From owner-canals@troy.blacksheep.org Mon May 3 18:16:38 1999 Date: Thu, 19 Feb 1998 11:54:19 GMT From: owner-canals@troy.blacksheep.org ) by troy.blacksheep.org (8.6.12/8.6.12) with ESMTP id XAA28989 for ; Tue, 17 Feb 1998 23:05:29 GMT Received: from UPIMSSMTPUSR04 - 207.68.143.160 by email.msn.com with Micros= oft SMTPSVC; =09 Tue, 17 Feb 1998 15:04:33 -0800 Received: from default - 193.149.80.138 by email.msn.com with Microsoft SMT= PSVC; =09 Tue, 17 Feb 1998 15:04:30 -0800 From: "Peter Waite" To: "canalnews" Subject: TRIP REPORT (Part 3) Long Date: Tue, 17 Feb 1998 22:12:29 -0000 X-Priority: 3 X-MSMail-Priority: Normal X-Mailer: Microsoft Outlook Express 4.71.1712.3 X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V4.71.1712.3 Message-ID: <0c9c93004231128UPIMSSMTPUSR04@email.msn.com> Sender: owner-canals@blacksheep.org Precedence: bulk Reply-To: canals@blacksheep.org DAY 3 & 4 OF TRIP REPORT - THE FIRST (PROPER) VOYAGE OF JAMYJOSIPIPE (THE NEW ONE) Crew: Admiral Pippa Skipper Peter Able Seaman James - the Younger (when not asleep) Crew Amy - (when no parties at home) Muscle Power James - the Elder (cheered on by Sarah, when there is no work in the pub) Visitors Grandparents who can find a pub, but not a boat; Friend= s with CAR to find pub serving food! Dates: December 28th 1997 to 9 February 1998 (Long pause January 4th to February 8th ) Port of Embarkation: Stenson, Derbyshire Route: Trent & Mersey Canal to Fradley Junction; Coventry Canal to Hawkesbury Junction; Oxford Canal and River Thames. Day 3 Tuesday 30 December 1997 Yes this is the day we head for Nuneaton, but we did not realise that Nuneaton was heading for us. I woke up before first light as usual and thought I would plan ahead by setting all the locks (the remaining five at Atherstone) before I started the engine and woke everyone else up. So I walked up emptying the locks an= d opening the lower lock gates. When I arrived back at our boat I realised that we could not move anywhere because we were hard aground. The mooring lines were taut and the boat beginning to list at an alarming angle. Not wanting to empty the whole top pound of the Coventry into a field somewhere I thought that I had better check that no vandals had been at work on the lower locks and maybe all the paddles had been drawn there. At lock number 6 I found the working boat =93Nuneaton=94 just entering the lock and about = to empty more water out of the pound. I managed to warn them of the state of the pounds above and then went with James the elder to draw all the paddles in the flight to bring the water levels back to normal. After about twenty minutes the pound was within about a foot of normal levels so I thought it was safe to proceed. We ran aground again by the outlet of the bye-wash on lock five just before the lower gates. A bit of a push saw us through and we moved on up the flight. Closely pursued by Nuneaton. They only had two on board, compared with our six but they still came up faster than us. (Well there were three of us working the boat, one cooking breakfast and tw= o asleep!) We stopped at the top of the flight to refill the water tank and empty the rubbish. Nuneaton passed us, also bound for Reading but was going to load coal at Hawkesbury for delivery on the South Oxford. Nuneaton is based at Blakes Lock Museum in Reading, about a mile from our home mooring another coincidence. By 09:30 we were on our way again. I have not recorded much about the rest of the morning but I think that it was quite windy at times and a bit on th= e chilly side. I certainly did not see much of the crew on deck, but I was supplied with hot coffee and bacon sandwiches. By 11:45 we were looking for the best place to drop off three of the crew who were keen to get back to Reading for parties (of the New Year kind) and / or work. (James and Sarah have been working in TGI Fridays in Melbourne and Reading). By Bridge 20 we came across the Hargreaves Trust boat and one of those really kind gentlemen who seem so common on the cut but so rare elsewhere. He was doing some maintenance on the Trust boat, he does not have a boat of his own but loves messing about with boats (is that why we all do it?). He was just going in to Town to buy a widget or two and would gladly show the youngsters the way to the railway station in Nuneaton. The rest of us move= d on, thus having passed Nuneaton twice in one day. At 12:30 we passed the junction with the Ashby, all looked very quiet but i= t was busier at Hawkesbury which we reached at 13:15. We must have passed Nuneaton here as we waited our turn to pass through the stop lock into the North Oxford. The whole junction area looked very smart and there were plenty of people around and activity of the fitting out variety. One bare shell had just arrived ahead of us, obviously having been towed from the builders by a friend. The Old Dutch diesel stove then decided to play up. I do not know whether = a freak gust of wind blew it out but the cabin filled with smoke. So we pulle= d into a convenient empty mooring spot at the end of the permanent moorings o= n the left and checked it over. Re-lit the stove, re-started the engine and all seemed well. Quick lunch (James the younger decided to get up out of his bunk) and we started southwards again. James took courage and tried some steering again at 15:00, just after we passed Ansty =96 Jeff where was your lovely Coronation, we looked in vain but could not see her. Were you still on the Grand Union south of Braunston? The Motorway certainly spoils the peace and quiet of this area and we wanted to get beyond the noise if possible before stopping for the night. We went as far as Brinklow and stopped by Bridge 34. It is quite a walk into the village but there is a good selection of pubs. We chose the Raven and were not disappointed despite the wet and windy weather. We were glad we had not gone on to the embankment and moored there, it must have been very exposed. After the walk back we slept very well. We will attempt to reach Napton tomorrow; it seems a long way but, of cours= e there is a shortage of locks on this part of the canal system. Day 4 Wednesday 31 December 1997 NEW YEAR=92S EVE Woke up a bit later and left at 08:00 in full light. Spotted the Watson=92= s Tam Lin by Bridge 48, but no sign of any occupants! Stopped to shop in Rugby at 09:45. Pip went shopping whilst I tried to puzzle out the electrical faults. The radio failed, not to come on again and the rest of the 12 volt system had intermittent faults. I could not work out what was going on. The volt meter said 12 volts everywhere, fine but obviously the system could not pass current. (It has been solved now, we hope. The boat builder travelled from Derby to Oxford to investigate an= d eventually traced the fault to faulty contacts on the master switch =96 muttered something about the new ones not having decent contacts and replaced it with an older design, no more problems =96 yet. Except we stil= l have not made the radio work =96 sent back twice to Sony, nor the special 1= 2 volt TV, although that does work on 230 volts it does of course need the engine running to power the generator, sorry neighbours we will not make a habit of it!). The rest of the day=92s log seems to be a catalogue of minor faults but we = do believe we have the basics of the boat layout right! By 10:45 Pip had found all the supplies for our immediate needs and we coul= d restart in some reasonable weather. We arrived at Hillmorton at 11:25 and despite being totally confused by having a choice of locks we were through the top lock by midday, without falling in. We ate lunch on the move, soup, bread and cheese. Rounded Braunston turn a= t 14:00. We were surprised just how many boats were still there, having last visited for the 1997 Braunston Show. By 16:00 we were approaching Napton bottom lock and looking for somewhere t= o moor, but apparently everyone else wanted to be there for New Year=92s Eve. We had booked a table at The Folly and arranged to meet my first parents-in-law there. However there were no spaces except on the bend or a= t all those nice places with BW bollards where you are not supposed to stop for longer than necessary to fill the water tank, empty the porta potti or = a lock! (Or go shopping?) So, as usual, we decided to do a few locks before it was totally dark. We ended up moored below lock 14, just below the Engine Arm. Did not see Mike, but then I would not recognise him =96 only = the unpronounceable boat name. Meanwhile the first in-laws were roaming around below the bottom lock disturbing all the peaceful boaters. I think that they walked half-way to Napton Junction before remembering that we said we might go UP through the locks. (First father-in-law was in the Navy which believed that most water was horizontal, or nearly so). They phoned us fro= m the pub where they had net someone who recognised the boat name and knew we were above them. What a great evening in the Folly. Good food and beer, cheerfully served and friendly company. Yet again we met someone local to Reading, from Pangbourne (or Goring) who keeps a boat at Napton. We eventually went back to the boat, taking the in-laws by a circuitous route in the car, to the nearest road-bridge. It was a grand clear and frosty night, plenty of stars away from the city lights. Our lights just about held out over drinks and coffee, but we did collapse before midnight. Consequently we were up bright and early to greet New Year=92s Day=85=85=85= =2E. Peter Waite At home: At work: toptrees@email.msn.com waitp@entecuk.co.uk Caversham & Entec UK NB Jamyjosipipe Safety & Environment Those who make a big splash have probably gone overboard