A Much More Gentle Day

(Boats Chalice and Sickle together - posted by Alan)

Leaving a strangely deserted Hillmorton Locks

Whilst we are by no means averse to putting in long days boating if the situation demands it, we had broadly planned that on this trip we would be more relaxed, and not going hell for leather.  So, frankly, yesterday we messed up!  There is no particular attraction in arriving somewhere late, when you are tired and hungry, and then finding you can't even easily moor up!

So today was definitely going to be more relaxed, and we were in no great rush to get going.  Being moored close to the facilities in Braunston made it very easy to draw the boats forward several yards, and to take on water and deal with toilets.

I head away from Hillmorton having just taken the above picture.

However last nights chaos had left "Sickle" facing South when we wanted to be travelling North, so the first boating of the day, (if you don't count moving a few yards without engine!), was for me to take her and spin her round at the Marina entrance.

Next I knew there were things I could usefully pick up at Midland Chandlers, so I motored on up to there with "Sickle", leaving Cath and David to come along a bit later with "Chalice".  Fortunately, unlike my last visit, Midland were now actually aware that a small discount had actually been negotiated for Historic Narrow Boat Club members.  I left, amongst other things now certain I had enough oil to do a much needed change on "Sickle".

This hardly looks comfortable - he has a proper bed, but preferred this!

Most of the fancy lights in Newbold tunnel have long since expired.

The Northern Oxford is clearly a popular canal, (far mor so than most of our native Grand Union), and attractive enough, but it will never be a favourite of mine.  Certainly at a summer weekend it is now very busy, often with people who don't seem to be that clear what they are doing, and trying to keep out of their way with "Sickle" can be a bit of a challenge, as some seem unaware it will run aground if pushed towards the shallow edges, and also that bringing it to a sudden stop and holding a line can be "interesting".

Curiously though at Hillmorton Locks, allegedly the most busy in the country, there were very few boats at all, and unlike previous years where we have had long waits to get into the locks at all, today we were straight away on our way down.  Today a volunteer lock-keeper apperaed, and seemed happy to help lock David through single handed with "Chalice", whilst Cath and Odin stayed with me and "Sickle".  Odin will happily cross the top end of these locks, despite a quite narrow walkway, and a significant gap to it, but hates using a boarding plank to get on the boats!

We managed to find suitable moorings for both boats at Rugby, allowing both a shopping stop, and a proper sit down lunch, (still a novelty for us when boating!).

Clocking up the lockless miles.

Later on the map showed that there is a long stretch between Brinklow and Ansty that is largely accompanied by a busy railway line, and also at one point a motorway, and we know isn't the best overnight stop.  At Ansty it is often not possible to find moorings, so stopping short of Brinklow seemed the best option, and would give us our promised short day.

I was loathing doing an oil change on "Sickle", and was right to do so!  The job is just as unpleasant as I remembered it from last time.  The pump on the engine will not prime, and when it does is very slow to pump out all the oil involved.  The oil filter is inaccessible, both to remove, and to replace.  After a long fight, I emerged with both me and engine room coated in oil, but, at least with "Chalice" travelling with us, I had the luxury of a shower!

Braunston to Essenhall Lane Bridge, Near Brinklow
Miles: 15.1 (Each Boat), Locks: 6 (3 twice!)

Total Miles: 124.9, Locks: 42

A Day Where We Took On Too Much. (Not Very relaxing!).

(Boats Chalice and Sickle together - posted by Alan)

Odin will generally wait at locks quite patiently.

Let me start by admitting this was probably not our most auspicious days of boating ever!  We normally would treat Stoke Bruerne to Braunston as a typical days boating, but because it includes both the Buckby and Braunston flights of locks it can often be very hard to predict a likely timing.  Both these flights can get busy, and if you encounter slow crews, the time to pass through a flight can easily be double what you might achieve if you had a clear run at them.

I would have turned the engine off if I knew how long a wait I would have here!

Today we underestimated how long things might take, compounded by us not really appreciating how much slower we ourselves would be with two boats.  Additionally the fact that we were moored overnight still two locks down the Stoke Bruerne flight added to the time needed, and after we failed to make an early start we quickly found ourselves slowed by other boats

David brings "Chalice" out of Blisworth tunnel

One further thing that is making a big difference to our days is that if Cath and I boat alone with one boat we don't tend to actually stop for lunch, and simply carry on with one steering whilst the other prepares food, and then eat on the move.  That doesn't work with two boats and three crew, as whoever is alone on a boat has nobody there to get on with things as they are steering.  So we have made a point of having proper stops for lunch, (something we are likely to do more now Cath is retired, and we can be more relaxed).

Exchanging locks with two other boats at Buckby

You have probably guessed by now that as the day progressed we slipped further and further behind any timings necessary to arrive in Braunston at a reasonable hour!  The one thing that did go swimmingly well was both tunnels, and we didn't encounter a single other boat in either Blisworth or Braunston.  This is almost unheard of in August, but was most welcome, and we fair blasted through both!

More waiting! - Below Buckby Top lock

That was probably the only bit that went well, and at Whilton/Buckby locks we had a series of slight mishaps, losing some of the paint from Chalice's newly repainted stern, but also a piling hook, and even the keeper off the Sea Searcher magnet that we actually failed to find the piling hook with!  This is somewhat of a first, usually if you drop a large steel object in, and know where it went in, a Sea Searcher will find it.  We did even wonder if it got moved by the flow of water in a short pound, as the locks were being worked, although such an explanation seems a bit unlikely!
It is fair to say these locks were not well worked by us, as we struggled to operate with less than our usual unwritten clear understanding of who was doing what!

"Sickle" viewd from "Chalice" just leaving Braunston Tunnel

A late arrival in Braunston was now inevitable, and a dash through the tunnel didn't change things that much.  We were then greeted by a boater from further down the flight who told us there were "several pounds with very little water in them", and who wanted to run water down, and seemed a bit put out that anybody wanted to boat down!  By the time we arrived in the allegedly problematic pounds, we could see nothing seriously wrong with any of them, so quite why this chap thought a lot more water was needed was lost on us.  I really must learn to ignore these horror stories from other boaters - so often they turn out to be heavily exaggerated!

Another "leaving tunnel" shot - Braunston again.

The final straw was not being able to find any moorings in Braunston, with the light already fading, along with any hopes of a pub meal!  We tried to moor right near the marina entrance, but although this is used for moorings in the historic boat events, underwater obstructions prevented us.  I boated right up to Braunston Turn with "Sickle", and might have found her a slot, but certainly nothing for the longer "Chalice", so I turned and came back.  Whilst we deliberated on whether we could squeeze in near the sanitary and water facilities the occupants of a hire boat saw our predicament, and offered to move up to create more space.  This was much appreciated at a time we were all badly over-tired!  In fact in the morning it transpired they were now on somebody's permanent mooring, but that had not been obvious in the fading light.  Anyway no harm done, as we were all going to be away quickly in the morning.

We made a firm decision that tomorrow would be planned to be a much shorter day!

"Long Pound", Stoke Bruerne to Braunston
Miles: 22.3 (Each Boat), Locks: 15

Total Miles: 94.7, Locks: 36

Onwards, but slower than expected

(Boats Chalice and Sickle together - posted by Alan)

Refuelling Mayhem 1

Boating with both boats together is a very different experience from either on their own.  For a start, most of the time we require two steerers, and with a crew of only three, it means I in particular spend most of the day at a tiller, so can't get on with anything else instead whilst actually boating.  Things you take for granted like tidying up, washing up, making a hot drink or snack, checking the Internet, (or even going to the loo!), get put on hold, unless you actually stop.

Refuelling Mayhem 2

It is possible in flights of broad locks to breast the boats together, allowing one to drag the other through the flight, but in practice the different lengths and nature of each boat doesn't make this as effective as with two more matched boats.

We thought today we would easily be all the way up Stoke Bruerne locks, and would probably arrive a bit early, and hence that we would probably press on through the tunnel.  The reality has been rather different, as a number of delays crept in.

"Towcester" sets off again with "Bideford" on a seriously long line.

Yesterday I discovered "Chalice's" stern gland was leaking more than it should, and I hadn't felt like tackling it then, so that was first job of the day.  Having set up "Chalice's" gland, I thought it prudent to check and adjust "Sickle's" as well, also to refill the stern tube greasers in both boats.

Cosgrove Lock

We set off with me leading on "Sickle", and Cath, David and Odin on "Chalice", but knew we needed fuel, and a text to Julia on "Towcester" said she was travelling South towards us.  This left us in some comical situations of trying to ensure we did not finally meet her somewhere all the boats could not pull over, including us stopping and checking ahead at a stretch that I knew was lined with other boats.  As Richard and Julia also had their butty Bideford in tow, the resulting gaggle of 4 boats when we did meet caused a bit of chaos until the transaction was complete.

Odin loves his ball

Having cleared Cosgrove Lock we found it remarkably hard to find somewhere to pull over for lunch.  Places like Thrupp Wharf now have almost no mooring, because most has been taken away unnecessarily to provide an "exclusion zone" near the marina entrance.  Beyond much of the bank is completely overgrown,  When we did try to stop further on we again couldn't get into the bank, and I picked up a bladeful of rubbish that stopped "Sickle's" engine dead, and left me drifting mid channel.  Cath came to the rescue, and towed me for a bit on improvised cross straps!

The uncontrolled offside vegetation between Yardley Gobion and the Stoke Bruerne flight is now getting very bad - of course all is fine when nothing is coming the other way, but boats forced into the worst of it risk not just damaged paint and chimneys, but injury to those on board.

Second lock up Stoke Bruerne flight.

We decided to work the Stoke Bruerne flight with a steerer on each boat, rather than "breasting" the boats - largely to see how we got on.  With care this allows only needing to open single gates, not those each side of a lock, (it being fairly easy to "punt" one boat across to make room for the other).
I'm not convinced we made the right decision, but equally it was not a disaster, and if you don't try, you don't find out!

David in charge of "Chalice"

We found space in the "long pound" two locks down the flight, so decided to stop there, not being sure how much space might be at the top.  I didn't feel a lot like working on a hot engine, but braced myself to give "Chalice" an engine oil change and filter replacement, which I was sure was somewhat overdue.

Cath managed a considerable "over-order" on a take away meal from the excellent "Spice of Bruerne", although David is now working his way through the excess as I type.  We managed two separate visits to the "Boat" wrapped around this, and Odin got a fair run-around as a result.

I am wondering though, how long the blogging can last, if I'm trying to do it late in the night, due to absence of time any earlier on!

Little Woolstone to "Long Pound", Stoke Bruerne
Miles: 14.5 (Each boat), Locks:6

Total Miles: 50.0, Locks: 21 

First Full Day - And Picking Up "Sickle"

(Boat Chalice, initially, joined late in the day by Sickle - posted by Alan)

Moving off at start of day

None of us, (except possibly the dog!), slept very well on the first night aboard - quite an unusual situation, particularly as David was up and dressed before 7:00 am and taking the dog out - an unheard of concept at home.

"Three Locks" - There seems to be no urgency to reopen the tow-path!

We therefore made a fairly early start, but equally were relaxed enough that having stopped in Leighton Buzzard to shop, we stayed tied up and ate a leisurely lunch, (our traditional approach being more likely that we would eat on the move).

We have enjoyed excellent, and largely sunny, weather throughout the day, although it is now very much cooler than some of the very hot days there have been recently.  In fact at times it has been distinctly chilly - enough to prompt Cath to buy another jumper when out shopping!

Unusually for August we didn't share a lock with anybody all day, but also this was one of the first opportunities in a long while to pass through Stoke Hammond "Three Locks" without any volunteer lock keepers in attendance - sorry chaps, but it was actually good to get to work the locks ourselves!

Odin is less concerned by activity in locks these days.

At Fenny Stratford we pulled over alongside "Sickle" to get her ready to move off, so we would again be boating with two boats.  Soon we were ready, and I led with "Sickle", whilst Cath fllowed on "Chalice".  We were determined not to press on too late, so stopped a few miles later on at Little Woolstone.  Much of the canal bank here has some seriously collapsed piling which hardly encourage mooring at this location - however we managed to find one of the largely straight and upright sections.












Middle of Seabrook Locks to Little Woolstone
Miles: 17.3 (Chalice), 3.1 (Sickle), Locks: 14

Total Miles: 21.0, Locks: 15 
 

Finally We Get Away

(Boat Chalice - posted by Alan)

Normally in the past the school Summer holidays would have triggered desperate attempts to get away for a period of intensive boating, if it were in any way possible.  It always had to be so, as our entire boating life had to fit around Cath's employment as a full time teacher.  If we didn't manage to make a big trip in Summer that was it for another year, because it was the only possible time to ever be out for more than two consecutive weeks.

Suddenly all that has changed, as Cath has just taken a slightly early retirement at the end of her Summer term.  To be honest, towards the end of her final few months, much of our focus has just been on getting to the point of her completing everything she needed to do for a smooth handover, but in fact a few additional things arose that made the final term a particularly exhausting one, and boating plans very much took a back seat as a result.

We had none-the-less intended to attend the canal festival at Linslade with both boats, but a sudden change of plan saw us going and looking at a boat that was for sale, and we therefore revised plans to only take "Sickle".  Sadly after a period of negotiation we lost the chance to buy this other boat.  I think it was only losing out on it that actually made us realise just how much we would like to have taken it on.

The end result though was that plans to set off for the Summer kept getting pushed back, particularly as we felt a period of consolidation was need to sort out domestic matters, also to do some much needed work on "Chalice".  Eventually though we felt we had reached the point where we would set off, albeit that no firm plans had yet been made about any itinerary.

We went late to the boat on Tuesday evening, but I was determined that if we could get off the mooring at all before nightfall that we should do so.  In fact we only went less than a mile, and a single lock, but at least that way we could really feel the trip had begun!

Cooks Wharf to middle of Seabrook Locks
Miles: 0.6 (Chalice), Locks: 1

Total Miles: 0.6, Locks: 1

The Missing Blog Posts

(Boat Sickle - posted by Alan)

We have done some boating, and several events since returning from the Rickmansworth Festival, but somehow life has got in the way, and the blog just hasn't happened.


So rather than let it die due to trips not written up, I will briefly mention that we attended the following events with "Sickle".

Stoke Bruerne Gala          15th & 16th June
Braunston Historic Boats 29th & 30th June
Linslade Canal Festival    27th July

If time permits, I'll come back later and maybe add some pictures, but in the meantime I'll move forward to more recent happenings.

(Retrospective post after failure to keep blog up to date)
 Saturday 25th to Sunday 26th May

(Boat Sickle - posted by Alan)

Tony Byfield is reunited with the boat he used to steer.

Whilst Cath is working, and it is term time, we continue to be in a position where most boat moving only happens at weekends, so "Sickle" had remained at Rickmansworth after the festival for a week, awaiting collection.  In practice I went down to visit once in that week anyway, and Odin was able to have a very fine explore of the Aquadrome.

Imposing, but hardly attractive M25 bridge at Kings Langley

"Ricky" presents a problem because there isn't really anywhere to leave a car safely over the weekend anywhere obvious near Batchworth, and it is not directly accessible by train either.  So we decided that I would deliver Cath and all our needs to Sickle, drive home again, then retuen by a combination of train to Watford and cycling to "Ricky".  I knew what to expect, having broadly done the reverse when we delivered her there, but the end result was not actually leaving until Saturday lunchtime, meaning we would need to work reasonably hard.

Lawrence Williams on "Tench" with "Australia" in tow.

Unfortunately as soon as we were underway we caught up someone working two boats together ahead of us, and single handed.  He did not seem to want to use top gate paddles at all to fill his locks, and the first lock, Lot Mead, was leaking so badly at the other end, I doubted for some time it would "make a level" at all.  Eventually it got there, but it was obvious we were going to only make slow progress for a while!

After the next lock, we never saw them again!

Fortunately, though, as it turned out, these boats were not going that far, and eventually pulled over to use a water point after a few locks, a bit of a relief, as we could see our available time ticking away.

We had been previously made aware that "Tony" who lives at the lock cottage at Cassio Bridge "used to have the "Sickle", but we knew little more.  However on this occasion Tony (Byfield) made himself known to us, and we spent some time chatting about his history with the boat.  He used to work with Alf Best, who can be seen steering Sickle in the various pictures I took of her in the Boxmoor area in the 1970s.  Tony had tales to tell about just how fast "Sickle" is claimed to have moved on occasions in the past - all I can say is I'm fairly sure that with her current set up she is not capable of it now!

I first photographed "Sickle" here more than 40 years ago.

After this we made steady progress, largely at our own speed, unimpeded by other boats, but approaching Kings Langley it was apparent we had caught someone up.  Inevitably this was not until they had worked Kings Langley lock, probably now the slowest to fill on the entire Southern Grand Union, (now Iron Bridge is fixed!), so when they volunteered to wait for us at Nash Mills locks, they actually must have waited a while!  We worked with them as far as Apsley, where they planned to stop, but we decided to press on through Boxmoor, and moor above Fishery lock.

In the early 1970s though my pictures were black and white.

If nothing else this gave fairly handy access to a local off licence, so I was able to cycle up, and get two much appreciated bottles of wine, whilst Cath used our elaborate new "Cobb" barbecue to cook an evening meal.  This had been a major unplanned purchase at "Ricky", but I must say we are mightily impressed by its capabilities, and how much cooking you can get out of a small amount of fuel.  It really does increase our cooking options on fine days, when it is too hot to light the cabin range.

South of Berkhamsted

On the Sunday morning we were just about to make a fairly relaxed start when we noticed the lock being worked.  Our immediate reaction was initially to get going quickly, but I'm glad we didn't, as it proved to be the Josher pair "Tench" and "Australia" moving along very briskly with a crew of four.  No way would us two "wrinkleys" have managed to stay ahead of a youth team like this for very long, without them being up our tail!  We never saw them again after the next lock, but it did set a pattern of nearly every lock for the day being against us, so relatively hard work again.

"Rising Sun", Berkhamsted.

Shortly further on, above "Slaughters" lock, but before the railway crossing at Winkwell, and with Cath steering, I tried to remember exactly where I had taken some of my "Sickle at work" pictures in the early 1970s, and to take some "fourt years on" equivalents.  I didn't guess quite right, but I wasn't far off!

Above Winkwell we were joined by a single hander, and shared locks up into Berkhamsted, where she stopped for water, and us for shopping.

Joshers "France" and "Holland" by new development in Berkhamsted.

By the time we got going again, she had left ahead of us, but we fairly quickly caught her up, and worked through some more locks, until she tied up for the day.  She seemed most surprised we intended to not only carry on across Tring summit, butr also drop down the Marsworth flight today!

Between the final two locks on aglorious evening.

When we started this trip, our plan had been to take the boat right on up to its home mooring, but I came to the realisation that we might still be able to borrow a mooring for a further week where we keep "Chalice", our other boat.  a few exchanges on the Internet, and it was confirmed - we could end our journey early, for the time being.  This would leave "Sickle" closer to home, and with extra facilities, so that we might well be able to get some much needed work done on her, if the weather stayed OK.



Cooks Wharf to Rickmansworth
Miles: 21.7, Locks:46