Thursday, July 16, 2009
Sunday, July 12, 2009
Week 8
Total mileage 337, locks 251, Engine hours 229, actual travelling time 190 hours.
16:50 12/07/2009 5.16 miless 7 locks
Home sweet home! Well Crick Marina anyway. Unusually Watford flight didn't really have a queue, so we only had to wait for a couple coming down before we were in the flight and up, up and away. No one in the tunnel, and before we knew where we were we sailed in to our home mooring. If the rain holds off its the 'last' holiday BBQ tonight and then sort ourselves out for going home tomorrow.
16:28 11/07/2009 4.22 miles 6 locks
Took Bella shopping early this morning and came back with a paper and freshly baked croissants for breakfast - dog waking up early has some advantages! Set off before 9 to join the queue for Braunston lock flight, the first double locks we have seen for weeks. Plenty of traffic so we had a fast run through, the forecast was poor, and we had a little drizzle but nothing serious, through the tunnel in 20 minutes, the BW 'average' time, I don't know how you can do it faster if there is any traffic coming the other way. Reached the junction and turned on to home water for the first time in 8 weeks - moored up before the heavy rain and settled in for the day, getting our strenght up for the home run up Watford flight tomorrow.
16:48 10/07/2009
A rest day, walked Bella, shopped, food and Chandlery. Found the blue paint at last which matches the original Enigma colour, so I will be able to do some touching up at last when we get back to base. We are moving off tomorrow as the angle is deemed walkable on (just).
16:48 10/07/2009
Decided to move on today - single handed! The sitting around is partially because the crew injured their ankle on the rotten Oxford canal towpath and has taken to its bed!
Anyway plenty of people boat single handed - just not me. Luckily no wind or rain, so the 3 locks at Hillmorton should be a doddle. Plenty of boats coming the other way, so didn't have to empty a single lock, just fill VERY gently, as the boat was washing around all by itself.
All went well and so we cruised on to Braunston. Found a good mooring despite it being quite busy, we craftily arrived after lunch, so those only stopping for a lunch break were moving off.
16:48 8/07/2009
Another day of rest!
13:38 07/07/2009 day of rest.
Sat around reading and avoiding the torrential rain, as I write this we are having a load thunderstorm, Bella is not impressed, it keeps waking her up!
13:33 06/07/2009 10.6 miles 0 locks
Gentle cruise from Ansty through the North Oxford canal, mainly wide and straight, with large bridges. The only busy bit being around Rose Narrowboats at Stretton. Always busy there as it is a working boatyard, hire boat centre and shop. Saw Mick and Crystal ex lock keeps from Foxton, Crystal works part time turning round the hire fleet, they seemed in good spirits.
Moored up at our usual spot by the Rugby golf club, this year you can watch the golf as the hedge has been trimmed and laid.
17:47 05/07/2009 11.3 miles 1 lock (stop)
So off on the final homeward run, down through Nuneaton, saying goodbye to Chris and Helen as they turned up the Ashby and continued on around Bedworth to Hawkesbury Junction, took on water and hairpinned around to go through the stop lock and on to the Oxford Canal. Arrived at Ansty expecting it to be full, BW in their wisdom made some of the mooring permanent permit only some years ago, and there never were many! However we were in luck and the last mooring was free - even better the hire boat behind had been to the pub for lunch and soon moved off, so we backed down to get away from the bridge.
16:50 12/07/2009 5.16 miless 7 locks
Home sweet home! Well Crick Marina anyway. Unusually Watford flight didn't really have a queue, so we only had to wait for a couple coming down before we were in the flight and up, up and away. No one in the tunnel, and before we knew where we were we sailed in to our home mooring. If the rain holds off its the 'last' holiday BBQ tonight and then sort ourselves out for going home tomorrow.
16:28 11/07/2009 4.22 miles 6 locks
Took Bella shopping early this morning and came back with a paper and freshly baked croissants for breakfast - dog waking up early has some advantages! Set off before 9 to join the queue for Braunston lock flight, the first double locks we have seen for weeks. Plenty of traffic so we had a fast run through, the forecast was poor, and we had a little drizzle but nothing serious, through the tunnel in 20 minutes, the BW 'average' time, I don't know how you can do it faster if there is any traffic coming the other way. Reached the junction and turned on to home water for the first time in 8 weeks - moored up before the heavy rain and settled in for the day, getting our strenght up for the home run up Watford flight tomorrow.
16:48 10/07/2009
A rest day, walked Bella, shopped, food and Chandlery. Found the blue paint at last which matches the original Enigma colour, so I will be able to do some touching up at last when we get back to base. We are moving off tomorrow as the angle is deemed walkable on (just).
16:48 10/07/2009
Decided to move on today - single handed! The sitting around is partially because the crew injured their ankle on the rotten Oxford canal towpath and has taken to its bed!
Anyway plenty of people boat single handed - just not me. Luckily no wind or rain, so the 3 locks at Hillmorton should be a doddle. Plenty of boats coming the other way, so didn't have to empty a single lock, just fill VERY gently, as the boat was washing around all by itself.
All went well and so we cruised on to Braunston. Found a good mooring despite it being quite busy, we craftily arrived after lunch, so those only stopping for a lunch break were moving off.
16:48 8/07/2009
Another day of rest!
13:38 07/07/2009 day of rest.
Sat around reading and avoiding the torrential rain, as I write this we are having a load thunderstorm, Bella is not impressed, it keeps waking her up!
13:33 06/07/2009 10.6 miles 0 locks
Gentle cruise from Ansty through the North Oxford canal, mainly wide and straight, with large bridges. The only busy bit being around Rose Narrowboats at Stretton. Always busy there as it is a working boatyard, hire boat centre and shop. Saw Mick and Crystal ex lock keeps from Foxton, Crystal works part time turning round the hire fleet, they seemed in good spirits.
Moored up at our usual spot by the Rugby golf club, this year you can watch the golf as the hedge has been trimmed and laid.
17:47 05/07/2009 11.3 miles 1 lock (stop)
So off on the final homeward run, down through Nuneaton, saying goodbye to Chris and Helen as they turned up the Ashby and continued on around Bedworth to Hawkesbury Junction, took on water and hairpinned around to go through the stop lock and on to the Oxford Canal. Arrived at Ansty expecting it to be full, BW in their wisdom made some of the mooring permanent permit only some years ago, and there never were many! However we were in luck and the last mooring was free - even better the hire boat behind had been to the pub for lunch and soon moved off, so we backed down to get away from the bridge.
Saturday, July 04, 2009
Week 7 297 miles 234 locks
14:15 04/07/2009 2.08 miles 0 locks
Very late start today as we are only going round the corner to the Anchor Pub for a farewell meal tonight. We have been travelling together since 17th May. Whistler continues tomorrow up the Ashby Canal, as we continue on down the Coventry to Hawkesbury Junction and the Oxford Canal. Bella is much improved today, but doen't think much of her 'pasta' diet. Hopefully we can put her back on normal food in a day or two. Should be home in under a week from here.
17:47 03/07/2009 4.14 miles 11 locks 1 vet visit!
Well what a day. Started at 6.50, to beat the rush to the Atherstone lock flight, shouldn't have bothered, no other traffic. Part way up we discovered why, the heavens opened and did we get wet, not much shelter in the middle of the flight. The crew have added a proper waterproof to her Birthday present list. The current one left her as a prize entry in a 'wet t shirt' contest! Not a happy bunny. We cleared the locks and stopped off to take Bella to the vet, dodgy tummy, very dodgy. So £50 lighter in pocket we were soon on the way, starve her for a day, antibiotics for a week, and Kaolin. Hope it works. The sun is out now and Murray is trying to lose the tennis! Lost!
20:48 02/07/2009 11.4 miles 2 locks
Early start (7am) in an attempt to avoid the threatened heat. Many other boaters had the same idea so it was not quiet and peaceful like it can be sometimes early in the morning. Interesting canal, one end is the Coventry, whilst the middle section today is the Birmingham and Fazeley - all in the building history, this bit has named rather than number bridges. The teo locks at Glascote were no problem - it is here that the canal winds across the middle of Tamworth in a big northerley loop, coming out the other side to turn south again through Polesworth, where we are now, within easy reach of the Atherton lock flight tomorrow.
20:19 01/07/2009 9.55 miles 3 locks
A VERY hot day today -mad dogs and boaters go out in the midday sun! Made good progress despite the slightly bent rudder. Quite calm through Fradley Junction, sometimes this can be very busy, but today there were even spaces at the water point. Eventually saw Chris walking back towards us, they had run imoveably aground whilst trying to moor, and their engine would not re-start! We towed them off and both moored up safely, and waited for RCR again, they know Chris's boat quite well by now. Water in the diesel apparently disturbed when they ran aground. Soon cured. Listened to Murray win, and Laura lose.
17:10 30/06/2009 10.8 miles 2 locks.
Had a sitting around day, obligatory for Tixall Wide, walked Bella, watched tennis etc.
Today we started on the familiar homewood treck along the Trent Valley. Shopped at Rugeley and found moorings outside Kings Bromley.
Not quite the end of the story however, as we were sitting peacefully relaxing when a large shout came from Chris behind us as a boat scraped his side, the next thing we knew was a huge bang and we were rammed. Looks like a small dent and a bent rudder, non fatal. We shouted at the boat to stop, which thet reluctantly did, and took the hire boat company's number. The boat cleared off quickly.
This could run and run.....
20:11 28/06/2009 5.83 miles 2 locks
Late start as we didn't have far to go, only two locks and a long windy, wooded bend around Stafford. Saw the home of RCR (canal AA). We also saw a pair of Cormorants and a Reed Bunting, so the wildlife count improved. Tixall is still without much wild life having not yet recovered from a mink invasion a few years ago. Some large function going on at Shugborough, we can hear the 'music', so we may stay put tomorrow to lets the crowds get through the first few locks away from us.
Very late start today as we are only going round the corner to the Anchor Pub for a farewell meal tonight. We have been travelling together since 17th May. Whistler continues tomorrow up the Ashby Canal, as we continue on down the Coventry to Hawkesbury Junction and the Oxford Canal. Bella is much improved today, but doen't think much of her 'pasta' diet. Hopefully we can put her back on normal food in a day or two. Should be home in under a week from here.
17:47 03/07/2009 4.14 miles 11 locks 1 vet visit!
Well what a day. Started at 6.50, to beat the rush to the Atherstone lock flight, shouldn't have bothered, no other traffic. Part way up we discovered why, the heavens opened and did we get wet, not much shelter in the middle of the flight. The crew have added a proper waterproof to her Birthday present list. The current one left her as a prize entry in a 'wet t shirt' contest! Not a happy bunny. We cleared the locks and stopped off to take Bella to the vet, dodgy tummy, very dodgy. So £50 lighter in pocket we were soon on the way, starve her for a day, antibiotics for a week, and Kaolin. Hope it works. The sun is out now and Murray is trying to lose the tennis! Lost!
20:48 02/07/2009 11.4 miles 2 locks
Early start (7am) in an attempt to avoid the threatened heat. Many other boaters had the same idea so it was not quiet and peaceful like it can be sometimes early in the morning. Interesting canal, one end is the Coventry, whilst the middle section today is the Birmingham and Fazeley - all in the building history, this bit has named rather than number bridges. The teo locks at Glascote were no problem - it is here that the canal winds across the middle of Tamworth in a big northerley loop, coming out the other side to turn south again through Polesworth, where we are now, within easy reach of the Atherton lock flight tomorrow.
 |
| From 2009 Cruise |
20:19 01/07/2009 9.55 miles 3 locks
 |
| From 2009 Cruise |
A VERY hot day today -mad dogs and boaters go out in the midday sun! Made good progress despite the slightly bent rudder. Quite calm through Fradley Junction, sometimes this can be very busy, but today there were even spaces at the water point. Eventually saw Chris walking back towards us, they had run imoveably aground whilst trying to moor, and their engine would not re-start! We towed them off and both moored up safely, and waited for RCR again, they know Chris's boat quite well by now. Water in the diesel apparently disturbed when they ran aground. Soon cured. Listened to Murray win, and Laura lose.
17:10 30/06/2009 10.8 miles 2 locks.
 |
| From 2009 Cruise |
Had a sitting around day, obligatory for Tixall Wide, walked Bella, watched tennis etc.
Today we started on the familiar homewood treck along the Trent Valley. Shopped at Rugeley and found moorings outside Kings Bromley.
Not quite the end of the story however, as we were sitting peacefully relaxing when a large shout came from Chris behind us as a boat scraped his side, the next thing we knew was a huge bang and we were rammed. Looks like a small dent and a bent rudder, non fatal. We shouted at the boat to stop, which thet reluctantly did, and took the hire boat company's number. The boat cleared off quickly.
This could run and run.....
 |
| From 2009 Cruise |
20:11 28/06/2009 5.83 miles 2 locks
Late start as we didn't have far to go, only two locks and a long windy, wooded bend around Stafford. Saw the home of RCR (canal AA). We also saw a pair of Cormorants and a Reed Bunting, so the wildlife count improved. Tixall is still without much wild life having not yet recovered from a mink invasion a few years ago. Some large function going on at Shugborough, we can hear the 'music', so we may stay put tomorrow to lets the crowds get through the first few locks away from us.
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