installed somewhere during this years winter stoppages, each year during the quieter winter period (usually November to March) C&RT try to carry out the repairs that need canal closures, they produce Winter Stoppages maps, broken down into areas, for boaters, so they can plan there journeys and hopefully avoid becoming stuck between closed locks for the period of the work, this could be anything from a week to 3 or 4 months in extreme cases.

I moved away from Napton today, just to comply with the 48 hour mooring and get myself somewhere more rural prior to heading into Braunston, my next port of call. It was a chilly breezy cruise and uneventful.

Leaving the windmill at Napton behind.

Napton narrowboats hire boats were lined up, there are still a few out cruising but mostly back at the various hire yards for the winter.

and although I took more pictures due to a weak internet signal I am just going to post my view from the side hatch.

I will stay as long as I feel happy to, possibly until Monday.
Total today : 4 miles

Then came the locks

I spent most of Sunday fitting my new tunnel light, a simple enough job on the face of it, but in order to not have wires running on the surface it entailed dismantling and removing my wardrobe and the bow bulkhead paneling to gain access, so that took a while. I then traced the two cables, one feeding the horn and the other feeding the existing tunnel light to the point where they entered the bedroom and proceeded to cut through the wrong one despite having marked the correct one, a senior moment I believe they call that! anyway by 2pm the light was in and working and later that evening once it was dark I checked the alignment, as best I could, which should be pointing slightly right, to not dazzle oncoming boats and upwards to light up the tunnel roof, the first tunnel should indicate whether I have got it right.

Monday was a do nothing rest day, but yesterday I decided it was time for a change of scenery, casting off at 9:30 after the initial rain had relented and cruising through the still lock free country side in quite pleasant conditions.

The boat in the hole had not moved and as I passed by I realised it was probably the only moored boat that I don't have to slow down for as I pass.

Of course once again the rules of narrowboating dictate that if meeting a boat coming the other way it has to be at the sharpest bend with a bridge on it, and today I and another boat successfully complied with this rule, it meant we both ended up taking aboard some cuttings from the overhanging trees as we negotiated a passing maneuver barely making contact with each other :-)

So after 11 miles of lock free cruising I was ready for some light exercise, arriving at the first of the nine Napton locks at Marston Doles (16)

Lock 16

After passing through the next lock there is a short respite before arriving at the flight proper where  I passed some workers cutting back the foliage on the offside, it did need doing

The flight comprises 7 more locks (14-8), the locks are a pleasure, nice well maintained gear and pleasant surroundings.

View down to Napton-on-the-Hill from mid flight

Arriving at lock 11 I could see a boat ahead ready to leave lock 10, after descending my lock he still hadn't moved out of his and as I headed towards him I could see no-one around, the chap appeared as I was tying up on the lock landing and shouted an apology, he then headed out of the lock and realised he had left his 7 month old collie puppy stranded on the offside of the lock, he asked me to watch it for him until he was able to return, so I headed into the lock and then shepherded the puppy across my boat so that he could return to his owner, I then found the reason for the delay in him leaving the lock was that he was towing a butty and his other half was just pulling it out of lock 9 with the center line on her own but luckily at that moment a couple of volounteers arrived to assist her up the rest of the flight, it all made for an extra bit of interest.

Having finished the flight I moored on the water point and topped up, walking to the small shop by The Folly pub and bought some bread and milk and a bottle of gas while the tank filled, I then moved on to the 48 hour visitor moorings and decided to stay here until tomorrow.

Totals this post: 7 miles : 9 locks