Funny old weather....

...and I'm still pootling.

It's been a while since my last post, with not much happening.
I hung around Newbold for a week or so, managed to get the bow bulkhead around the doors painted in between the cold and the wind and the rain showers.

I headed back to Rugby and topped up with perishables before going back through the Hillmorton locks, again, I am getting to know this section of the canal too well, and moored there for a couple of nights.

Today I headed back to Hillmorton Wharf to get some gas and smokeless fuel, it was bright and sunny with a bit of a breeze but ok really. Unfortunately they had no coal of any description, the continuing cold weather has caught a few out, me included, but I got a gas refill so I'll use the central heating as needed.

I moored up just before Braunston again and will wait out Karl's imminent arrival here, moving into Braunston and winding (turning around) the day he is due so we are both facing the correct way and  then we will both have 48hours mooring available if needed, well that's the plan anyway, we'll see. I think he shoild be here by Friday if not before.

So after mooring I decided to wash the roof, the sun was shining but the wind was cold and just as I finished a mini blizzard struck, wind, hailstones and sleety snow........
........funny old weather.

Totals this post: 9 miles : 3 locks

Pootling about

It was a misty Wednesday morning but I decided to head into Rugby and top up with non perishables, so around 9:30 I set off and headed to the three Hillmorton locks ahead.

These locks are duplicated so normally a choice of two side by side but arriving at the first I found the left hand lock was hazard taped off, so took the right lock, at the second lock it was the same, a volunteer  was in attendance and he told me that they had found evidence of movement in the side wall of the left lock so to be safe they had closed the three on that side until investigations could be carried out, as it was quiet it made no difference to me, as I was leaving the last lock a boat approached so I left the gates open for him.

Leaving Hillmorton bottom lock.

It was uneventful heading into Rugby but I took a couple of snaps of the Kent Road bridge, the graffiti spoiling the original decoration.

I moored up where I had stopped last visit just after bridge 58, not on my favourite mooring list as obstructions below the water line prevent you getting into the bank and each time a boat passes you are pushed against it with a bump, fenders are ineffective as they have nothing to rest against. I did two trips to Tesco, I bumped into Les from N.b. Valerie while in the shop and we had a natter as you do. I was going to push on again but decided to stay the night.

Next day (14^th) I headed to Newbold where it is, I think, a more pleasant area, last time I came through here the moorings were packed but I spotted 3 gaps and decided to go through the tunnel and wind (turn) further up then come back to the moorings, potentially a risky strategy but as it was still only 11ish I hoped it would stay quiet.

Of course once I had gone through the tunnel I passed about five boats so it was fingers crossed none of them wanted to stop at Newbold. I intended to wind at the entrance to the original Newbold arm, now defunct, but my timing was poor and a boat had pulled over blocking the entrance to the arm for some reason, it wasn’t a problem, I could have waited for him to move but not far ahead was Lime Farm Marina so I carried on and winded there instead.

Newbold tunnel

Passing back through the tunnel, 250 yards long, and no other boats in sight, I was pleased to find the moorings were still vacant so I moored up here.

Yesterday was miserable with continuous rain all day.

I am currently hanging around a bit waiting for Karl to begin heading towards Braunston where we have agreed to meet up but yesterday he emailed to say a slight further problem with his boat meant ordering a part so the move that was scheduled for today would not be happening until sometime next week.  I will stay the weekend and watch the F1 and then decide what to do Monday.

Totals this post: 6 Miles : 3 Locks : 1 Tunnel (twice)

Fill up and warm up.

Having run out of smokeless fuel 10 days ago I have survived by using my gas central heating and burning the pallet that my new batteries came on, it has been chilly but by rationing the wood and keeping a sweater on in the evenings I made it to this morning ok, but it did not look like the weather was going to warm sufficiently for me to want to continue along those lines especially as the pallet was no more, so this morning I headed off to get diesel and some solid fuel.

It was very breezy and quite chilly but no rain and I had wrapped up well before setting off,  not a long distance to reach Hillmorton Wharf but being a very small wharf I wasn't too sure I would be able to moor on the services but all was well and after making my purchases I continued along to the visitor moorings just before the locks.

Having a stove functioning again also meant that I was able to do a washload (for drying purposes) so having got moored that was first on the agenda, I then lit the fire and celebrated having a warm boat again with a nice cup of tea J

Tomorrow weather pemitting I will head into Rugby and replenish food supplies before finding out how Karl is doing with his efforts to reach Braunston.

No pictures today, I had allowed my camera battery to go flat.

Total today: 5.5 miles

A cruise decision.

On Tuesday I had a visit arranged with an electrician, which was the reason for my trip down to the Calcutt locks at Napton Junction, he arrived on time at 9:30 and proceeded to check out my charging system, my new batteries are performing so well compared to the old ones I was now worrying that they were being overcharged! anyway after running through things with various meters and diagnostic tools he gave it a clean bill of health, he said there were minor problems with the actual design which he could improve on and would show a slight improvement in the charging but it was not really worth it as it was all doing what it was designed to do.

So after he left I began to think about my spring/summer cruising plan, I didn’t have one yet, I was contemplating a trip further along to Leamington Spa and beyond when I received an e-mail update from my old mate Karl (N.b. Lizzie Jane) in which he said he was planning to go to Bristol, so I emailed him back and asked if he wanted some cruising company and the decision was made that we would head down the Oxford South to pick up the Thames and then join the Kennet and Avon to head to Bristol together, it should be fun. The minor problem was that I was at Napton and Karl is at Leighton Buzzard, we agreed to meet around Braunston, which will take Karl a lot longer than me to reach, so I have to occupy myself ‘til he arrives.

So having sat out two days of wind and rain at my current mooring this morning I said goodbye to my neighbours moored behind me and headed off, first winding (turning around) just before the lock and reversing back onto the water point.

Calcutt top lock viewed from the water point.

Filling the tank, the lock is over to the left.

 Having filled up with water I set off back to the junction passing the long term moorings and turning left back onto the Oxford South.

Passing the odd shaped boat from my last post and was able to get a couple of better pictures.

I would love to be able to take a nosey inside, it must be very different in feel to my narrow boat.

Then I passed this little one, very cute, just think how little 'housework' is needed.

I was soon back at Braunston and moored briefly immediately after the junction, I popped along to the small shop and bought some bread and milk and then set off again, the towpath there was very muddy and I did not want to be in a busy area preferring to find a more rural mooring.

So here I am back on the Oxford North.

 View from the side hatch.

Totals today: 7.5 miles

On to pastures new.

I had little choice this morning, I needed to be on the Grand Union canal at Calcutt Locks by the end of today ready for an appointment tomorrow, so I was happy it was not raining, the forecast was for rain late afternoon, so I set off at 9:30.

It really is lovely cruising on the Oxford Canal both north and south of Braunston Junction.

As you approach the junction itself the church spire rises in the distance

But still the sheep and lambs are grazing in the fields as you reach the first of the line of moored boats indicating not far to go now.

Then it’s negotiate the twin bridges at the junction and onto the Oxford South section.

Leaving Braunston Junction

Heading South on the Oxford canal

I liked this hand painted boat, the result achieved by effectively splodging the paint on the roof was rather nice.

Whereas the result achieved by not painting your boat for a while and allowing a fur coat of algae to form is not so appealing.

The black boat moored just before the bridge was an unusual shape with a bulging main body, and narrow square sections at the bow and stern, it was difficult to get a good picture as I had to negotiate the bridge itself, and the sign on the hutch on the cruiser roof moored in the middle said ‘Ferrets In – Fingers Out’

Passing through more very pleasant countryside and witnessing feeding time in the field.

Then it was a right turn leaving the Oxford at Napton Junction aka Wigrams Turn, as it was known to working boatmen, and onto the Grand Union.

On the short hop along to the locks and I noticed a boat had appeared behind me, as I was mooring up I discovered it was Les and Jacqueline (n.b.Valerie), as I mentioned before when I met them at Milton Keynes, Les was the writer of the first Narrowboat blog I ever read and is largely responsible for my present lifestyle. A shouted hello as they passed to enquire how Jacqueline’s knee was (she has had a knee replacement recently) and they were on their way to the lock, it’s always nice to see them.

Tonights mooring

Totals today: 7.5 miles

Things can change....

.........and often do when it’s me deciding.

I awoke this morning with about three options in mind for my remaining travel to arrive at Calcutt boats on Tuesday. It was raining, so thought one was do I want to bother today, thought two was if I bother should I try to stop at Braunston which will almost certainly be busy and thought three was if Braunston is busy should I just bite the bullet and do most of the remaining distance in one hit.

9 O’clock arrived and it was still raining, so I thought I won’t move, 10’Oclock came and it looked brighter so I decided to move after all. It was chilly on deck when I set off at 10:30 but at least the rain stopped, arriving at the first of the three duplicated locks (6 in 3 pairs) I was delighted to see a volunteer opening the bottom gates for me.

Moving out of the lock another boat was coming down, the chap shouted he had used the lock on the left of me so it should be in my favour, it was a case of nudging the gates open gently and I was soon ascending that one, looking ahead at the third pair and a boat was descending in each, I was spoilt for choice but the left lock finished slightly ahead of the other so I took that one, the other boat wasn’t to know which lock I was taking and they also left their gates open, but a walker closed not only that pair but one of mine as well, everything was working well and I was soon heading to Braunston.

A lot of boat traffic now things are warming up but everyone was behaving well, including me.

Passing daffodils in the gardens, there were a lot more but they were in isolated groups.

And then approaching the long straight section past the Barby moorings, it is almost dead straight with lots of moored boats along the first quarter mile or so but I quite like pootling along on tickover when the sun is out and by now it was trying hard to appear.

Time for a quick selfie, three top layers on as it was chilly.

After the Barby moorings the canal takes on a very lovely open country and farmland winding nature, until you reach Braunston.

So by now I was getting close to Braunston when I passed under a bridge and thought ‘oh this looks ok’ so I moored up, that is one of the things I enjoy most about this, stopping out in the countryside if you see a nice spot, so I took option four, which I had only just decided was an option J

Having set the TV ariel I then settled down and watched F1 practice and qualifying, getting the bike out in between and nipping into Braunston for some bread and milk. The sun came out for a lovely afternoon, a pleasant day, glad I decided to move.

Tonights mooring:

Totals today: 6 miles : 3 Locks

Summer had better be here....

.....I’ve run out of smokeless fuel.

Yesterday was warm, so I let the stove die down until the evening when I decided just to add the last of my smokeless, it was warm enough so I wasn’t cold. This morning was chilly so I put the central heating on for an hour.

At 9:45 I decided to move on to any one of three potential stops, the first being Newbold. A boat moored in front of me moved off as I was getting ready so I left it 10 minutes before going, now I don’t rush along but within 10 minutes I had caught up with him.

The next picture is approaching Brinklow Marina, the entrance is the white bridge on the right, I had the camera in hand to take a picture into the entrance but as I got quite close a boats bow appeared from the marina, so a blast on the horn had him into reverse to pause while I passed, a friendly wave and thank you from both of us as I passed him, then he emerged to follow me afterwards.

So now I had a slow boat in front and a boat following me, summer is definitely on the way.

Approaching Newbold tunnel I had allowed a gap to open up in front and as the lead slow boat went through I could see a tunnel light on a boat waiting to enter at the other end, Newbold tunnel is only 250 yards long and is two way working but he was obviously waiting for the lead boat to clear, the boat following wasn’t attempting to push me along so I assumed he was in no hurry and erring on the side of caution I waited for the other boat to enter and emerge, it was as I suspected a hire boat and the operator thank me for waiting.

Then it was my turn, my flash worked for once and here’s the result.

Newbold was, as I had suspected yesterday busy, in fact there was only space for boat at the far end of the visitor moorings so I decided to carry on the second option at Rugby.

After this initial straight section where I moored last year and didn’t like it much the canal is quite narrow and bendy so the camera was put down while I negotiated the full visitor moorings on either side of the canal, so it was on to choice three, before or after Hillmorton Locks.

Approaching Clifton cruisers hire base it was difficult to see a way through with hire boats being prepared for the off and three abreast, I had again caught up with the boat in front of me, thats him squeezing through on the right.

It began to get busy on the moorings approaching the Hillmorton locks, so as I had moored after the locks before I decided to take an available mooring before I reached them.  The internet if a bit weak but I have TV.

Tonights mooring

Totals today:  7 miles : 1 tunnel