27th June 2011 - Not so Hot Hot Hot

After the sweltering heat of yesterday, we decided to set off a bit earlier (0700) to miss the forecast heat for today (I'm not scoffing at the forecast again!) Off we went, at the same time as the boat in front, and as it was in front it got into Bourton lock before us! So we helped it through this and the next, apparently the gates had been left open last night by a miscreant boater! Lots of construction going on alongside the canal here, looked like a road or railway, but one sign hinted at a flood relief scheme, I could google away, but life's too short! So to the delights of Banbury, we locked through (to avoid potential chaos a bit later) and tied up on the crummy moorings to head for M&S and much needed chocolate bars and packets of crisps. I took the shopping back to the boat and Penny couldn't resist the urge to look around more shops, well, she hadn't
seen any for a couple of days!!

Looking back towards Banbury:

Penny returned and off we go again, the sun now out and getting warmer. We struggle through Grants lock (something stuck behind the gate) and scrape a bit more paint off! then make steady progress to Aynho wharf. The sun is sort of obscured by thin cloud and there's a good wind blowing so the conditions are much more bearable than yesterday. Penny has quite a bit of driving the boat practice and does really well, removes less paint than me that's for sure! At Aynho we fill the water and diesel and empty the horrible stuff. There's another boat hassling me to get away, so I do what I hate having done to me and push off in front of another boat. I make up for this by letting them through at Chisnell lift bridge, even though it meant giving up Somerton deep lock, which I also helped them through (Penny now in complete charge of boating matters)

It all seemed pretty quiet, a couple of boats coming the other way, then we arrived at Allens lock at Upper Heyford, there were 3 or 4 boats waiting to come up and Canadians and Americans all over the place! It caused us no delay and we cruised through the middle of the chaos with many people admiring the boat!

Went through Lower Heyford and much to my surprise there was a good mooring free, so that was it for today. Right beside the main line to Oxford!! It rained a bit, but it came to not much and now the shower and dinner are calling.

Today:      15 miles -   10 locks  -    8.5 hours
So Far: 268.5 miles - 253 locks - 142.5 hours