Medieval Day

We spent most of the day at Warwick castle. Not a cheap day out as it's in private hands and run for profit but there's a lot going on, with regular shows by reenactors with jousting, archery, dungeon tours and more.

Alas, it poured with rain for a couple of hours in the afternoon and Dominic and I could not visible the ramparts but ended up taking shelter in the Princess Tower. I had to admire the welcoming princess as she stayed in character "Welcome your Majesties!" as more and more dripping wet definitely not 3-8 year olds crammed into the almost-Disney princess themed tower. Bought dinner at Sainsbury's on the way back to the boat; put all our clothes in the washing machine to spin dry.


Moored at Saltisford.

Distance 0 Miles, 0 locks.

Excellent Moorings

We're at the Saltisford Canal Centre. There are excellent moorings here; free for 24 hours (5 ppd after that) with all facilities available and only 10 minutes walk from Warwick city centre.

The original plan was to visit Warwick castle this afternoon but the kind people here advised us to devote a whole day to the castle (it's expensive and we'd also like to get our money's worth). So we decided to stay until Friday and make use of the electrical hook-up facilities.


Moored in Saltisford Arm.

Total distance is 5 miles, 7¼ furlongs and 2 locks

Day 3

We went down Bascote locks today. This flight contains a staircase lock, where there are two chambers with no intervening pound. You empty the top lock directly into the bottom lock, making sure you've emptied the bottom lock first.

Moored near Radford Bottom lock.

Total distance 7 miles, 4¼ furlongs of broad canals; 19 broad locks.

Day 2

Moored Near Ventnor Farm Marina.

Following some expensive engine repairs in the last two weeks the Travelpower generator appears to be performing well.

Total distance 10 miles, ¾ furlongs of broad canals; 9 broad locks.

Back on the Cut

First day - Gayton to Norton Junction. Moored near Lords Lane Bridge No 8.

The dog fell into Buckby lock number 9. Unfortunately he wasn't wearing his lifejacket. We'd just started filling the lock and the boat was swinging around. He was swirling around like a spider in the bath as the lock filled and was saved in the nick of time by the children from being crushed against the lock wall by the boat.

Since then he's been rather cautious about crossing lock gates.

No satellite signal here. Hedge too tall.

 12 miles, 3¼ furlongs and 7 lock

Too Late!

The car is broken. Went over a large stone in the road at over 50 mph (saw it too late). The front wheel kicked it up enough that it hit the underside of the car, shattering the plastic undershield and smashing the sump that holds the bag containing the fuel borne catalyst for the diesel particulate filter. The DPF oil quickly drained out of the punctured bag, spraying all over the back of the car.

The plastic bits will cost around £75 to replace and the catalyst itself is £114 + VAT so we're looking at a total bill over £250 if labour is included.

DPF technology is quite interesting, and I've been boring everybody about it, but it's a rather extreme solution to increasingly stringent anti-emission laws.

Sunset Over Canary Wharf

And the view over towards Greenwich

Seen in St. James Square

What a lovely way to commute!

Pelican, St James

Feeding Time

I wondered why the pelicans stayed at St James Park. The fish in the bucket are a clue..

Leisurely Return and a Strange Smell

We made our way back to base, with a strange smell making itself apparent in the last hour before we stopped. It was only after we stopped that I realised it was probably a combination of hot plastic and hydrogen sulphide due to one or more of the domestic battery bank handing in its notice. I'd noticed a day or so ago one of the cells had turned the paper label over it brown with heat and diagnosed a probable shorted cell. As I planned to replace the bank after this outing I did not act. Now the battery has collapsed and is venting flammable gases. Definitely time for a new set of batteries.

Moored at Blisworth Mill Wharf.

Total distance is 10 miles, 7¾ furlongs and 0 locks.

Back the Way We Came

We headed back towards base via Watford locks. Found a surprisingly quiet spot to moor between the motorway and the railway.

Moored at Brockhall Bridge No 19

Total distance is 17 miles, 4 furlongs and 14 locks.

Inclined Plane

We spent the day getting to Foxton, where rather than join the queue to go down the staircase, we moored at the top lock and strolled around the site. We took in a warming cup of coffee at the top lock coffee shop and visited the engine house museum, run by the Inclined Plan Trust.We then turned around and headed back the way we had come.

Foxton Top Lock

On the way I saw bats in the tunnel at Husband's Bosworth - or it may have been the same bat several times, flitting in and out of the beam of the tunnel light. Siobhan watched carefully on the way back but the bat(s) did not put in a repeat performance in the afternoon when we passed back through the tunnel.
 
Moored at Mill Bridge No 40.

Total distance is 16 miles, 1¾ furlongs and 0 locks.

Still Cold!

I'm really glad we have a heater at the steerer's feet as the temperature has not risen significantly. Batteries slightly better last night after a full day's charge while cruising but still not good. I need to replace them when we get back to base.

Our £80 Ikea sofa bed is also due for retirement after five years hard service: the cover has split.

Our second passage through Watford locks was overseen by the excellent lock keepers. Cathy was given 10 out of 10 for her handling of Syncopation on the tricky turn between locks 1 and 2.

Syncopation at Watford Lock No 2

Moored at Mill Bridge No 40.

Total distance is 13 miles, 7½ furlongs and 7 locks.

Late Start

Out on the cut again. We planned to set off yesterday but barely got out of Blisworth, so I've counted today's progress from Blisworth. The day was pretty cold (about 3 degrees) but in the sun it was bearable. I was disappointed to see the pub at the top of Buckby locks has closed. There always seemed to be a lot of people outside when we passed.

Yesterday evening, we found the domestic batteries have pretty much reached the end of their useful life, with the inverter cutting out as the voltage fell too low.

Moored near Welton Haven Marina.

Total distance 14 miles, 4 1/2 furlongs and 7 locks.

Hungerford Bridge

skateboard graveyard

As you cross the footbridge at Hungerford bridge you may notice the skateboard graveyard, where users of the nearby South Bank skate park inter their deceased boards.

Snow!

And I'd gone to the trouble of clearing the front path after the fist lot.

Out With The Old..

Au revoir Picasso. Or should I say adieu?

And back again

After an excellent morning in Cosgrove we set off back to Blisworth, arriving about 6PM. The weather was warm and sunny. I wore my new Coke hat and was mistaken by some gongoozlers in Stoke Bruerne for an employee of the Canal and River Trust. I suppose they thought that anybody wearing a hat would be some sort of official. I'm hoping it wasn't because they couldn't imagine anybody wearing it voluntarily.

Last night nearly saw me breaking the Brompton when I went over the handlebars on my way back from Tesco in Wolverton. I cycled the two miles to the store along the towpath, congratulating myself on arriving before they closed. ON the way back in the dark, I missed the single step at the beginning of the pedestrian foot bridge over the canal and hit it fast enough to send me over the handlebars. The inner tube was punctured but luckily the front wheel rim was undamaged. I had to walk the bike back to the boat, holding the ruptured shopping bag together.

8 locks

Buckingham Canal Society

Every year (well, for the last two years at least) we go to the Buckingham Canal Society's annual festival at Cosgrove. I had even gone so far as to plan the trip, calculating our time of departure so that we could arrive in plenty of time for the evening fish and chip supper.

Astonishingly for plans I make involving getting the family out of the house all went well and we arrived at the mooring below Cosgrove lock at 3:30PM.

Moored below Cosgrove Lock.

7 Locks

Ocean Princess

This unusual narrowboat passed Syncopation today. One of the very few narrowboats designed with sea-going ability. There's a wheel inside, hence the rather spooky appearance of a narrowboat passing with nobody at the tiller.