From owner-canals@blacksheep.org Thu Apr 3 15:45:01 1997 id AA08983; Thu, 3 Apr 97 15:44:50 EST id aa0515138; 3 Apr 97 20:55 BST Date: Thu, 3 Apr 1997 20:38:06 +0100 To: canals@blacksheep.org From: Guy Morgan Subject: Been boating Hi all Just a note about my short trip over Easter. I decided to go and recce the route to Napton on The Hill from WFB and then carry on as far as possible down the S Oxford before turning for home. Having arrived later than intended at WFB I ended up working up Stockton in increasing gloom on Thursday evening and arrived at the top in the dark so packed it in there for the night. On Good Friday morning the first crisis arose when I realised that I'd forgotten to buy Hot Cross Buns before leaving home. I'm a bit of a trditionalist and do like to have them for breakfast on Good Friday but get very cross(!) these days when they're sold all the year round. However set off for Napton in fine style on a sunny morning. I had the first of several encounters of the "Hi see you on Friday" type just before Napton when Joe Jones identified tentatively at 50 yards by the hat!) passed heading away from Napton. Did a recce in Napton re Hot Cross Buns (failure) and Easter morning Church service (success) and then worked up the flight and headed for Fenny Compton. Just made it through Marston Doles before the padlocks went on at 1730 with the lock keeper warning me that the lock was rather narrow. I was to remember this on the way back! On Saturday morning continued to Fenny Compton where in the course of another "See you Saturday" encounter with Mike and Krystyna and nb "Unspellable" I missed the winding hole and arrived at the marina to be confronted by "No turning here" signs. I asked the man in the marina office very nicely,much to his surprise, if he'd make an exception for me and set off back. The aim was to be back in Napton in the evening to recce the Crown again and then return to WFB after Church on Sunday. Third "See you Saturday" encounter with Peter and Gill in nb Midnight Diamond! Uneventful trip back to Napton except for helping to get nb Archimedes into Marston Doles top lock (See other thread). All the effort put into that was made worth while by the compliments her steerer paid to Thorn now she's sign written. He had known her in her pre rebuild days apparently. Overnight at Napton. Church on Easter Sunday morning in glorious sunshine then a change of plan. I had intended to bring Thorn back to Napton for the MIDI-GIG but decided to leave her there and retrieve the car rather than do the 5 hour trip to WFB twice. Overall a great spring trip. It was a real pleasure to get onto the S Oxford and enjoy narrow locks and proper paddle gear after flogging up Stockton yet again. BTW recce of the Crown most satisfactory. There was a live duo playing, the wife of one of the partners is Welsh and knew about the broadcasting scene down here and the beer was good. Lots of Ownerships boats out from Blue Lias including Sonata (but not with Martin and Sarah). All fairly well behaved :-) except for the one who saw me coming and still let his mooring ropes off and let the boat drift out to hit me as I passed. One passing comment. There seem to be an awful lot of people who leave the windlass on the paddle gear and walk away. Is it just me that thinks it's criminally dangerous, especially on ordinary open rack type paddle gear where if the ratchet slips the paddle simply crashes down? Cheers Guy -- Guy Morgan nb Thorn, Stockton GU Three Men in a Boat is a novel form of overcrowding