Back to Banbury

Today we left Banbury, picked up the rest of the crew at Aynho Wharf and returned to the centre of Banbury.

 

I was thinking of going as far south as Somerton deep lock but most of the locks in this are are quite deep as well. The rain was another reason for not going all that far.

I was pleased to finally meet Maffi in person this evening in Banbury. I've been following his blog since forever. He is about to set off on a long trip.

Moored in Banbury.

Total distance is 12 miles, 2 furlongs and 9 locks.

A Day Out in Banbury

We moved down fromn the Spiceball park mooring to the town centre, went shopping twice - once in the Castle Quay Centre and again at Morrison's. Then we moved out of the town centre for the night. I then sat down to try to work out how to claim the discount offered with Morrison's checkout voucher and concluded it's the most complex one I've seen from the big grocery stores. Asda: refund the difference immediately when you pay if you could get the goods cheaper elsewhere. Tesco: issue a voucher for the difference if you could get the goods cheaper elsewhere. Morrison: Customer must register for a Match and Save card. 10 match and save points added to the card for every penny you could have saved if you have bought the goods elsewhere. When you have saved 5000 points you will receive a £5 voucher. Also since I spent more than 40 pounds, I was given another voucher, which if presented with three other vouchers collected in different weeks during the month of August between 31 Aug and 6 Sep will entitle me to a £15 voucher to spend in September. Even if I was a regular Morrisons customer I doubt if I'd bother with the vouchers. I think I'll stick to Asda. Moored at Haynes Lift Bridge Total distance is 2 miles and 1 lock

The Smell of Banbury

Banbury, as well as the cross, is known locally for the smell of coffee that comes from the Kraft foods factory. We first detected the aroma in Cropredy, six miles away.

Moored in Banbury
18 miles 15 locks

Marston Doles

After a pleasant night on the pontoon in Braunston Marina we fuelled up at Union Canal Carriers and continued our trip. Union Canal Carriers supplied the last hire boat we holidayed on before Syncopation was built. Almost as soon as we had moored at Marston Doles the dog managed to find a ditch with smelly mud at the bottom and had to have his paws washed before he was allowed back on the boat. Since he won't voluntarily allow anyone to put his paws in a bucket the process is a little undignified for him.

Moored at Marston Doles.

Total distance is 9 miles, 4¾ furlongs and 8 locks.

A Night at the Marina

Two of the crew left today to go to work and attend meetings, so we made our way back to Braunston Marina, renting a mooring for the night with a shoreline electrical connection. A shoreline allows us to connect to the mains electricity to run the boat systems and charge the batteries without needing to run the engine for the four or five hours required to top them up after a normal night aboard.

For Syncopation, a gas free boat, overnight battery use includes boiling the kettle for cups of tea as well as the more normal TV watching, so the shoreline is essential if we don't want to run the engine.

Moored in Braunston Marina

Total distance is 6½ furlongs and 0 locks.

Moored in Braunston

We meandered down to Braunston Puddle Banks, stopping for a trip to the chandlery at Braunston Bottom Lock, where I bought paint and spares for the toilet.

The paint is for the roof. As time progresses, it has developed a couple of rust spots and the surface is chalking slightly. The new paint is the same colour as before, Craftmaster Off-White.

The toilet parts are to replace the seal and ball valve, since the current valve fails to seal and we've reached the point where the toilet spends most of the time switched off.

Passing the Admiral Nelson pub, Braunston.


Moored at Braunston Puddle Banks

Total distance is 4 miles, 5¾ furlongs and 6 locks.

Day 2

Today we traversed the Buckby flight, mooring just after Norton junction.

Moored near Norton junction, bridge 10.

Total distance is 8 miles, 4½ furlongs and 7 locks

Summer Hols

As usual, we started off later than I planned, but this has something to do with the fact that we are boating with cars, a trip of approximately two weeks with the cars placed at strategic points to permit family members to meet their work commitments.

Moored at Heyford Fields

Total distance is 5 miles, 2¼ furlongs and 0 locks

Pies

They've got my vote:

Autonomous

Testing of a new autonomous electric shuttle at North Greenwich today.

There's very little available on the internet about this - I've only found a  month old article in the Mail Online.

Paradoxically, even though they've done away with the driver they seem to feel the need to hire half a dozen marshals for this test. Somewhat like the red flag man required by the Locomotive Act. Or perhaps they're there to make sure nobody tries to make off with the autonomous vehicle.

And they've converted the cycle lane on the Thames path, moving bikes and pedestrians together on what was the pedestrian lane near the Emirates Airline.

Pink Flock

I saw this in the car park near work. It's a Mini in a non standard pink flock finish.

I had to touch it. I wonder how easy it is to keep clean?

Back Home

Another great day and the final leg home. Through familiar territory to our home mooring. We arrived at the end of the first day of the Blisworth Canal Festival so the canal was very busy. I passed up the chance to turn around with a huge audience and moored nose inward.

Moored at Blisworth Mill.

Total distance is 14 miles, 1 furlong and 7 locks

Fish and Chips

The bow thruster failed today. After a little head scratching we decided to check the mega-fuse between the thruster and the battery. The 250A fuse had blown. Probably because of excessive use - the thruster is only supposed to be used for seconds at  a time.

Calcutt Boats chandlery rose to the occasion and I bought two new fuses, fitting one and kept the other as spare.

We stopped in Braunston for fish and chips from the Admiral Nelson for tea. Expensive for fish and chips (£8 each) but excellent and wrapped in newspaper for takeaway.

Moored at Lords Bridge

Total distance is 14 miles, 5¼ furlongs and 19 locks

Still on the Way Back

Moored above Bascote Staircase locks.

Total distance is 9 miles, ½ furlongs and 12 locks

Much Better This Time

The weather was far more clement today for our descent of the Hatton flight than it was when we ascended last week.
Enjoyed a glorious sunset:

Moored near Hatton Lock No 28

Total distance is 8 miles, 6½ furlongs and 26 locks

Retracing Our Steps

Back up the Stratford, several tight lock gates.

Half the lock cottages are up for sale, it seems.

Moored above Rowington Lock No 30

Total distance is 9 miles, ½ furlongs and 17 locks

Stratford

On the way into Straford a boater passing in the opposite direction commented that "They're all swingers down there!". Rather than passing judgement on the sexual mores of the inhabitants, he was warning of the propensity of the lock gates to swing open, refusing to remain closed.

We found a number of boaters trying to clear debris from behind the lower gate of Stratford bottom lock as a boat had jammed in the gate trying to enter the lock. Nothing was found and a few sturdy shoves opened it enough for the next boat to get in. Having seen the boat that wedged I suspect the fenders he had left hanging were his downfall rather than the lock itself.

We made it to Bancroft Basin, with plenty of time to go shopping in the town centre.

It's very busy in the centre of Stratford and the family decided to turn back so we could spend the night in peace in the countryside.

Moored above Wilmcote lock No 48

Total distance is 4 miles, 2½ furlongs and 14 locks

Diesel and Aqueducts

Today we found a diesel supplier (Anglo Welsh at Wooton Wawen) open on Sunday so filled up; just in time as the tank was close to dry.

Anglo Welsh are on the Wooton Wawen aqueduct and there are three of these iron trunk aqueducts in a few miles of each other (Yarningale, Wooton Wawen and the more spectacular Edstone).

All three are the same design, with the towpath at the canal bed level, giving walkers a duck's eye view.

Moored above Wilmcote lock No 28

Total distance is 9 miles, 3¾ furlongs and 18 locks

Rain

Up the Hatton flight in torrential rain. We were again soaked through. I forgot to bring my army surplus Goretex with me this week and the waterproof in the boat cupboard leaked after about 30  minutes.

However, the rain stopped and the evening on the South Stratford was a fitting reward for the work earlier in the day.

We awarded ourselves a brass plaque for completing the Hatton flight.

Moored below Rowington Lock 29

Total distance is 8 miles, 3¼ furlongs and 25 locks

In Search Of Diesel

We spent most of today making slow progress to Leamington Spa and then back to Hatton locks. We left Saltisford having decided more diesel was required to feed the engine as by a rough calculation it's been running at least 7 days since the last top-up. The nearest supplier on the cut was Kate Boats below Cape locks, so back we went. Unfortunately they are closed in Fridays. "No problem" I thought, on to Delta Marine, next door; diesel suppliers according to the Nicholson guide. Not any more. So we continued to Leamington as I'd hatched a plan. I bought two 5 litre diesel cans from Homebase, turned at the winding hole and moored next to Tesco in Leamington. Dominic and I then made three trips to the Tesco filling station to buy 30 litres of road diesel and transfer it to Syncopation's tank. It's the same stuff these days as red diesel sold on the cut but more expensive, of course. Several hours after leaving we passed Saltisford again and moved two locks up the Hatton flight.


Moored above Hatton Lock No 28

Total distance is 8 miles, 6 furlongs and 6 locks