On Schedule !

3 July 2011

Our boat has been largely deserted since we returned from our epic trip in April/May 2011. The toilet tank needed emptying when we returned from the trip but the boatyard's system was out of action. Consequently, R started the boat up on one of his subsequent weekly visits to the boatyard, did what had to be done and then returned the boat to its mooring. The opportunity was also taken to check on the water level in the cabin bilge and to mop out the small amount that was found.

We both paid a subsequent visit to the boat to give it a good clean in preparation for a number of short trips that we planned to do with friends and family during the ensuing summer months.

There was yet another brief visit for R to collect his boating bag for he had recently volunteered to assist in moving the local playboat when required and he needed some of his damp weather gear as emergency back-up for this.

And so it came round to Sunday 3 July and the first of the planned part day shorty trips that we'd arranged for an old work colleague - old in the sense that R had known them for around thirty years!

We arrived at the boat just before 10am and almost immediately partook of tea and coffee with some colleagues as we discussed with them their plans for the following weekend when we were to help them move their boat in readiness for their upcoming summer holiday.

With that element of the socialising over and the relevant plans made and agreed, R was involved in some discussions with M about several things around the boatyard. He then cleared the well deck ready for our visitors who might want to sit at the front of the boat as we cruised along. R also checked the engine and noticed that the throttle control fixing had come loose so he spent a short while re-securing that.

Meanwhile, H was organising the catering, finishing off the preparations that had been started at home.

Our visitors arrived more or less on time and with pleasantries exchanged, we started the engine and reversed off our mooring into the main channel. Turning was a little complicated as there were several boats moored in unusual and awkward positions but we eventually managed it and were soon on our way north.

We had planned to move to the north side of the local railway and swing bridges before tying up for lunch. However, as the swing bridge came into view we found it open, with someone waiting on it. This person was the sole crew member off a boat that had passed the boatyard a few minutes before we departed. They had travelled through the previous lock with another boat and were expecting that boat to join them at the next lock. That other boat never appeared and the bridge was just about to be closed when we appeared so we were allowed to pass through it.

As a result we decided that we'd drop down through the first lock with the other boat and then stop for lunch. Our guests were not canal virgins so they were ready with windlasses as we arrived at the lock. We did most of the lock work allowing the crew off the other boat to go forward to what would (eventually) be our second lock. We allowed the other boat to exit the lock first and bade them farewell. R and one of our guests moved the boat a few hundred yards away from the lock where they moored for lunch.

H and the other guest stayed at the lock for a while to assist a further boat that moors at the boatyard and was waiting to work through the lock having been moored below it overnight.

We were moored for lunch for 1½ hours during which time a few boats went past, mostly heading south. A number of people also walked past on the towpath.

We eventually cast off almost on the stroke of 3pm and continued north. The consensus was that we would carry on to Slapton, wind and then return to the boatyard. The alternative turning facility, just below the lock we were about to pass through, would have seen us back at the boatyard in less than an hour after restarting.

We were joined in the lock by a hire boat, the crew of which were novices on the second and for them, final day of their hire. We stayed with them through the next five locks sharing the work between the two crews and where we could, offering them advice on boating in general and working locks, advice that they appreciated as they had already decided that they'd be going boating again at some time in the future.

We encountered several boats heading south, usually either in locks when we arrived or waiting/arriving below them whilst we worked through the lock. It was amazing how many of these boats were travelling in isolation, frequently arriving below a lock as another boat heading in the same direction was vacating the lock. There didn't seem to be any attempt at lock sharing which not only saves water but makes life easier with extra crew to share the work with.

We eventually arrived at Slapton, bade farewell to the hire boat and turned just as what we thought were two boats heading south vacated the lock, However, by the time we returned to Horton lock, luckily for us there was only one boat behind us and we shared the remaining locks with them. We had decided that as we weren't in a hurry and had four people on board, we'd let the two boats behind us work through the lock first as we'd turned immediately in front of them. With only one boat now following this wasn't necessary.

We encountered a couple of northbound boats in the vicinity of locks but with the late afternoon now giving way to early evening there were fewer boats and people around.

We operated the swing bridge for both boats and with the other boat continuing on for a short while, we followed them, turned into our mooring and a few minutes before 7pm were tying up on our normal berth. We paused for a drink and a brief chat with our guests before then bidding them farewell, loading up the things that were destined to go home, securing the boat and taking our leave of both boat and boatyard.

Our first visitor accompanied trip of the year was over and the boat could rest for another week or two before the next couple of similar trips, on consecutive days necessitating our residence overnight on the boat for the first time since we got back from up north!

8 July 2011

Although not involving our boat, our boat's normal crew did go canal boating on 8 July for we had offered to assist some colleagues position their boat for their summer holiday's cruise. Both H & R were to join them at 8am and assist them with their passage through the numerous locks between the boatyard and Cosgrove in an effort to ensure that they reached Braunston by Sunday evening - their normal (unaided) cruise rate would probably have not even seen them reach Milton Keynes in the three days cruising that they planned for the (long) weekend!

A was also at the boatyard and looking for something to wile away the time so she decided to join us. A goodly crew of five people, with R lock wheeling on the bike for the first 9 locks, after which he would return to the boatyard by bike to enable him to honour a pre-arranged appointment that afternoon. A would be collected by M after a further four locks had been worked through and H would stay on board for two further locks and then return home by bus having deviated to some nearby shops.

Our colleagues are fair weather sailors. We knew that they didn't normally cruise when it was wet. We were to also discover that they don't cruise when it is windy nor when it it too hot. No wonder they never seem to cover too much ground, given the British weather!

You've guessed it, Friday dawned damp and there were several showers during the day, of which a couple could be classed as being heavy. But the gang had been recruited, so cruise our fair weather sailor friends must.

We'd talked about getting up at 6.45am to enable us to be at the boatyard ready for the 8am start. However, R accidentally set the alarm for 6am which was fortunate as even then we only managed to get to the boatyard by 7.55am (although we had answered an urgent email and done a small amount of painting before we left home).

We arrived at the boatyard, collected our gear off our boat (including the bike) and were about to set off when we discovered that there would be a total of six people making the trip, an extra hand having volunteered his services. As a result A nearly opted out but then decided to stick with it to provide moral support for H after R had departed. In addition R decided that he'd turn back two locks earlier as his continued presence at the other two locks wasn't strictly necessary with the five people that would now be on the boat once he left.

We were on our way almost on time. R set off along the towpath, stopped briefly at the swing bridge but when the boat wasn't to be seen, he decided to carry on to the first lock, lift a paddle if needed and then return to the bridge. He did just that, returning to the bridge just as the boat approached.

And so the routine developed. R would cycle ahead and set the lock. As soon as the boat was leaving the lock R would set off again to repeat the process. Meanwhile, the other crew members would actually work the boat through the locks. We met a southbound boat just below our first lock and thought that we were going to meet another below our fourth lock. However, when we went to investigate the activity that we could see at the fifth lock we discovered someone draining the lock on attempt to raise the level in the subsequent pound because their boat was aground and they couldn't move it. They hadn't given too much thought to the difference around 65,000 gallons of water (out of a 70ft long, 14ft wide, 6ft deep lock) would make to a stretch of water almost a mile long, about 4ft deep and about 40ft wide.

We weren't unduly delayed by the lock being drained and were soon on our way again. Various crew members were walking between different pairs of locks. Had we been slightly less handed we'd have been better off if R had set the lock, let the others work the lock and then whilst the others rejoined the boat at the foot of the lock, R could have closed the gates behind them and still had plenty of time to cycle to the next lock and get it ready before the boat arrived.

The boat had recently had a new front fender (button) fitted but it was too low so R perched himself on the beam of the last lock he worked and managed to lift the button by three links. That added about 5 minutes to the time at the lock.

R closed the lock gates behind the boat whilst the rest of the crew jumped back on board. They were not to encounter any further problems or delays for the rest of the day, save that there were occasional heavy downpours.

R returned to the boatyard, pausing en route to help free the boat that had been responsible for draining the lock mentioned above. He also met a further couple of boats, each separated from the rest by a couple of locks, and stopped to chat to them briefly, an excuse for getting his breath back after all the cycling.

Back at the boatyard R scrounged a cup of tea and had a short chat with M. R then took his damp boating clothes and the bike back to the boat. He hung the jacket on the Morse controller and the damp trousers on a hook, both in the engine room. He then returned to his car and changed his shoes before heading to the café for a light snack prior to setting off for his afternoon's appointment.

9 July 2011

We planned to do a couple of errands between leaving home on Saturday morning and rejoining our colleagues at Stoke Bruerne to help them work their boat through the seven locks there. We had just locked the front door of the house when R's phone rang. It was the grease monkey to report a strange noise coming from the back of our boat. He didn't think it sounded like a bilge pump but R was certain that this was the only thing it could be as everything else was turned off.

R asked the grease monkey to investigate further, which he did and reported back that it was the bilge pump, which he'd simply turned off and re-secured our boat.

Suitably pleased that R wouldn't have to make a trip to the boatyard, we set off on our errands and arrived at the foot of the locks at Stoke Bruerne just before the appointed hour of 10am to find that our friends had been there for about fifteen minutes.

A pair of boats were just dropping down through the last two locks and we helped them by opening/shutting gates. Our friends then brought their boat into the lock and we settled into the task of working them through the locks. All of a sudden boats seemed to appear from nowhere and we met one or two at each lock (except the top one). We worked through one lock and noticed the bottom gates on the next lock up were open but that there were two boats above the lock and about to turn the lock in their favour.

R walked up to see what was happening and discovered a further boat that had just turned the next lock up and was about to empty it whereby not only would this third boat join the other two in the same short lock pound but the act of draining the higher lock would cause the pound to overflow which would prevent the top gates of the lock below from opening until all the excess water had flowed over the top of the gates at the top of the lower lock.

Our friends boat was well up in the lowest of the three locks when it was decided to turn the middle of the three locks in order to avoid the overflow and to help speed the waiting boaters on their way. However, instead of trying to do this as fast and efficiently as possible, the usual happened and both the lock filling and the passage of the two waiting boats into and out of the said lock seemed to have been dragged out as much as possible.

Nonetheless, it all eventually sorted itself out and our onward and upward progress resumed. We got to the top of the flight around 11.30am and the plan was for R to steer the boat through the tunnel - our friends only navigate through tunnels under duress (have you started to wonder why they have a canal boat?) - and then we'd walk back across the top of the tunnel and down the lock flight to our car. We'd set off further north trying hard to kill some time before we rejoined our friends at the foot of the Whilton lock flight, some 12 miles (and four hours cruising) further on.

Daughter called shortly before we reached the top of the flight and said that she'd managed to find some tickets for a concert at Wembley and wondered whether her mum would like to go. Mum jumped at the chance so the schedule was hastily re-arranged. Instead of trying to kill time we'd return home so that H could get changed. R would then drop her at daughter's house when he set out again to head for Whilton.

R got to the top of the Buckby locks about 3.40pm and set off, on foot, along the towpath and down the flight to meet up with the boat. He passed several boats travelling in both directions but the nearer he got to the bottom of the flight the greater the chaos seemed to be.

Our friends had hardly seen a boat all day. then as they passed through Weedon several boats appeared in front of them. Far from being at the front of the queue, they ended up at the back. When R arrived at the foot of the flight there were two boats descending on the bottom lock and two more waiting to ascend - there'd also been one ascending boat about to enter the lock above with two boats waiting above that lock to descend.

Our friends were now closing on the bottom of the flight. Of the four boats that were in front of them, two moored up before they reached the lock flight and two carried on to the locks. In the meantime, the two descending boats were vacating the bottom lock and their place was about to be taken (slowly) by the two boats that had been waiting when R arrived. In addition, the boat that R had seen entering the lock above was still sat in the lock apparently waiting for one of the pair of boats now in the bottom lock and with complete disregard to the delays that they were inflicting upon all the boats around them.

R took the initiative and set off for the next lock up and tactfully pointed out to the waiting boater that far from helping he was actually hindering several other boats and wasn't saving any water. Somewhat begrudgingly this sole boat decided to press on upwards. R returned to the bottom of the flight by which time his friends had arrived. We then stood and watched as the two ascending boats vacated the bottom lock, knowing that there were descending boats in the lock ahead. Despite this they closed the top gates of the bottom lock!

There then followed a period of inactivity as far as we could see. Eventually the descending boats appeared and worked through the bottom lock. They were replaced in that lock by the two boats in front of our friends and our friends had been joined by a boat that left the adjacent marina.

It transpired that the single boat that had hung around had then developed gearbox trouble - possibly when attempting to leave the lock (and thus causing the ensuing further delay) - and was last seen moored in the pound above the lock, waiting for an engineer.

Some forty minutes after arriving a the foot of the locks we were able to start the climb. We met a few boats dropping down the flight at the next couple of locks. One of the boats was the local day hire craft that had more passengers on board than is legally allowed and several of the passengers had obviously consumed an excess of alcohol. Things were not helped by the fact that the boat seemed to have lost reverse gear, making working through locks quite interesting.

The flow of downhill boats ceased by the fourth lock and we found ourselves turning the locks behind the pair of ascending boats that were in front of us.

Our friends decided to moor in the pound below the top lock in the flight so once they were safely in the penultimate lock R took his leave, returned to his car and headed for home, where he would have arrived around 7pm had he not decided to detour via the chip shop for his evening meal.

15 July 2011

We both had prior engagements during Friday afternoon so didn't leave home for the boatyard until 7.30pm. We arrived a few minutes before 8pm, unloaded the car, parked it and having unpacked, sat reading with the doors open, taking advantage of the pleasant evening weather.

M & A called round a little while later and we discussed an upcoming (non-canal) adventure that the four of us would be undertaking soon. The discussions continued until the last of the daylight had all but disappeared when our visitors left. We made a bedtime drink and were soon lying in bed.

R couldn't get comfortable and by 1.15am had decided that he'd be better off sitting in the chair and reading for a while. This he did and that seemed to act as a signal to his nose for it wouldn't stop running. Several tissues and ninety minutes later and R went back to bed and was pleased to fall asleep quite quickly.

16 July 2011

We managed to sleep until around 7am on Saturday morning and with visitors due around 9am, decided it was time to get up. R, sleeping nearest to the passageway to the bathroom, went first and within minutes (and after H had vacated the bed) he was back in bed feeling somewhat unwell. Luckily it passed quite quickly - he suffers from abnormally low blood pressure and suspects that was the cause.

Like the rain that had held off on Friday, our visitors duly arrived to find us snug as bugs in a rug with doors and cratch cover all battened down to keep the rain out. We opened up to let them in (quickly closing up again once they were safely on board) and decided that a cup of tea inside the boat might give the rain a chance to pass over. It didn't!

We finally decided that we couldn't sit around all day, donned our waterproofs and having disconnected the electric and untied the mooring ropes we eased very slowly off our mooring. Since our last outing the boatyard had welcomed another boat and this was moored at the end of the jetty opposite where we moor, closing the gap through which we have to pass to get into the main channel. We managed to squeeze out without too much trouble.

The rain which went from not too bad to almost dreadful, on and off for the next few hours didn't dampen our enthusiasm but did seem to keep a lot of other boats safely tied up, leaving us a free run on many of the locks, although we found many of them against us. R took advantage of the rain to gradually wash the boat as he waited in the various locks.

We had planned to cruise to Bulbourne Junction and then navigate the Wendover Arm. However, as we were a little later than we had planned we chose to stay on the main line because the summit's water level was a bit on the low side (despite the rain) and the arm is usually very shallow anyway. We continued on to the local winding hole, turned and then crept back a few hundred yards before we eased into a vacant space between two boats to moor for lunch - one boat of the pair pulling away not long after we arrived but we don't think that we caused this.

A few boats passed us in each direction whilst we ate lunch. We set off again at 3pm, after a two hour break - meals with visitors on the boat tend to be a leisurely affair in direct contrast to the way many people believe that we cruise! We were within sight of the flight of locks within a few minutes and noticed a boat moving towards the first lock.

They saw us and we cruised with them through all nine locks that we used during the afternoon. It became evident within a couple of locks that we were following another boat - it turned out to be two boats. It also soon became apparent that neither boat had more than one person as crew - the one person steering and working the locks. Fortunately one of our guests was up for the challenge so they stayed with us whilst H set off to help the preceeding boats through the locks and thereby speed our progress.

One of the preceeding boats moored up above the last lock of the flight and despite both of our following narrowboats arriving at the top of the last lock in the flight before the other boat had started to drain the lock, they did just that, leaving the pair of us to turn the lock after them so that we could use it even though one of us could have shared the lock with the third boat.

The leading boat then stopped at the nearby water point where we passed them.

The rain had largely held off for the afternoon which made a pleasant change from the morning although after our almost totally dry six week trip earlier in the year we can't complain too loudly if we have a few wet days.

We arrived at our penultimate lock to find it against us and a boat ascending in the lock below. We sat patiently and waited for the boat to work through the locks and as they neared the top of their second R recognised the crew with the result that there was some friendly banter exchanged between the two crews.

This other boat had seen us waiting at the top of the locks and had left the top gates of the lower lock open for us. We duly dropped down through the upper lock and as we opened the bottom gates witnessed two people arrive and start opening the bottom paddles of the lower lock despite the gates at the other end of the lock being open and our two boats heading their way. A few blasts on our horns and the timely arrival of a third person saw the paddles duly closed again until we were safely in the lock with the top gates closed behind us.

By the time we left the lock there was a widebeam boat waiting at the bottom of the lock (the first in the queue and unable to share). There were then three boats behind them, the last of which would have a lengthy wait before they could use the lock.

We returned to the boatyard and whereas we had managed to squeeze through the space in the morning without too many problems, it took some effort to do the reverse in the evening even though nothing had changed (apart from our direction of travel).

A final cup of tea and our guests departed at around 6pm. We had our evening meal and then, once again, entertained M & A for further discussions on our upcoming adventure. And once again the discussions drew to a close as darkness fell, although we had long since closed the doors as the temperature was a lot cooler than on Friday.

R had managed to find some painkillers in the car on Saturday morning and this made things easier for him, so much so that he was asleep quite quickly once we turned in on Saturday evening. Even a couple of nature inflicted interruptions during the night didn't do any harm and it was 7am before we looked at the clock. H then decided that she needed more sleep so it was nearing 9.30am before we finally got up on Sunday morning.

17 July 2011

Sunday's visitors were not due until around lunch time so we had a slightly easier morning. However, the unexplained use of much of R's milk between Friday evening and Sunday morning led R to walk to the local shop (in the dry) to replenish stock - it also meant that we went without the mid-morning cuppa because it was 11.30am by the time he returned and we'd been advised that by that time that our guests were running a bit early.

The weather had been reasonably kind up until this point and once again our visitors brought news of torrents of rain nearer home. As expected the rain decided to fall as our visitors arrived so we sat sipping tea in the hope that it would once again be a passing shower - it wasn't. Nonetheless the rain did eventually ease off and we decided that we'd seize upon the opportunity to set off again.

We managed to squeeze through the gap again with reasonable ease on Sunday morning. We were heading in the opposite direction to Saturday - there are better opportunities to stop for lunch sooner heading north. A boat moored opposite our part of the boatyard made turning a little awkward but some shuffling back and forth and we were soon on our way.

Like the previous week we intended to stop for lunch after passing through one lock but as our first lock hove into view we saw a person at the lock. Eventually it became evident that they were working a boat through and they kindly returned to the top of the lock and lifted a paddle to fill the lock for us.

H had decamped and worked the swing bridge and then walked on down to the lock. Once we were in the chamber she walked on to the next lock to catch up with the other boaters. Our intention to stop below the first lock were thwarted by a fishing competition with the anglers occupying our preferred mooring space. As a result, instead of thanking the other boaters for starting to fill the lock for us and to tell them that we weren't then going any further for the time being, she was able to help them set the lock for themselves and be ready for our arrival.

We worked through the next three locks with the other boat and then pulled over for a delayed lunch, there not really being anywhere suitable to stop beforehand. Even this location is not ideal as it is in a short lock pound and the water level was already lower than it should be. However, carrying on any further would have delayed lunch even more.

R did manage a slight bit of heroics prior tio our last lock before lunch. There was a bit of wind blowing and this caused the lady steerer of the boat in front to lose her rain hat, which blew into the canal. R saw what happened and as the hat managed to stay afloat he was able to slow his boat, retrieve the hat and then return it to the owner whilst we waited for the next lock to fill.

The water level dropped further almost immediately when the boat that we'd been traveling with drew off another lock full of water so that they could fill the next lock. A little later on a further boat, this time heading south, had to fill that lower lock again and drew off another lock full of water from our pound to do so.

Sunday's lunch stop was a little shorter than Saturday's and we were on the way again within seventy five minutes of stopping. Despite some heavy rain whilst we were stopped we managed to dodge any further substantial rain until we were on our way home from the boatyard. It took a while to move away from our temporary stop with much pushing of the boat away from the bank. Eventually we made it without having to drop any water down from the lock behind us.

A further southbound boat appeared below the lower lock before we were able to refill the lock for ourselves - the lock seems to leak like a sieve and had all but emptied again in the relatively short while since the previous boat had filled it. We then worked through the lock and then passed a further boat a short while thereafter. We eventually dropped down through our final outward lock at Horton where the gates had swung open again after the previous use, enabling us to cruise straight in.

We turned at Slapton as we had the previous weekend and made our way back towards the boatyard. We encountered one northbound boat at the bottom Ivinghoe lock and a further northbound boat at the bottom Seabrook lock. Other than that and a boat moored where we had stopped for lunch (who we advised not to stay there the night) we saw no other moving boats on our way back.

We were more successful in squeezing through the gap on Sunday evening than we had been on Saturday evening. We'd had a cup of tea on the move only a short while earlier so after a few minutes chat we bade our visitors farewell and set about both closing the boat up and gathering up a variety of items that we'd need for our upcoming joint adventure with M & A as we wouldn't be at the boat again before that took place.

A few words with M having loaded the car (and as the rain started again) and we were on our way home, where we arrive at around 7.15pm with another successful weekend's boating accomplished.

Introduction | Previous | Top | Next