Nuptials

We have just got back to the boat after leaving it in Wigrams Marina while we attended our nephew Stephen's wedding. On the way we picked up my outlaw in Somerset, she has come back to the boat and I wont be able to get rid of her for a few weeks unless she get's pushed falls into a lock.

The wedding was lovely individually crafted by the couple with some nice original touches, the best man speech had everyone rocking with laughter, the day was a little overcast with sea mist which meant the ceremony had to be switched to inside the venue, but the love glowing from Stephen & Bridget plus the beaming smiles of both sets of parents, family and friends kept the occasion bright and sunny.

Stephen, Bridget, Kyle & Chris.

Sue with the happy couple.

Carol, Betty & Sue.

It was gone midnight by the time we got to bed, (we aren't used to that these days), not because we were jiving on the dance floor all evening, these days a comfy seat and watch the youngsters do their thing is more our style.

Me & the Mrs.

Goodbye friends.

Since the last post life on the canal has continued in the same vane as the previous 6 weeks. That is to say we have had quiet days where I have put more bl##dy paint on the roof (I once said maintenance on a boat was enjoyable) - after two and half coats of primer and one of undercoat it's started to get a bit monotonous. 

As well as being hampered/rushed by the weather, the high density rollers that I bought from Midland Swindlers are useless (after a short time the foam sleeve detaches from it's own inner core and bits of the foam come off in the paint). I used all six I bought to do one undercoat!

To offset this we have had some good times with our boating pals, Saturday evening at the Folly Inn was great fun, thanks to Linda for booking the table. 

The Folly Inn

Ray, Andy & Richard - happy in hats - ( pic by Linda)

So that was to be our final get together for some time, and as with the general rhythm of the canal it was time for us all to go our separate ways. We headed  to Wigrams Marina to leave FL while we attend a wedding. Our sofa and dinette cushions have arrived from Elite Furnishings and the leather captain chairs have found new homes in two different narrowboats.

One last sit in the captain's chair.

To Braunston

The plan for a sunny day like today was to stay put and rub-down the last section of FL's roof, but before the second wake up cup of tea of the morning, it had changed. Sue still needed a hairdresser- we have a wedding to attend next week - so we pressed on destination Braunston, I need more paint and Braunston has two chandlers to choose from.

Marston Doles our first lock of the day has a lock keeper, once FL is through the lock the water levels improve and are good all the way to the top of the Napton flight which is a first for FL when passing this way. 

Napton Hill, the windmill, locks, boats and the water buffalo all looked super in the afternoon sun. 

On the run into Braunston an Armada hire boat was holding a queue of boats up as the skipper did the right thing and slowed for moored boats. Unfortunately, he almost came to a standstill, when confronted with the oncoming craft he did in fact stop - this caused the boat to have no steerage and the bow swung into the path of other boats. 

When Sue suggested to the skipper that he would have better control by keeping the revs a little higher she was met with a " Don't kin patronize me". Well, we were, but in the verb sense of 'support' or 'assist' - as we try to do with all crews needing pointers whether they are hirers or not. We cruised past them and wished them well.

We moored just before Butcher's bridge, Sue went to the hairdressers while I went to Midland Swindlers Chandlers where I paid £54 for the same tin of primer I paid £42 at Oxford Cruisers on the Thames, who said the Thames was expensive.  Wharf House chandlers didn't have the undercoat I wanted but it should be in stock by Friday.

We got rid of dumpables and topped the water tank before leaving busy Braunston and mooring for the night below bridge 100 on the GU canal.

Slat Mill to Knotts Bridge.

4.57am photo of a misty Slat Mill lock.

We pulled the boat forward on the ropes to Slat Mill lock, we didn't want to disturb the neighbours, it was 06:30 when the gates were opened, the engine started and FL tiptoed into the lock.

Slat Mill lock

A few boats were moving at this hour, all having the same idea of getting through Cropredy early - we did get through smoothly, there was only one pinch point but nothing to concern skippers too much.

We were on our own through Broadmoor, Varney's and Elkinson locks but at the Claydon flight, other boats with colourful crews were descending towards the festival. 

Some boats were getting in the festival mood.

Double mooring both sides of canal in Cropredy.

Fenny Compton was our lunch stop, Sue went to have a haircut at The Wharf Inn while I did a bit more painting. The painting got done, the haircut did not as the salon was shut.

At 15:00 we cruised 4 lock-free miles to moor above Knotts bridge from here we can see the windmill on Napton hill across the valley.

Sheep line up to get to the top.

Thrupp to Manly Ferry Wharf

Saturday - we set off from Thrupp in good sunshine for a short cruise to the old quarry moorings (now a nature reserve) near Kirtlington. There we met up with Linda & Richard and after a cuppa and a quick walk around the nature reserve for the men and Muffin we all set off again, we were on a bit of a mission to get far enough up the canal that Sunday would be a short hop to Aynho where we were to have lunch at The Great Western with Paul & Elaine arriving by the Manly Ferry.

FD headed the convoy finally finding a good mooring above Deep Cutting bridge. Chairs came out on the bank we had a lovely evening enjoying Sue's lamb if it's stew.

Thrupp service's

Satellite telephone communication dish's at Enslow

Quarry nature reserve

New Brighton bridge.

Stacked high.

Hay bale round making

Ray's OCD gets the better of him, so he tidies the farmer's field.

Sunday -  a lazy start to the day, the six pins were pulled at 10:30. Paul, Elaine and the boys walked up from Aynho to meet up with the flotilla, at Somerton Bridge hole Elaine and Paul boarded FD & FL. Paul got his tiller fix by taking FL to Aynho which allowed me to help at the deep Somerton lock, where there was a  queue of boats forming to get through the lock which took over an hour to get through.

This blog reader was strumming a good tune as we passed by.

Paul at the helm in Somerton lock.

It was time for lunch when we reached Aynho - a table was arranged at the Great Western - the meal was first class - as usual, the company was fantastic and laughter flowed along with the ale.

Picture loaned with kind permission of the owner.

Afterwards, we retired to the camper van which was moored canal side, for afternoon tea and biscuits with the odd beer and red wine. Here another Richard (NB Pendle Water) and boat dog Sadie visited with a tale of woe involving Banbury lift bridge & the cratch before long Sadie dragged Richard away to finish the exercise she craved.... we heard later that all was fixed up at Aynho Wharf... relief for the skipper.


Monday - the three boats staggered their departure - we left about 09:30, stopped at The Manly Ferry Wharf for coffee & biscuits while the fuel & water tanks were topped up.  We said our farewells to Paul & Elaine who leave for more adventure's on the continent later this month where we hope to catch up with them in January.

On route we had a few showers, passed FD moored at Kings Sutton, we carried on as we needed to run a couple of errands and shop in Banbury. We continued afterwards to moor at Slat Mill lock a mile from Cropredy. We want to be up early and through the village as Fairport Convention are in town and the canal will be manic with moored craft.

Thames to South Oxford canal.

Thursday we were through Dukes lock by 08:30 and heading for a mooring in Thrupp.

After two months on the river these locks seem narrower than I remember, the tinkling of canal bed debris on a reversing prop and the tick-over speed passing lines of moored boats has to be gotten used to again.

FL doesn't handle impeccably like she did on the deep wide Thames, she drifts away from lock landings while I try to get Sue ashore, she now won't reverse in a straight line, all to do with the depth or lack of water..... or maybe the lack of my skill at the tiller.

We got a mooring on one of the honeypot spots in Thrupp in front of FD and MH, a coffee on the bank with the crews before a nice lunch in Annie's Tea Room. A walk to the Jolly Boatman and a pint in The Boat's beer garden and a game of Aunt Sally finished off a lovely sunny afternoon.

Friday is a lovely warm sunny day. I woke to the sound of boat movement, I wondered if there is a space on the seven-day moorings (rings), there was but as I climbed out of the cratch to survey the situation Ray was awake and already moving for the vacant spot. Dam.... but no matter... a hire boat crew left shortly afterwards and we moved on to the space they left.

The paint came out and another section of the roof got the primer treatment after the port flank had a good wash down.

After lunch, The Manly Ferry came into view and Paul expertly manoeuvred her wide beam over the bridge to moor behind Annie's Tearoom.

Chairs, beer, Pimms and flatbreads came out on the towpath where we all got together for a catch up, later in The Boat pub we had a meal.

Paul, Andy, Ray, Diane, Sue and Elaine with Sammy & Bombo.

Three belles

Sails & Rainbows.

We did get a glimpse of the barn owl last night just after 21:30, too dark for the camera.

Another coat of primer for the roof first thing this morning before moving up to Bablock Hythe to pick up the Sainsbury's order. 

Grocery's stowed we returned back past the sails on Farmoor Reservoir, dropped down Pinkhill & Eynsham locks towards Dukes cut which tomorrow will take FL from the Thames on to the South Oxford canal. We stopped for the night at Hagley Pool which is now a favourite mooring for us to stop a night.

The electric tools were back out to rub down the next section of roof, I had just finished applying the rust proofer when a short downpour with thunder passed over leaving a fabulous rainbow behind.

Sails on Farmoor Reservoir

Pinkhill painting

The wind was blowing quite hard and hadn't abated when we decided to move up to Pinkhill meadow at 16:30. We got rid of the dumpables before Sue helped the friendly Eynsham lock keeper to work the sluices and gates.


When moored at the empty Pinkhill moorings I got on with the next section of the roof, I angle grinder wire brushed the rusty bits, orbitally sanded, dusted, washed, degreased and rust proofer applied. It was getting dark when I'd finished. The noise of the electric grinder or the windy conditions might have kept Ollie Beak away, although I kept my eye out for him, the resident barn owl was nowhere to be seen.

Beak with Barker.

Still blowing a hooley in the morning as I started painting, the wind was whipping paint out of the tray as I rollered it on, I got in a bit of a mess but I soldiered on until I ran out of primer. There is a tin of dulux primer on board, been there since before we bought the boat, I gave it a stir, might have been usable, but thought better of it. I gave Bosums Boatyard a call they had grey primer in stock, a ten minute walk and I had a 2.5L of Yacht primer for £42, very light grey colour and thinner consistency. Not the same as the Craftmaster paint I've been using which is a darker grey and thicker.

The different primers won't matter after two coats of undercoat.

If I was doing this under cover the vents would be removed. 

Had a call from Ellite Furnishings the sofa and dinette cushions we ordered at Crick boat show are ready and a delivery date of the 17th at Wigrams Turn Marina has been agreed.

Tomorrow afternoon we have a grocery delivery to collect at Bablock Hythe from there we will start the journey northwards. We have enjoyed our two months on the Thames with friends old & new- we will be back next year for sure.

Bablock Hythe to Godstow

Saturday-  It was a leisurely breakfast before readying the boats for a cruise to Godstow's Abbey moorings but before that, a brief stop at Pinkhill to say hello to Ian & Irene turned into a fun three-hour tea & chocolate biscuit session.

A bloggers tea party.  L-R Irene, Ian, Ray Diane and Sue.

After we said our goodbye's FD & FL set off for a five-mile cruise that ended just in time to go to the Trout at Wolvercote, a well-run bar & restaurant with good food, the extensive terrace area overlooking the weir stream was full of diners when we arrived. I enjoyed the Timothy Taylors and of course I had the pie (chicken, ham hock and mushroom). This was to be our last meal together with Ray & Diane this trip.

Sunday- we were up early to say goodbye to our Thames cruising companions, we have had a fun-filled three weeks. It was too early for the lock keeper to be on duty, so Sue and I did the honours.

Godstow lock

Off to meet family in Oxford.

As usual, we hadn't decided on which direction to go until we had breakfast, we turned FL around and headed back upstream for a few days. Chimney was going to be our destination but after getting through Kings lock we spotted a nice mooring at Hagley Pool, so the pins went back in at 09:30.

As there is no one here to disturb I got the wire brush and the orbital sander out to do some rust spots on the roof. I've decided to do a section at a time, it was gone 17:00 before the steel was cool enough to put a coat of primer on.

Sue enjoys her fishing.

Mooring

Kelmscott to Bablock Hythe.

Thursday - After a quiet night at Kelmscott we headed off -  destination was decided and the moorings at Trout Inn by Tadpole bridge would be the aim. 

A stop to top up the water tank before Radcot lock where the friendly resident chickens turned up for a muesli breakfast. 

The moorings at the Trout Inn were booked for a wedding so we moved on to isolated moorings at a farm opposite Chimney.

Radcot chickens.

Friday - when I opened the curtains at 07:00 as well as the sun greeting me a pair of partridges scuttled away while I went to fetch the camera. 

Kingfisher by Sue.

We stopped on the Northmoor lock landing with permission from the lock keeper, who will also lend a bicycle to reach the village of Appleton at the top of the hill, we walked and had a look around Appleton, the volunteer run community store & PO is handy for essentials. A rest in the Plough, a nice lunch and our tour was complete. Back on the boats it was a pleasant cruise in sunshine to moor at Bablock Hythe.

Appleton cottages.

Northmoor Lock

Signs on a single track road you won't see  in the Highway Code.

Silent but deadly