25 May 2025 Napton to Saltisford Junction

We pulled off our overnight mooeing at about 7.00 and were turning onto the Warwick and Birmingham secrion of the Grand Union Canal by 8 am. This was not without slapping the side and thumping the towpath at Wigrams Turn! We worked down Calcutt Locks and Stockton flight before lunch at The Two Boats beckoned. This pub has one of the best selections of real ale on the canal and I was ready for a pint of London Pride. Our  crew gave the buffalo burger and home made chilli 5 stars!

After lunch The Best Mate and Suepercrew left to return home and we continued through Leamington Spa amd Warwick to a mooring just past Saltisford Junction. 

We marvelled at the large number of planted coir rills that have sprouted along thus stretch of canal. It was modernised in 1932 with concrete pile and capping to 7ft depth and 4ft 6 " dredge. Water voles are not known for their ability to bore through concrete but someone has decided that they need to be prepared with welcomong coir roll hotels. I asked CRT at Crick who pays for this folly. I was assured that it is funded from donations from  well meaning companies with money to dissipate from their social responsibility budgets. Maybe I am wrong and this wull attract voles from the near by rivers Leam and Avon.

 

The planting in the rolls will eventually produce a reed bed like this. 

Reed beds require managing. Having re3ed ingress the canal to this extent, and on a bend too is, in my opinion, not safe.

The remaining crew returned home by the 1942 train.

17.1/2 miles, 14 locks , 9 hours

  

Walsall to Wolverhampton to Birmingham

We left Walsall Town Basin at 10.15 on Friday. The passage up the Walsall locks was weedy and the shallow canal gave us problems with prop fouling again. We could not enter directly into lock 4 as the boat stopped on something. We pulled the boat to the side and bow hauled her round the obstruction.

The services building at the top lock is closed and there was no water available. Local boatyard staff and a boater told us the nearest on our route was at Snyde Wharf.

The Canal Museum, signposted at the bottom of the flight,is boarded up and up for development.

The Wyrley and Essington Canal is full of blanket weed. Apart from that and the impediment to progress it is very peaceful and pleasant. Of course the local population keep it topped up with plastic bottles, drinks cans and bags of rubbish.

The Sneyd Wharf services were clean and cared for and a refreshing highlight of the cruise.

We got to Wolverhampton, winded in the basin and backed to the Wolverhampton Top Lock moorings to find they are 24 hour!

Pretty Wolverhampton Mooring

                                                 11miles, 8 locks, 8 hours

Hopper on lock landing, Factory Bottom Lock, BCN

So this morning we boated to Birmingham. It was good to be back in deeper water and reasonably rubbish free.

Arriving at Factory Bottom Lock, BCN

Factory locks had a reasonable variety of items including a "road closed" sign but it was not obstructing the workings and we could not get it out. As we were descending the locks we did not need to use the lock landing at the bottom lock: this was occupied by a moored hopper.



We did a tour of Oozle's loop to find the pump out services of Sherborne Wharf are on the main line at The Distillery. So we winded at Old Turn and again at another basin to the west of centre and the returned to The Distillery to pump out. A trip boat were not amused that we were on "their" stopping place. Apparently our pump out should have been timed between their need to use the stop! There appears to be a continual conflict if interest at this point as the discharge point is one bollard from the stop sign.By the time we were finished, unconnected and ready to leave there were two trip boats vying for the same stopping point.We left them to fight it out.

All services completed we moved on to Cambrian Wharf and returned SONFLOWER to her accustomed position.
                                               13 miles, 3 locks, 5hours

Home Again! Hillmorton to Banbury

We didn't do it all at once!

The first leg was an over-
nighter with Sooper crew on board. First a two car shuffle to get Soo's car at Hillmorton and mine at The Folly Inn, Napton. So that was definitely our first target. And we hit it on the bull's eye. Not only did we have a great day's boating bit we had time to go and retrieve Soo's car before hitting the time for our dinner reservation at The Folly Inn.

Chilli and Spud at The Folly Inn

Now, what an amazing turn around the Folly has had. It was packed, and it appeared it was packed with locals having a meal out. The beer was good, the wine was good and the food was great. I had the best blue fillet steak I have had in my life! The Best Mate had a fabulous Blanche Bait with fresh salad; SooperCrew had the best portion of chilli with her baked spud that I have ever seen. Why did  I think this was an amazing turn around. Well the last time we came to The Folly I blogged "A Folly of a Meal" when all four of the crew got meals that did not resemble the menu descriptions. Now I am reaching for Tripadvisor to give them five stars.             14 miles 1 lock  5 hours

We did work one lock before mooring so we didn't have far to go to bed down, replete.

We rose earlyish and after breakfast did another two car shuffle, this time leaving my car at The Wharf Inn, Fenny Compton. We started the ascent of Napton flight at about 9.15 and were at lock 14 by 11.00. Sooper Crew walked back down the locks to get her car to the top and met us as we exited Lock 15! The Best Mate and SooperCrew left me at the Marston Doles water point as they had to go to a craft session in Banbury.                  2 miles, 8 locks    2.3/4  hours

"Pie of the Day" at The Wharf Inn

I boated solo toward Fenny Compton. I stopped twice. Once for lunch at Stoneton Bridge 125 and once for a natural break at Bridge 131. The wind got stronger and cutting as the day progressed. I moored on the visitor moorings just before the A423 Bridge 136A at about 4pm. When I got to the car it was boxed in by two white panel vans! I inquired in the Wharf Inn whether anyone knew the owners. The main offender, that had arrived last and parked over a foot from the kerb was owned by "Kev". The barmaid went looking for him but to no avail so I took my stick and plodded (limped) up to the long term moorings near the marina to try and find him. I failed but did find the owner of the other van, which was broken down! He kindly offered to move it and rolled it down the hill without power steering or brakes and parked it beautifully. I was free, but cold and very hungry so I had a pie and a pint int The Wharf. It would have been rude not to when the barmaid said that pie was the chef's special of the day!                                      7.1/2 miles   3hours

Sooper Crew has jumped ship and is crewing on another boat today. So it was The Best Mate and I who boated from Fenny Compton to our home mooring. My knee prevents me doing a lot of lock work so The Best Mate had the brunt of the labour today. We were helped by plenty of boats on the move after the first two Claydon locks but had to fill Boughton and Hardwick locks to end the day. We were hindered by a working pair, moored against another working boat and opposite a leisure boat moored beside a "no mooring" sign! There was 7' 6" left to get my 6ft 10" beam through. To do it I had to back up several times to ensure that I was parallel with the boat moored opposite. I did not have my camera to hand to take a picture for the "moored like a twat" facebook group! Today the sun shone on us almost all the way.  We had a lunch break in The Brasenose Inn in Cropredy. This was a very pleasant break indeed. Here too we had a great example of bad mooring.  Here a 50ft boat was moored on the centre two rings of four available beside Cropredy Bridge thus preventing another boat from enjoying this lovely mooring spot. We did find a mooring through the bridge but it bugs me as to why some boaters are that thoughtless.

So we moored up at home mooring about 6pm very tired but home. We were welcomed by nb Sawdust at Hardwick Lock and cheery waves from Malc and Dink at the Cottage and the other moorers at our moorings. It is great to go boating but it is good to be home!
                                        12 miles, 12 locks, 8.1/2  hours

Ice

 Ice to the front of her,

ice to the rear of her,


ice to the side of her: our boating was postponed this afternoon because of ice.

Although there was a change in the outside temperature which was soaring toward 10 degC the water was still at zero, the temperature of melting ice, and it was impossible to move. It may look like there is clear water around the boat but the rudder was locked in until we moved it, and not without a bit of force.

I recollect the chapter in Tom Rolt's book "Narrow Boat" where he describes ice in Banbury and the joy that the arrival of the ice breaker brought to the locked in crews. We await the ice breaker because to try to break this ourselves would damage other people's vessels at the waterline and could put fibre glass boats in jeopardy.

We spoke to a fisherman who told us the score along the canal: the only ice free spots were under the bridges and even there he got no bites.

Shrewley to Hatton

As we were at a meeting in Hatton Yard CRT offices this afternoon we asked another member of the meeting to drop us at Shrewley Post Office so that we could move SONFLOWER nearer Hatton Top Lock. We are very grateful for the lift.

We were on 48 hour moorings and had come to the end of our concessionary 7 day overstay period.

The plan was to move to 14 day moorings.

But in nearing Hatton top lock we found that there are no 14day moorings between St John's Bridge 55 and the waterpoint at the top lock. What to do?

It was now after half past four and a minimum of four hours can be anticipated for the passage through the 21 lock flight. Not an option!

There was a gap of 12 ring spaces (approx 10m apart) on the tow-path designated "Long Term Moorings, permit holders only", then two small boats and a gap of 3 rings, approximately 90ft, then a single boat before the water point.

We put SONFLOWER in the 90ft gap.

At Hatton Top Long Term Moorings

So another email to CRT Enforcement has been sent. I hope that they agree that I had no choice.

I have arranged crew for Saturday Morning to make passage down the flight. The Best Mate has volunteered to take on the nonagenarian care duties.

Shrewley Tunnel SW Portal 48 hour mooring to Hatton Top L T Mooring, 1.5miles, 0.5 hour

Polesworth to Fazeley

We bused into Polesworth from Fazeley. It is a bank holiday so I thought it would be difficult. In fact it was a breeze: 110 from Fazeley to Tamworth and then 48 from Tamworth to Polesworth, stopping right outside The Bull Inn. And the timetable was such as to leave a nice space between buses for a loo stop except that Tamworth have closed their Public Conveniences. We noticed that the Stagecoach bus driver (Bus 48) had taken a break and he told us that he had used the conveniences in the Arriva garage. He was sure they would let us use them too. So we asked at the garage and a lovely young man, who was brought up on a boat, allowed us to use their facilities. The 48 bus is certainly one to remember as it goes from Coventry to Leicester via Hinkley, Atherstone, Tamworth, Nuneaton and Bedworth: a sort of Coventry Canal Special.

So we departed Polesworth at 11.00. Cruising was easy to Alvecote Basin where a gathering of historic boats was being held.

Approaching the Boat Gathering at Alvecote

There were loads of them.

Backing out of Alvecote Marina: nowhere to go

One tried backing out of the marina as I approached the entrance but then went back in to let me by.

 Here we saw BCF member nb Persephone with no-one aboard.

We continued to cruise and saw nb Ichthus going the other way. At Glascote locks we joined a queue. The second boat out of top lock going past us was nb Charis another BCF boat. Moored just above the locks is a boat with quotations from Ecclesiates inscribed on the side. "It's better to have one handful of tranquility than to have two handfuls of trouble and to chase after the wind." There was another one too but I can't remember it.   Good stuff to think on while one waits. We were seventh in line! 90 minutes later we were through and cruising to Fazeley. They are probably the slowest locks in the country. We were glad that we had eaten as we cruised today.

We moored just before 2.30pm: wine o'clock

                                              

               5.1/4 miles, 2 locks  3.1/2 hours

Hillmorton to Polesworth

Skeleton crew leaving me!

A lovely couple of days boating. We arrived at Hillmorton at about 8.30 on Friday morning. We found the fridge off as the gas had run out. I changed the bottle but the second one had the plastic stopper already removed and did not go hiss when the valve was opened. Not a good sign. Gas was needed soon. 

The skeleton crew of Alex and the Best Mate made good progress north to Stretton Stop and I took the car to Atherstone returning to the boat by public transport. Getting to Rose Narrowboats first I inquired about gas. They had two bottles in stock. I ten walked down the towpath, the peaceful silence only punctuated by the contact calls of a family of buzzards. Sonflower came along when I got to the disused Brinklow arm junction.

So on to Stretton Stop where we moored on the water point (with all the Rose narrowboats around there really was nowhere else), took on water and gas.

Thence northward, watching the wheeling buzzards for quite a few minutes, toward Sutton Stop. About two miles short of this we were caught up by MV Nuneaton towing her butty nb Brighton which were on their way to a boat gathering at Alvecote. One of their crew hailed us to tell us that their crew at Sutton Stop had set the lock. We worked down and Alex made the run on good style: his first time on the tiller for this U-turn under the junction bridge and onto the Coventry Canal.

All was fine until we got to Marston Junction where nb Annie, a Black Prince Hire boat, came at us from the off side as we went under the bridge before the junction. Prompt avoiding action by both craft averted a collision but scared the wits out if the crew of Annie who were sitting in the bow well deck.

The motty boat and butty caught us up again at Springwell Haven and we pulled to the side to let them pass.

Nuneaton and Brighton

From then we stayed at cruising speed until we reached an overnight mooring just before Anchor Bridge: the Anchor Inn beckoned. We were moored behind a veteran fibre glass canal cruiser with cabins fore and aft and a central wheel house. They had two grandchildren aboard and a large dog and kindly gave us a poo bag to clean up the mess that was just where we needed to tie! We sat at the table next to them in the restaurant at the Inn as well and learned how they had often helped friends move the boat, fell in love with it and bought it as soon as the opportunity came when their friends bought a steel narrowboat.


This morning they were well ahead of us when we set off at 7.30am. We stopped for breakfast before the Atherstone flight. We worked down the first three locks with the "assistance" of the three volunteers who were on duty today. Although nice to see them they are not really much help to us for only three locks out of eleven! I wondered whether they were always at the first three locks. If so, single-handers who really do need help who are coming up would have no help through eight locks before seeing them! It was quite busy today and we only had to fill one lock all the way.

descending Atherstone lock 6

I left the boat at lock 9 to return to the car to get it to Polesworth. I parked next to the Bull Inn. Unfortunately this hostelry does not do lunches on Saturday, the restaurant (Indian cuisine) opens at 5.30pm. I met the boat at Bridge 51

Sonflower approaches Bridge 51

 We moored on the rings just through bridge 54. Lunch was now a necessity.

While we were eating our lunch, al fresco at The Anchor Inn under their fabulous gazebo, the heavens opened and a thunderstorm of great proportion started. We were glad that we were not boating this afternoon and felt sympathy for any holidaying hirers who "had to" carry on anyway! We remember those times.

Hillmorton to Polesworth 31.1/2 miles, and 12 locks,             15 hours




Editor's Note:  On 28th July 2008 we were here before: that time the blog says "a thundery shower stopped the expetition to the pub". Today we were already there!

Navigation Bridge No 85 to Hillmorton Bottom Lock 14 day mooring

A lovely drive in the sunshine started today's boat move. Driving, top down, is a pleasure in a BMW Z3 at any time and on the warmest day of the year it was beautiful.

At the boat, I left Alex in command and he set off northward with a litre of orange juice, a packet of tortilla chips and a doughnut. What more is needed? Oh, yes, a bottle of sunscreen and a bottle of aftersun lotion as well!

I got back in the Z3 and drove north too. I stopped at Bridge 72 (Moors Lane) and chatted to a lovely retired GPO engineer who was heading south. As SONFLOWER was not in sight I phined Alex and found he was still about an hour away. I went to park in St John the Baptist Church car park. This is a favourite parking spot for dog walkers and walkers. There is an overnight parking prohibition which is unfortunate. I looked round the lovely church before  I headed off along the towpath, up the locks, assisting boaters as I went. At the middle locks I stopped to sketch the top locks.

 I haven't sketched for a while so it was a little daunting but did not turn out too bad. Unfortunately I had to go straight in with ink as I could not find my pencil box. (Addition of a little coloured pencil 'in the studio')

As I arrived at the top lock so did SONFLOWER. So one out and one in and it was the same all the way down. A good road as they say.

 We moored on the 14 day mooring. Not quite hard to the bank because the sides are shallow and, of course, the rings do not suit our length so we have one mooring pin.

There are a lot of boats on the move at the moment. Some moving faster than others. Alex, was intimidated by a bat right on his tail on the Barby Straight when he was travalling at 1800rpm, equivalent to about 3mph. He pulled over and let him past. But why do we have to do this? Ten years ago 3mph was considered a reasonable cruising speed. On the Oxford we make wash at anything faster! As did this boat as it sped away into the distance!

Navigation Bridge No 85 to Hillmorton Bottom Lock 14 day moorings: 5.1/2 miles, 3 locks  3hours

Car Park to Car park: Galleon Bridge to Blisworth Tunnel North Portal

Having returned to Banbury for our WWC Commissioning at Cropredy yesterday we returned to the boat on the quasi 48hr mooring at Galleon Bridge in case it was not a 14 day one!

First a conversation with Tom, a angler who would have liked to be boating to Birmingham to get near a sister who he was in contact with after 40 years but his gearbox had broken down. He just needed to tell his story!

Then we joined nb Dire Straits in Cosgrove lock. In their honour Alex played "Money for Nothing!" and other tracks from Brothers in Arms while in the lock. Here we unloaded the folding bike and I peddled back the way we had come to get the car from the Ouse Valley Country Park car park and drive to Blisworth. The Best Mate and Alex cruised the lock free pound while I drove, aided by the satnav "Sheila", toward the Tunnel Hill Riding Stables. Just past here I found a small but neatly hidden car park and a path down to the North Portal of the Blisworth tunnel. I walked down and checked out the spot and was pleased to find rings and a piled landing stage with no signed mooring restriction. An orange ball bounced past me into the canal and a lady with a beagle followed close behind. As she fished for the ball she dropped her extending dog lead in the canal. "No problem" I said and returned to the car for a magnet to fish for the lead and a pole to help retrieve the ball. Unfortunately no amount of magnetic fishing could latch onto the steel clip which was the only bit of steel on the lead and reel. I returned up to the car to give her a piece of rope that I keep in the car for coralling loose horses and she used that as a lead to get her beagle and ball back to the car. I felt such a failure!

I then rode over the Tunnel Hill and down into Stoke Bruerne to meet SONFLOWER and crew at the services below the locks. We worked up the locks just ahead of FMC Motty Boat "Owl" (1928), with a 1951 Kelvin Engine, and her Butty boat "Hampton"(1912). Their advance party of a female crew member with two life jacketed dogs helped us through and reset the lock in their favour. We stopped for lunch in the long pound between Locks 15 and 14 and they passed, chugfully.

After the last two locks the flight we continued to enter the wet and dark  Blisworth Tunnel and came out to our mooring. I tried to find the lead with the sea searcher: no luck again. Here Alex celebrates as the Best Mate sizes up the climb to the car park. As we left, it started to rain.

Galleon Bridge No 68 to North Portal Blisworth tunnel:
9 miles, 5 furlongs and 8 locks, 1 tunnel              7 hours

Dog in a lock! and other excitement: Ivinghoe to Old Wolverton

We set off in time to get a bite of lunch at The Grove Lock. I am not sure whether the pub is known for its dog friendliness but a dog owner was on his way there with his dog extending lead while we were descending the lock. Suddenly behind us was a whippet on a string on the cill, water cascading through the leaking closed gate and perturbing him somewhat. Gently backing the boats toward him spooked him more and he jumped into the water: the most dangerous thing for him to do with two narrowboats backing and props sucking in water to the swim. We feathered the props and gradually drifted in, getting him back on the cill. A crew member of the Wyvern hire boat bravely whisked him up and handed him back to a very pleased owner. They were seen in the garden together enjoying the sunshine and a beer.

I have never shared a lock with a dog before and don't really want to again.

The afternoon was slightly uneventful after that and we enjoyed the fun at Soulbury Three Locks amongst six Wyvern boats going down and two coming up. It was just the place to observe that the seriously good training of the crews that we witnessed earlier in the day at Leighton lock really did not permeate to every member of the crew. We advised and helped as necessary but did not want to be too intrusive in the proceedings. Suggesting that the crew member opened the paddle to let the water out rather than just standing there looking pretty is hard to do tactfully though! Two of eh helmsmen just did not seem to be interested in the lock operation at all, staring into space instead of paying attention to the water and positioning of their craft.

Dinner was taken outside the Three Locks Pub and we stayed on for their Friday evening offering of Beatles, Hollies and Stones covers (live music). Our musician called it "guitar karaoke" as the two guitarists, one tele, one strat, played and sang along to drums and bass from a box!

We set off in the morning at a gentile time of 8am. At Stoke Hammond lock a hire crew were moored on the lock mooring but were not, at this time, ready to descend. A lady crew member said that she would like to watch us do the lock as we "looked professional". Her children were buzzing around the whole time too. We told her we all have started in hire boats and made a load of mistakes! But this time it went as it should and we parted wishing them a lovely holiday and assuring them that Milton Keynes was not such a bad place from the canal side! We  stopped for breakfast just before Fenny Stratford and then worked through the lock with the one foot fall and silly swing bridge in the middle. Here I disembarked the bicycle and left the tiller in my son's hands to steer her around Milton Keynes while I went to Bletchley Station and took a train to Cheddington to cycle back to where our car was parked. I then drove to The Galleon at Old Wolverton and waited for the boat to arrive with a beer and nachos.

We rendezvoused as planned and finished the boating day with a meal in The (All New) Galleon Inn.

Ivinghoe Bridge 123 to Galleon Bridge No 68   23.3/4 miles, 12 locks 1 Swingbridge  

Past Marsworth Junction

 We decided to move the boat to allow the Tring Anglers to teach their novices to fish safely and considerately without disturbing the occupants of boats moored nearby and the boats using the flight. Hopefully by doing that we gave them enough room to keep clear of the lock landings.


Our first task was to refresh the water tank because the water had started to taste metallic. We did this very quietly and carefully so as not to disturb this local fisher.


This we did successfully. The skies darkened and our tummies rumbled so we moved the boat away from the water point to the opposite side of the canal and hid it behind the grass on the towpath.

We retired to the Anglers Retreat for lunch al fresco. As we finished our meal the rain started to fall in a serious style so we decided to leave SONFLOWER exactly where she was. No use getting wet again.

The hum of Contractor's strimmers was heard through the Yard Bridge so we might be able to see her again soon. Alternatively we might have hay on the gunwhales again.

                                                                          1/2 mile; 1 lock                 1 hour

(NO) New Technology

Uxbridge to Hemel Hemsted

We have just had two very pleasant days of boating from Mill Road Bridge No 187 (aka Gas Works Bridge 187 and Cowley Mill Road Bridge 187) to Old Fishery Lane Bridge no 148

Regular readers know that I was frustrated with the 3 dongle to connect with the internet.   I have invested in a 4G mobile wireless router from Maplin. I read the instructions fully and tried it out in the lounge at home. It works a treat with my little tablet, Sony Experia and Samsung phones. The instructions said to charge for at least four hours so I put it on charge overnight.

I left it on charge when we left to go to the boat in the morning so have had two days of internet free cruising!

                                                                                    18miles, 27 locks, 14 hours

New technology

I have just received an email from The Best Mate. It was headed "i Hate Technology" without any further comment in the message.

I understand how she feels. A server that was used for processing our mail was on a Blocking List and bounce messages were coming in thick and fast.

I must admit that at times I too have the same feeling. Today I have been trying to set up a new mobile wifi for use on the boat in conjunction with a tablet. I have attempted to have a live run so that it all goes smoothly in the boat. But all has not gone smoothly. I have three gmail accounts. I tried to get one of them added to the email client on the tablet but I have had messages telling me that the password was out of date and that someone tried to log on to my gmail account from an app that was insecure. They want me to use google apps. The tablet came with its mail client installed as firmware. I have no idea what it is but it worked with a virgin.net account. Why not with gmail! I haven't tried the other two gmail accounts yet!

So getting email on the boat will still be hard and difficult I may have to resort to tactics like using webmail which I hate.

I am looking forward to getting back in the boat in Friday morning. It may be a couple of days away form it all again, including eMail and Facebook!

We will be boating through the civilised areas of Uxbridge, Rickmansworth, Watford and Hemel Hempstead so hope fully mobile signal will not be a problem too!

Marsworth to Rickmansworth

We rose early on Wednesday and got started as soon as the greaser was done and the bilge was pumped out. We passed our previous day's locking partner, nb Jess after two locks and settled into a routine.

Going up in Lock 37

Between locks, Marsworth flight

We ascended the main flight with a little assistance from the lock keeper who passed us after the first lock and told us the remainder would be set for us. We got to the summit at 9.15, just as the CRT volunteers were coming on shift. They did close the last gate for us after we left!

They told us a boat was being craned out at the yard as if that was exciting. We told them to give assistance to nb Jess as the crew were not well.

We navigated the Tring cutting and noticed a pair of kingfishers. One of them sitting on a branch in full view as we passed him or her. The other buzzed past the boat in a characteristic blue flash and disappeared into a tree. Their nest hole was easily seen and recognisable. It was quite a treat and the subject of conversation for a long time with a lady on Cowroast lock later in the day.

sunshine Spring cruising

The visitor mooring at Tring looked in a really sorry state. It would be difficult to get alongside to moor there at all because the bank edge is in such bad condition.

Across the lock, why not

We arrived at Cowroast Marina and entered to use the pump out facility. DIY, £15 cash only excluding blue (not provided since BWML took over). With fresh tank and no list the entry and exit maneuvering was worth it even if we did nearly hit Eric and Sally on the way out as they passed the marina entrance.  Our progress was soon halted at the lock where the paddles were chained shut because CRT were working on the next lock down. Sally and Eric were across the gates.

"No problem", we thought but soon heard that the stoppage would be until 6pm the following day (Thursday). To achieve our plan we still had at least 30 hours cruising to do by Friday evening!  I moored on the waterpoint above the lock. "Tut tut" I here you say! A first for me!

If you have time to lean you have time to clean

We settled  down to wash and clean the boat and decided to get food at the nearby Cowroast Inn. However their kitchen is not open on Monday to Wednesday! So we took a bus into Berkhamstead and dined at Porters. Very nice too. Two steaks and a bottle of house red was just what we needed.                 4 miles, 6½ furlongs and 8 locks  (4hr)

The next morning, Thursday,  we continued to fix and clean giving the brass a first clean of the year. We went into town again for lunch. Again at Porters. You can't have too much of a good thing. The hand raised steak, guiness and mushroom pie was delicious and I had another lemon creme brulee!

We returned to the boat from Berkhamstead after a nice lunch in Porters and a visit to the amazing WAH DIY shop. This is two floors of floor to ceiling shelving with just about everything you need. And if you haven't found it they will tell you "upstairs, centre aisle about a yard from the end, on the second shelf up" (that's for 0 gauge wire wool: the 00, 000 and 0000 gauge are below and the 1, 2 etc gauge are above!). It was about 2pm and there was a boat in the lock!

We quickly made ready and were there to take our place as the second pair of boats to descend. No-one was coming up though which as disappointing. And so it was all the way into Berkhamstead and beyond. We had great partners. Nb Pavo (of Idle Women fame when it was Kit's butty; GUCC No 327.) She now is a motty boat with a restored Lister JP2 and blows smoke rings at will.  Their crew stopped for provisions at Waitrose so nb Aloysious took their place. Their locking partner was delayed by the loss of spectacles into the cut. They were retrieved by paddling and feeling with bare feet!

paddling for specs 'tween boat and bank

So a very successful afternoon making past Winkwell Skew Railway Bridge just after sunset.          5 miles, 5½ furlongs and 15 locks

We rose early on Friday and found it was raining. We thought we would try to get to Uxbridge or at least to a convenient place to get the bus to retrieve our car. We needed to be back in Banbury for Saturday morning. Light rain turned into torrential rain and then we had a short sunny period before more rain set in. We were soaked and soon our waterproofs were letting in water at the seams. With only a short stop for breakfast in Common Moor Lock we worked on, finally succumbing to the weather after Batchworth Lock. We moored on the visitor moorings here, changed our clothes and left them dripping on newspaper in front of the fire to dry and walked to Rickmansworth Station to catch the Green Line bus back to Uxbridge. The day was completed with fish and chips in the comfort of our little flat!

                                                 10 miles, 6¼ furlongs and 21 locks  (9.1/2 hours)

Bletchley to Leighton Buzzard

4 April 2016
We drove to Leighton Buzzard and had a dickens of a job finding somewhere to park near Tesco. Only 3 hours allowed in Tesco, 1.1/2 in Aldi, 2 hours in Waitrose, 2hours on street parking so we ended up in a multi story at £6.50 for over 5 hours. "Still cheaper than a £70 fine" my First Mate for the day philosophically mused.

Then a 70 bus to Bletchley Bus Station and a longer than necessary walk to the boat via Bletchley Centre and following directions to the canal from a postman.

The boat was ok and so we put the kettle on and prepared her to depart. It was sunny when we left at 11.45am but showers followed occasionally through our uneventful cruise to Stoke Hammond lock. Here my First Mate for the day, Stuart, helmed the boat and I worked the lock. Stuart has experience of SONFLOWER from the past having cruised on her with his wife on several occasions.

We saw quite a bit of wild life. A pair of mandarin ducks were probably the highlight but a heron stood firm on the bank as we passed and we watched a wheeling buzzard for a time getting ever higher and higher. A moorhen guarded her three chicks in a reed bed and ducks chased each other around the skies.

We moored below Soulbury Three Locks and went to the Three Locks pub for a very nice lunch. The ale was very nicely conditioned and enjoyed by us both.

John a cheery CRT Volunteer prepared and helped us through the locks. He skillfully used the off side gate paddles to keep us against the near wall so we only used one gate but were not unduly slowed by only using the ground paddles on one side which is my usual careful modus operandae. Here Stuart helms the boat in the Soulbury Bottom Lock while John closes the gate behind him.

Having risen the 20 feet at Soulbury we cruised on to Leighton Lock. This is just before the Wyvern Shipping Company hire base and training on lock working was in full swing and there was a party of schoolboys fishing for carp at the lock entrance. When I say fishing for carp, their gear and bait indicated that this was their intention but the location was definitely not where I would expect any self respecting carp to be at that time of day! Their gear was good and new and I had the feeling that they were in their first outing. They littered the place with wrappers from Tesco barbequed chicken which I picked up, put in their carrier bag and gave to them to take home.    

Sonflower waited for the hire boat pair to come out and then we worked through, The enthusiasm of the next crew to open the paddles to fill the lock was calmed by my shout "Hey, that's my boat in there! Not until we are ready!" Sometimes there can be too much help on hand!

We thanked Wyvern Shipping for their help and negotiated their base where boats were moored four abreast leaving little room to negotiate the floating tree trunk that happened to be in the remaining passage. As we left the base we heard the first chiffchaff of the Spring singing in the tree tops over their car park.

We then looked for a mooring as the sky darkened again. Long term moorings abounded until the 2hour linted shopping mooring at Tesco: thence through  Bridge 114 and past the services to the Leighton Linslade Visitor moorings. These are signed "14 days per Year"! Where did CRT get the authority to make that sort of a declaration? I bet the hire boats are moored there waiting for turn around day more than that each year. We moored between a narrowboat and a wide beam, closed up the boat and went to retrieve the car as the rain started in anger.

8 miles, ½ furlongs and 5 locks  in a day mooring at 5.30pm.

Spoiled my Sunday afternoon!

There we were, cruising along Top Level at a merry 1700rpm, just keeping the wash from breaking, when a horn sounded behind me. "At a convenient point, could you pull over so that I can pass" the helmsman of the boat behind shouted. I acknowledged his request, rounded the next two bends (there are many on the Oxford Canal Top Level) and on a straight, slowed down and pulled to the starboard (tow-path) side behind a moored boat.

I did this here because the off side is shallow and I did not want to be grounded as he passed.

I expected him to pass at about 2 mph as there was a moored boat ahead. He held back! Maybe this place, convenient to me, was not convenient to him! I turned back and said "Do you expect me to moor?" Eventually nb Greenham Mist did come by but at a lot more than 2mph. The wash created by the speed of this boat pulled mine out from behind the moored boat and into his! I wear hearing aids but, with the engine noise from my quarter deck, I could not hear the tirade of abuse that was now filling the peacefull Oxford Canal Warwickshire air. Any problem was ALL of his making, I didn't steer my boat toward him at all! Speed, water displacement and lack of patience did the work.

We arrived at Fenny Compton Wharf Bridge 136A exactly 2.1/2 hours after we had left Marston Doles lock No 16, an average speed of 3 mph over 7.1/2 miles. On the shallow Oxford Canal that is not really dawdling is it?

When we moored, 2 boat lengths past the nb Greenham Mist, he was sitting on the tow-path reading a paperback. He was still there an hour later, when we returned from dinner at The Wharf, and at 4.00 pm when we left to catch a lift home.

So what was the hurry? Why spoil MY afternoon.

Canal Junction has advice for canal holidays. The "Rules" for overtaking are:

              Overtake Only If You Are Waved On By A Slower Boat.

There isn't always much space for overtaking, but if you do want to pass another boat, make sure you let the skipper of that boat know your intention well in advance so that he can slow down and wait until he or she is ready. You usually overtake on the left, but agree this with the other skipper beforehand. And remember - its your responsibility to steer clear of the other boat. If you both end up on the mud there isn't much point! 

Like I said:  IT WAS ALL HIS FAULT

and there's more.

I am sorry there isn't a photo.

You see we were too busy to take one.

A friend told us her daughter's class were taking a walk by the canal and would like to see the lock work. Our boat is away but at the appointed hour there were plenty of boats about and Napton Boats, nb Serenade came by at just the right to time to be a visual aid.

The Best Mate and I were too busy to take a photo because our friend didn't tell us that the nursery class at the school would be tagging along as well. We had 60 children lined up along the lock area wall of Banbury Lock No 29! They followed the boat along through the lift bridge and were models of interest and good behaviour. Well done to Dashwood Schoool and its committment to outside education. The children will have learned more about water today than inside a stuffy classroom.

A Head Teacher once said to me (the chair of Governors at the time) "There is nothing that can be taught better inside than outside the classroom"

I agree.

OFF Again

Here is a picture of the Best Mate making sure that Sonflower does not drift away from the water point as we prepare to give her a bit of a spruce up. There were a lot of boats about yesterday and we only managed to wash the starboard side again. We did top the water tank up so she is in trim for her cruise.





Our friends are taking her to the Droitwich ring and we will be meeting her on the Birmingham and Worcester Canal in a little under two weeks time. However, the first part of the cruise did not go as planned:



Here we see SONFLOWER moored at Bridge 161 and our friend is returning to the boat after walking back along the canal and checking the mooring, the car park and finally his car for that essential of the 21st century boater- his mobile phone. Fortunately it was not lost or overboard but it had been stowed int eh glove compartment of the car instead of his sat-nav.

Now fully equipped with electrickery he can sleep easy and enjoy the rest of the cruise! Hopefully they still have time to make Cropredy tonight.

Back in the swing of it.

Yes I reversed the three hundred and twenty yards to Sovereign Wharf.

There I took on 101 litres of Diesel @85p plus tax and 13kg of Calor Propane. Thus, including a donation of over £20 to the HMRC (which is about as much as Vodaphone have today if the press is to be believed)I passed £127.37 over the counter.

The chat was long and good. We put the world to rights before the skipper of NB Genie came in to rub a new lamp and get 5 litres of BLOO!

On the way back I stopped to chat to NB No Problem face to face rather than through a blog or twitter! They were worried because there had been talk of diesel bug from Sovereign Diesel. I went back and asked Ray straight out. He confirmed that they have NEVER had diesel bug because of his high turnover and new plastic tank. He did say that the jury is out in the effect of the 7% biofuel that has been added to the diesel this year on the orders if the EC.

Then back to the mooring. 1/3 mile and 0 locks in 1.5hours

Marlow Lock and a day out.

Today we were in Marlow and here is a photo of the town from Marlow Lock.

But today we were not here for boating reasons. There was no boating. As you can see in the picture the yellow boards are out with "Caution Stream Increasing" being displayed on the lock gate.

We had lunch with friends. My friend Gerry I met on my first day of school in April 1954. We chose to meet at The Hand And Flowers. All it is reputed to be. Great food, good wine, interesting ales (served with pudding), great company and good ambiance. We were first in and last out for the first lunch sitting (12.15 to 2.15 but we didn't leave until after 2.30!) We then went for a walk by the river.

The sun shone this afternoon and we had a really good day.

We chose the Hand and Flowers at Marlow not only for its great reputation but also because it is reasonably close to our friends home and I thought that, had we been on the BCF Easter cruise to Windsor, SONFLOWER would have been very close by. In the event, the cruise was cancelled long ago for the reason noted in the second paragraph! We went by car.