Date: Mon, 24 Jul 2000 22:03:48 +0100 From: Michael Cobb Reply-To: Canals To: Canals Subject: XP A weekend's boating (long) [ The following text is in the "Windows-1252" character set. ] [ Your display is set for the "US-ASCII" character set. ] [ Some characters may be displayed incorrectly. ] Jacquie had a judging appointment at Peterborough on Thursday so we decided to break our trip back to Somerset with a few days on the boat. We arrived at the marina after 7 and quickly loaded our few things and the dogs on board. Jacquie had decided we should go south so at just after 8 we turned right onto the canal and were on our way. We had stopped at a Supermarket and there was a ready meal in the oven. By the time it was cooked I had reached Fenny Compton "tunnel" and steered though by the seat of my pants whilst I ate my spag bol. It was a pleasant time to be boating but everyone else seemed to be moored up. As we passed the reservoir I noticed that work was going on, pipes were laid on the bank suggesting they had been pumping (or siphoning) water into the canal. We stopped for the night just short of the feeder bridge and got ready to feed the dogs. I turned the engine off and immediately the lights died so I started her up again whilst I found some candles - I would have to investigate in the morning. It turned out that battery isolation switch was turned off - I usually only turn off the domestics at the consumer unit. The battery was quite flat and we should have been charging it whilst cruising! By the time we moved off in the morning there were already boats going both ways. We arrived at the top lock to find "Mr Badger" just about to go down, they had moored for the night above the lock and had only set off just before we arrived! Her crew were wearing headsets so that she, lockwheeling with their dogs, could talk to him steering. We waved them goodbye and they said see you later. We crossed over a few boats in the flight but not one at every lock. At the bottom we saw a man walking back to the road with a tool box, he had just restored forward gear for a hire boat at the bottom of the locks. We stopped for lunch in Cropredy and whilst Jacquie had a rest from the sun I cleaned off the port side deck which was badly flaking. We had "Touch and Tell" Professionally painted only a short time ago and already they had had to repaint the roof I had given up and was now going to do this bit myself. There was a lot to clear and when I came to put some primer on to protect the steel I ran out before finishing the job. Whilst I was doing this another hire boat was having its engine worked on in front of us. We set off again and moved down to the water point to fill up a few bottles - it is fresher that way and saves problems if we did have a battery failure! When we reached Banbury we stopped next to the park, there are no boats moored here anymore, and I walked over the foot bridge to Halfords to get some more primer. Having quickly covered the rest of the bare steel we set off again going straight through town. There were no boats moored anywhere except at Sovereign Wharf. It still says diesel 30p/ltr and pump out £12 but no indication of if they are still trading since the hire fleet is no longer there. Just past there is Tom Rolt bridge and the new shopping centre, it still looks quite fresh but the bridge has attracted graffiti already. The old dry dock was barriered off and looks like it was being rebuilt. Above the lock the water point has been restored but there was a BW AWARE sign on it. Down through the lock again no boats but then outside the old burnt down paint factory there was just one. Further on just before the winding hole there are more boats on the "tramway" long term mooring which have a mooring warden. As we were leaving Banbury I put a pie in the oven and told Jacquie to put the vegetables on to boil after she had listened to the Archers. Between the two lift bridges on the straight we at last caught up with Mr Badger moored up for the night. Our meal was almost ready to eat as we approached Grants lock but as it was set in our favour we turned the oven down and tied up after the lock to eat. A quick second coat of primer and we set off again enjoying what as the best time of the day - it had been too hot earlier. Above Kings Sutton there were a few more boats moored but the cottage looked deserted. We went down and carried on towards Nell Bridge. Turning just before the lock we headed back round the corner to the mooring rings though I used a pin for the stern as I could not find the ring amongst the grass. Pacing it out in the morning I found it a little further back than I had anticipated. Saturday morning the weather started grey and I set off early getting to the bottom of Grants Lock before Jacquie got up. Kings Sutton lock was set against me and it took almost exactly 20 minutes from tying up at the bottom to leaving, gates and paddles closed and working single handed. We stopped for breakfast for us and the dogs and when we were almost ready to carry on two boats came up to use the lock - we should have stopped at the top rather than the bottom! In Banbury another boat was tying up by the old paint factory - A convenient place for the station - and above the lock there were several boats moored. It was quite loud as there was an "entertainment" going on. We did not stop but pressed on eventually stopping just past Slat Mill lock. Jacquie was feeling cold and wanted something to eat, I was on the cool side of comfortable there was very little sun just the odd glimpse. We stayed for a while leaving late afternoon still with no sunshine. At Cropredy there was still plenty of space with little sign that anyone was arriving for the festival. At Broadmoor lock Jacquie bought some herbs to take home and complained that I was not walking the dogs between the locks. She made up for it in the Claydon flight walking one of them whilst she was lock wheeling. Going up hill it is easier to close up the lock behind the boat so I send Jacquie on to set the locks and used the centre rope and bollards to stop the boat whilst I closed the gate. This was not necessary at the penultimate lock as there was a boat coming down. Jacquie went below to get changed whilst I finished the journey back to Fenny Compton where we tied up on the 14 day moorings and walked to the pub hoping to get a meal. It was only just after 8 but they told us they were not serving any more food so we walked back to the car and drove into Southam. We decided on a take away so Jacquie did not have to drink and drive - there was enough left over to make a nice breakfast. Sunday was our Wedding anniversary and after exchanging cards and gifts we set off in the car to church in Southam. Afterwards we drove to Braunston to see Judy's exhibition in the stop house. It was very different with some paintings having only a loose connection with canals. There was even one of cooling towers - from the Soar navigation perhaps? Moored in the marina entrance there was a restaurant boat so we called in for a coffee and cake before driving back. When we arrived I walked up the slope to see Felis Catus II at the pump out point so I introduced myself to Mike and had a quick chat. I was able to advise him on where to find a map showing the mooring scheme at Cropredy and to assure him that there had been space the previous afternoon. Unfortunately it was then pack up the boat take her back into the marina and the long drive home to Somerset. Michael Cobb nb Touch and Tell http://www.buhund.clara.net/canal ---