We awoke to find the front deck covered in frost, and the little Epping range nearly out, it was cold, but turned into a glorious sunny day.
This was the kind of critical day, the progress of which
would determine how well we could stay on schedule for a planned arrival at
Calf Heath, before next week-end.
Ascending the Buckby flight. |
We need not have worried.
We were first boats up the Buckby flight, with the padlocks taken off
dead on 10:00 a.m. Working efficiently
with another boat, we were obviously quicker than the boats we were told had
started from the top a bit before us, because, by the middle lock, we had still
not passed them. We eventually met them
three locks from the top, (our fifth going up). However, as we were setting off there was a row brewing with the boat crews behind us, as to who had been there first. One crew said that they had been waiting since yesterday afternoon, but as they had been waiting in the marina next to the lock flight the other crews didn't think that it counted as waiting at the bottom of the flight.
Braunston locks are a much easier prospect than those at Buckby |
There were only two boats ahead to go down Braunston locks,
and by the time it was our turn, another North-bound boat had turned up behind
us that we could share with. Operations
here were being controlled by a BW lock-keeper at the top, who was strictly
enforcing that each filling or emptying of a lock was with boats in. Although this meant some moderately long
waits, as, for example boats had to reach you through a couple of locks, before
you could go down, in practice it was all very controlled, and progress was
fair. Again we were with a competent
crew, although it has to be said that, eventually, when setting locks ahead was
required, because no more boats were coming up, it was Cath doing most of the
work.
Hillmorton, with Sickle's hull looking rather scruffy! |
Passing Badsey outside her owner's Bistro at Hillmorton locks |
We decided with a clear run to see if we could press on
around Rugby, and by now I was in my element, actually feeling like I had the
measure of the boat for once, staying in channel, and hence seldom fighting
with “Sickle”. It was quite chilly by now,
but I had a real blast to blow away the cobwebs after what had been some quite
slow bits in the afternoon.
We moored at Newbold, and decided to have a pint. Whilst I can recommend the pint of guest ale
I had, the fact there was no “real” draught cider, and the fact we paid fairly
high prices to sit on ripped dirty seats make it somewhere I’d be unlikely to
rush back to. Cath has been getting more
adventurous with cooking using only our tiny Epping range, and a delicious meal
based on stuffed peppers and stuffed mushrooms was the result. I’m amazed at what she can already pull off,
but then I’m the sort of “cook” who would consider I had done well if I managed
to heat a tin of beans on it!
Bottom of Buckby Locks (Grand Union) to Newbold (Northern Oxford)
Miles: 17.2, Locks: 16
Totals for extended trip....
Miles: 49.6, Locks: 24
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