Banbury

Here I am Rune

Distance 7.4 miles

Total 3837 Locks  241 Tunnels

Running total mileage 5647.1 miles

Arrived at Banbury as planned, just after the rain had arrived unfortunately which meant that I then had to find somewhere to hang my wet weather gear once we’d stopped for lunch. Far less boat movements down on this part of the Oxford Canal, it is possible that some had been deterred by the CRT notices advising of bank repairs at Fenny Compton which seemed a bit worrying until your fully read them. All they are saying is that ‘winding’ at Fenny Compton isn’t possible between 0800 and 1600 hrs each day (they have their workboat in the way during those hours).Other than that everything that you could do at Fenny Compton, you still can.

The centre of Banbury is a bit of a building site at the moment as  they’ve demolished a multi-storey car park and are putting a hotel in it’s place. I’m expecting to be woken up at 8.00am tomorrow by work on the site resuming.

I hope to get somewhere about halfway between here and Oxford tomorrow, but it is weather dependent.

Claydon

Here I am Rune

Distance 6 miles

Total 3825 Locks  241 Tunnels

Running total mileage 5639.7 miles

Decided to take another easy sort of day today, only 6 miles and no locks, having moored up for the night 500 yrds from Claydon Top Lock. No real dramas of any sort today, just a pleasant cruise along a pleasant canal. It has the sort of rural moorings I could comfortably stay at for several days, out in the middle of nowhere, no traffic noise, just a lot of agricultural land.

Tomorrow is planned to be a bit more exertion since the plan is to get into Banbury which is only 8 miles, but also a dozen locks. Weather permitting we should be able to do it OK.

Lower Radbourne

Here I am Rune

Distance 8 miles

Total 3825 Locks  241 Tunnels

Running total mileage 5633.7 miles

A fairly straightforward run up Napton Lock flight, there were volunteers on the bottom lock and the flight was quite busy with boats coming down so pretty much every lock was already set for us. There did seem to be a lot of water in the flight though as, on a couple of occasions, the water was pouring over the gate.

The lock that was a bit of a pain was Marston Doles top lock, this was due to the strong wind that was blowing straight down the canal. The problem lies in the fact that you have to turn right immediately upon leaving the lock, it can be done in light or non-existant winds but when it is blowing as strongly as today it is impossible to turn with a 60’ boat before the wind has pushed the boat into the side.

 Having done this lock previously under the same conditions we bow-hauled the boat through using the bow rope to stop the boat being blown across the canal. It was a bit of a heave, but ultimately successful. We stopped for water and whilst filling a hire boat came through the lock. It was slightly easier for them as the boat was only 50’ long, but still it was blown against the canalside, but they’d managed to turn a bit before being blown so were pinned against the second bit of wall. All it needed for them to get off was for someone on the bow to push it clear and they were away. Soon after them was another boat and as soon as I saw them bow hauling their boat out I knew they’d been through the lock before, they confirmed they moored not too far away and come through regularly, and know that in strong winds it is a pig to get out of.

Not sure just how far we’ll go tomorrow, again it depends upon the weather.