BOATS AND CANALS

2nd April 2008

We had a trip with the kids and grandkids up the Oxford canal. It was a nice trip mostly.......with a decidedly dodgy ending! We stayed in the marina Saturday night as the wind was too bad to set off. Dinner was good - Roast Chicken

Sunday was good though, we got as far as the moorings just North of Hillmorton. We did have one interesting event when I thought it would be better if the oncoming boat stopped for us at the bridge when they thought otherwise. Loads of reverse sorted it out but there wasn't much jovial banter between boaters! The second interesting event was when the engine refused to stop!!!! Fortunately both my son-in-law and I aren't bad mechanics and we think the problem was in a dodgy connection near the fuel filter. I had probably disturbed it when I changed the filter last week.

The kids enjoyed the view.



On Monday we carried on and tried to turn the boat at the entrance to the old Brownsover arm, the old guide we have claimed you can, we thought we probably couldn't and tried to measure the length by pacing over the footbridge. You can't! I reckon 55ft would be OK. We turned round at the entrance to the arm to Rugby Wharf. Then it was back to a mooring near the Old Royal Oak at Hillmorton. It was a lovely day and we sat in the garden while the kids played on the climbing frame. We moved the boat a bit further down the canal to get a better TV reception and visited the pub again for an evening meal.

John with Lexi.



Darcy with her hot water bottle.



We woke up on Tuesday to a very windy day and had some fun navigating back to Calcutt. We didn't hit anything and we only had to try one bend twice but at the marina.... we couldn't get off the bank to turn in. We managed after a lot of effort to enter the Marina back wards and promptly got stuck across the entrance. Some fellow moorers joined to give advice and finally we managed to get off in reverse again and got as far as the entrance to the new marina. At that point we could not see how we could get to our mooring as the wind was blowing at a tremendous rate at right angles to the pontoon. We called for help and two guys from Calcutt marina turned up to give it a go. They managed to back into the marina, turn into wind go round the Island and approached the mooring downwind and going sideways at quite a speed!!!! Miraculously we got in without any damage to Dotterel or the boat next door.

The kids and grandkids set off home and Jo and I had a quiet evening finishing off the wine my daughter hadn't managed to drink herself.

Cheers Graham

Hi Graham and Jo.

I'm reading through (still) your blogs and this one mentions about going into one of the arms on the canal network. Also saying that you couldn't get in as it states about a 55ish foot would be maximum. How big is your boat and have you ever done any lock work on your own as it seems I may have to get from Nantwhich to Stretford single handed.
Stephen.

Stephen, Dotterel is officially 61 feet, I think she is 62 without her fenders. I have never worked locks by myself despite trying to do so. People have always turned up to help!

There is a video here worth watching. https://youtu.be/nEtIixsrBxw

I probably would stick with only one paddle, slower but safer.

Cheers Graham

Good size then.
I have seen a few single handed boater videos up and down locks but non as long as 60/70ft. I have driven a 45ft hire boat before but that was way (way) back when I was about 20 (will be 42 when I get Hayley)

Cheers
Stephen