And.... We're Off!

Ok, fumbling about a bit here as I can't remember how to do anything!! But, I'm sure I'll get the hang in a day or two. Running this from the boat also reminds me as to just how good the internet at home is! This is a bit painful.

Woke up to see that yet again I'd voted for the right guys, well, lets hope they turn out to be the right guys!!

After a lot of faffing about and shopping and other stuff we eventually arrived at our marina in Cropredy around lunchtime. After loading up and sorting and checking all systems are go, oh, and having a bit of lunch, we signalled all astern and backed out of our berth and headed for the canal. Temperature was ok, but it insisted on raining a bit, sometimes more than a bit which drove Penny inside to her book reader. Cruising was pretty uneventful, we saw a few ducklings, some lambs, but not too much else and that included other boats, not many on the move. Anyway, after 3 hours or so we arrived in Banbury and had our pick of moorings. We did a bit of a wander around the shops, they were very quiet, just how I like them!! And headed back to the boat after an hour or so.

Back on board I was persuaded to start the modifications to our dinette, so I've switched the table around so far, hopefully I'll start on the seat next, maybe in a day or two?

So, table in place we had pizza and some salad for dinner, oh! And some wine!! very pleasant. It continues to rain a bit outside!!

Feeling good, 7 weeks 6 days of holiday to go!!!

Us in Banbury:

 Our Petunias:

 My Watercans:

My pride & joy these cans!!

Today: 5 miles -  4 locks -  3 hours

For Your Information!

Just a test post to see if I can remember how to use this blog!!
I intend to blog this years trip from Cropredy to Odiham which will start on May 8th. Then the return trip which is scheduled to leave Odiham on June 16th after a 3 week layover in Odiham while I'm in Morocco.

3rd August 2011 - And back to base

I pass through Hillmorton locks at 0700 this morning. The 'closed' locks look very open, not a chain or padlock in sight! I a bit shocked on coming out of the top lock to notice the water level is 5 inches or so below normal, they're (BW) not kidding that we're running out. I head on towards Braunston and again a whole load of boats are going the other way. At Braunston I turn right towards Napton and notice that the toll house at the junction is up for auction. I immediately phone Penny and tell her to buy it. Boats continue to come the other way and I'm in a line of three myself. I'm on very familiar ground now and put the guidebook away. As I approach Napton a boat comes out of Wigrams and heads straight for Calcutt, I make the right turn and follow it down. At Calcutt another shock! I've worked these locks many times and it's the first time I can remember queuing for them. In fact I'm fourth in line, sharing with the Wigrams boat. Our turn comes soon enough and down we go. I suspect a lot of people are avoiding the South Oxford due to the lock restrictions and are heading to Warwick instead. At the bottom I notice that this pound, the one the marina is connected to is low by about the same amount. I make the short cruise and a further right turn into Ventnor Farm, nearly 2 Months since I left! I pump-out and fill the diesel then wash the whole of the outside of the boat. I'm knackered.

Today 14 miles -     6 locks -     7 hours
Final: 657 miles - 493 locks - 337 hours

2nd August 2011 - And now restrictions

I've travelled a few miles today and just stopped to discover that Hillmorton Locks have water saving restrictions on them starting today. They're only a mile away, so I'll get away sharpish in the morning to avoid any potential delays. The North Oxford canal has been incredible today! I don't think I've seen as many boats on the move in the whole of the trip to date!! At one point there were 4 in a row (me included) and 3 or 4 coming the other way! Still not far to go now. Nothing really of note, a small wait at Hawkebury as a BW boat was winding in front of me as a boat was coming through the lock. A bit of chaos at Sutton Stop as the above mentioned lots of boats were trying to pass through, doesn't help too much when somebody closes the swingbridge as a boat is passing through!! I'm just South of Rugby now and it's been another fine day!

Hawkesbury Junction:

Today:   23 miles -     1 lock -       9 hours
So Far: 643 miles - 487 locks - 325 hours

1st August 2011 - The way back home

I wake up and it's daylight, without looking at the time I get up and put the kettle on. It's 0500 and I'm going to get away. Very grey this morning and some short spells of light drizzle, but all alone along the Coventry canal I go. I do meet another boat at a bridge coming the other way, so I'm not the only nutter around. I pass Fazeley junction and can see people beginning to wake up, but I'm on my way out of the first Glascote lock before I see another boat on the move, and that's following me. I shut the gate and raise a paddle for the boat behind and carry on through the second, then by Tamworth, then by Alvecote with all those really nice working boats tied up there. Uneventful morning really, the weather improves to warm and sticky, a boat out of control at a water point, then I arrive, second in line at the Atherstone flight of 11 locks. Two more boats arrive so it's getting busy. The chap on the boat behind thanks me for the Glascote paddle, and I'm rewarded by him helping me up a lot of the flight. There's a lot of boats coming down as well, so progress is easy and slow, but not excessively so. Two and a half hours to the top and I feel very tired, I tie up a mile or so later, my batteries needing to be recharged as well as the boats!! I top my cells up with the remaining lager. It's good to be up the Atherstone flight, I'm sure it's going to be very busy over the next few days with boats returning from the festival. Andrew Phasey on 'Doris Katcher' went by, he was running the St Pancras cruising club trip up the Thames tideway last year which introduced me to cruising through London. So R&R for the remains of the day!

Oh, here's the trophy:

And what I keep:

You're only allowed to win two years in succession, so now to plot retention in 2013!

Today:   18 miles -   13 locks -  9.5 hours
So Far: 620 miles - 486 locks - 316 hours

31st July 2011 - I won, I won, I won!

It's currently 2300 ish and I've just finished dinner and I need to go to bed. There are no pictures today because I didn't take any! If you're all good, maybe tomorrow!

In a nutshell, I went to the awards ceremony, just in case, I was fairly convinced I hadn't done enough, then my name is called out. I'm really chuffed, ok, need a new anorak I know, but I've won the Inland Waterways Association, A. P. Herbert, Market Harborough Challenge Trophy 2011, for making the longest direct cruise on inland waterways to the Burton on Trent festival. Also part of this (but you're not sharing the prize!) were messrs Preston, Dunning and Jones, Penny and Son Dave. From what I can make out, this is the only award which has been running continuously from the first ever festival at Market Harborough in 1950!!

Then of course I went for a celebratory couple of pints, I've got people asking me what I won the trophy for (I'm carrying it around with me) I check out a couple of techy things for the boat, have a pork roast baguette for lunch and walk back to the boat, I can't stop smiling.

I near the boat and it occurs to me that not many boats are 'on the move' so I think 'I'm off' So just before 1400 I cast off and head towards Fradley. No queue at the first lock (Branston) but the wind blows the boat into the trees while I'm closing the gate on leaving. Straight into the second (Tatenhill) as a boat is coming down. Straight into the third because a bored bloke is working it!. Then I get to Wychnor and encounter four boats waiting to go up. Never mind, it takes an hour, but then things get spread out again, plus people are (sensibly) stopping for the night. I pass through Alrewas then on to Fradley, no further lock delays. I get some  passers by to shut the gate at Junction Lock for me so I can focus on turning left onto the Coventry canal, no problem, I pass through the swingbridge and take the opportunity to fill the water tank. This water point has the slowest tap in the world and it takes 30 minutes to fill up! It's 2030 when I set off again, looking for a place to spend the night. this happens 4 miles later in the dwindling daylight.

I have dinner, and we're back to where I began!!

Today: 12.5 miles -   10 locks -        7 hours
So Far:  602 miles - 473 locks - 306.5 hours

30th July 2011 - The craft workshop

I walk Penny to the station and then go directly to the site as I'm booked to do 'button fenders' in the craft workshops at 1030. On the way in I'm spotted and thanked for the job I did last night, no problem says me, it was a good laugh! Then I get four bottles of beer as a thank you, need any more help I said! I've arrived ten minutes early and queue to enter the site. I discover that the people in front of me had their propeller fall off on the way, so they've finished the journey by train! I only ever joked about this happening and didn't think it possible, time to check mine I think? I grab a bacon roll and a coffee and get stuck in.

I'll let the pictures do the talking:

Dave Walker was running the workshop, the same guy that I did a side fender with last year, and that's still hanging up down the back! I'm really pleased with this, it's better than the one fitted to the boat! But my arms ache, it took four hours (the workshop was supposed to be only three!) and I had a lot of help with the finishing off. Mine was the second one to be finished, I suspect Dave wanted to get away! I went over to the beer tent, I was supposed to be on duty, but sod that, I needed beer. While I was beering up, I realised I also had to carry the bloody thing back to the boat! And the beer! On a wonderful hot, sunny day.

One thing I did notice while 'beering up' was that bthe festival was lookinjg very busy. I was pleased as I thought last year was a bit quiet, still nothing next year due to olympics, for which I didn't get any tickets, then apparently Newbury in 2013, looking forward to planning a journey there already!

I get back to the boat and take up my harbour master duties with gusto by sitting on the back drinking the beer and having lunch, it was 1630. I deliver the last newsletter to 'my' boats and resume sitting, it's more pleasant now as the sun's dropped behind the trees. A little bit of sorting out, some chilli for dinner, take a photo of this passing by:

It's a scale model working boat towing a canoe with Bolinder engine noise that sounds just like the real thing, it's a great piece of work. Now to update the blog!!