Cruising
Braunston to Yelvertoft
We travelled to Braunston yesterday and spent the night in the marina, ready for the start of our holiday. We awoke just after six and had an early morning cup of coffee before I nipped off to the shop to pick up some last minute necessary items. Returning at half past seven, we made our final preparations including having a light breakfast before untying Phoenix III from her mooring.
The wind was still blowing across the marina as it had been last night but we used it to good effect as we nosed gently out from between the pontoons and then let mother nature steer us in the direction of the locks. We chugged slowly through the marina before emerging on to the canal and again the wind helped us as we began our journey proper. There wasn’t much happening as we passed the hire fleet at the bottom lock and so we ascended the first lock on our own. It was the same at the second lock but as the water raised Phoenix III in the chamber, another boat approached from above. Leaving that lock, we caught up with a hire boat as we neared lock number three at the Admiral Nelson pub. The crew of Canal Club “The Mad Hatter” were friendly enough if a little inexperienced and we soon found ourselves in the top lock and it wasn’t even ten o’clock. As we reached the northern portal of Braunston tunnel we met two boats emerging from the darkness that we were about to plunge into. We met another two shortly before we left the other end of the tunnel where we found ourselves under blue skies and high white clouds.
We reached Norton junction and turned left on to the Leicester section of the Grand Union about half an hour after leaving Braunston tunnel. Another half an hour or so brought us to the bottom of the flight of locks at Watford and after consulting with the lock keeper there, we knew that we were in for a bit of a wait. The first part of that wait was soon over and we entered the bottom lock after the first of the oncoming boats finished their descent. We had to wait between locks for another four narrowboats to pass through before we were able to start our climb up the hill properly. Once in the staircase, the ascent was fairly quick but as we left the last lock it started to rain. The rain turned to hail and it was all driven by a very fierce wind but we ploughed on and soon reached Crick tunnel. It had actually stopped by the time we reached the mouth of the tunnel but nevertheless it was comforting to be in there and sheltered from the elements for a while. By the time we left the tunnel behind it was back to blue skies again and within a few minutes were moored near Crick marina.
After all of the usual things that need to be done after tying the boat up, we left Phoenix III and walked into Crick itself. It was 2.30 and The Red Lion was just closing as we passed by on our way to the Wheatsheaf where we had fish and chips for lunch – very nice. There is a beer and music festival on there over the bank holiday weekend and so after we had eaten we spent a short while listening to the music of the band, “Indian Joe”.
We left the Wheatsheaf and returned to the canal and then decided to move on a bit further. The Leicester summit is a pretty desolate place but our journey was not without incident, we managed to re-float Braidbar No. 62 with our bow wave as we passed after she had become grounded in the shallows and we encountered a “learner” who ended up at 45 degrees across the canal because he thought there wasn’t enough room between us and some moored boats.
An hour after leaving Crick we moored beyond bridge 20 near Yelvertoft. It was still very windy but it was a nice place to stay for the evening.
Another windy day
We awoke at around eight and thought that we should get up. We set off and turned at Birdingbury Wharf and then tied up before having breakfast opposite the Boat Inn. After breakfast we made our way back to Calcutt where we met up with narrowboat ‘Beast’ and ascended the locks with them. We parted company with them at the top lock knowing that they would be turning right at the junction whilst we would be turning left towards Braunston.
It was still chilly as we made our way along the canal towards Braunston but bearable nonetheless. The oncoming traffic made it interesting enough but we hit a snag as soon as we got into the marina. After filling the diesel tank, emptying the toilet and the bin bag we attempted our entry into our berth but it didn’t work out for us so we ended up mooring up outside the marina.
As a result we walked up to the Admiral Nelson where we had a couple of drinks before we ended up walking through the village and down to the ‘Boathouse’ where we had our evening meal.
Afterwards, we walked back to where we had left Phoenix III and from there we battled our way into our berth in the marina.
Although we hadn’t planned to stay another night on board, it was no big deal to do so. We topped up the water, lit the fire and switched on the heating before settling down for the evening.
Glorious Sunshine !!!
I’m not really sure why I sleep better on board phoenix III than I do on dry land, perhaps it is the fact that I don’t have to get up for work, maybe it’s because the movement of the boat creates a more comfortable environment in which to slumber. Whatever the reason, I slipped into the arms of Morpheus at 9.30 last night and didn’t escape his clutches until 8.30 this morning.
As forecast, it was sunny. It wasn’t warm at 8.30 but it was definitely sunny. Clear blue skies with the odd white cloud provided the perfect backdrop for the next leg of our journey. After drinking a cup of coffee we sorted ourselves out and were on our way by quarter to ten. We were not alone and had to wait as four boats passed us before we could finally untie and head in the direction of Napton. We met quite a few fellow travellers before we reached Wigram’s where we turned and made our way towards the three locks at Calcutt. The steady stream of boaters ascending the locks made our passage down very easy and in no time at all we were through and away again. I made use of the hot water that we had generated and had a shower as we cruised along so that by the time we stopped at the Boat Inn near Birdingbury Wharf we were able to tie up, lock up and walk to Long Itchington.
Our plan all along had been to have lunch at the Buck and Bell and we were not disappointed. We sat outside in the sunshine sharing a bottle of wine and enjoying the cuisine that this wonderful village pub has to offer, no wonder then that it has won a Les Routiers award for the last three years.
After a leisurely repast we made our way back to our mooring using the road to the Blue Lias bridge rather than the towpath for a change. Once back on board we relaxed and enjoyed the gentle warmth of the sun on this mid-April afternoon.
Flecknoe
We arrived at Braunston at three o’clock and immediately loaded our belongings on to Phoenix III. In addition to the normal items of food and clothing that we would bring for a weekend out on the cut, we brought some extras for our holiday in two weeks time. By the time we had sorted ourselves out, checked the engine and started it up it was quarter to four. We followed our neighbours on board Havoc II out of the marina and then headed towards the junction.
We were surprised to find very little waterborne traffic as we made our way past the Boathouse pub and turned on to the Oxford section of the Grand Union canal. The sun shone although it was still quite cool, the wind was still present and there was the odd spot of rain.
We passed under bridge 102 near Flecknoe just under an hour after we had left our berth in the marina and tied up on our usual towpath mooring. We had dinner at half past five and then walked up to the village where we visited the Old Olive Bush and had a couple of drinks. This was our first visit to the Flecknoe hostelry and we found it to be a very welcoming pub full of friendly locals.
After an hour we drained our glasses and made our way back down to the canal. The walk back seemed a lot shorter and easier than the walk up to the pub, partly because it was downhill and partly because the wind had dropped.
By eight o’clock we were back on board with the fire lit and so we settled ourselves down for the evening.
Easter Sunday
We had an early night last night, I fell asleep in the chair in front of the fire at about half past eight and after waking a couple of times, we decided that it was time to turn in at around ten o’clock.
2013 begins with a chilly trip to Napton
It’s almost seven months since we were last out on Phoenix III. A combination of poor weather, other obligations and a lack of spontaneity due to to the distance between home and boat has not only meant that we have had no winter cruising, we haven’t even spent that many weekends on board in the marina.
March has been as cold as the previous three months and colder than average for this time of year. The snow that fell last weekend is still lingering in sheltered places and the wind is still blowing in from the east keeping daytime temperatures just above freezing but feeling much colder. This weekend is the last in March and is of course Easter, the temptation to stay at home in the warmth has almost been overwhelming but we gritted our teeth, packed our gear and headed off in the direction of Braunston marina around 10.30. We saw the odd flurry of snow as we passed by Rugby but generally the sky was blue and bright. When we parked the car and stepped out on to the marina car park it was cold, a raw biting wind whistled around us as we unpacked our things and carried them to the boat. The thin layer of ice on the water in the marina served only to make the icy blast even colder but we were still determined to get out on the cut for the weekend.
As soon as we unlocked the doors on Phoenix III, we started the engine and fired up the central heating just to make sure that there would be nothing to stop us going out. It was just after noon when we were ready to start our journey but first we had to punch our way through the ice and negotiate with the strong easterly wind before we could help Phoenix III escape from her winter prison. It took a bit of time but with plenty of care and patience we managed to get out without too much trouble.
Despite the cold it felt good to be back out, we made a quick stop for water since the marina supply is still switched off and then we headed for the junction, Braunston turn. As we pulled in to the water point we were just in time to see a small girl fall off a Viking hire boat, luckily enough her father saw her in time and she was pulled back on board, drenched and no doubt freezing cold but safe nonetheless. If there had been any thoughts of our own madness they were soon dispelled when we saw that there were many other boats on the move along the Oxford section of the Grand Union canal this Easter Saturday. It doesn’t make us right, it just means that we are not alone in our madness.
We chugged along without further incident, the sun came out and warmed us now and again, the snow blew in the wind as we passed Wigram’s turn but we were happy enough when we found a mooring between bridges 109 and 110. We ate some home made soup and then ventured out for a walk, a walk that took us to the Bridge Inn where we met the new management team, Nick and Lisa. They were having some trouble with the pub electrics but it didn’t prevent us having a couple of pints, a coffee and a glass of wine with them. Nick’s children were there and we engaged in conversation with them too. It will be a struggle for the young couple to make a success of this pub and we hope that they will make a success of their venture.
It was nearing five o’clock when we made our way back along the towpath to our boat where we lit the fire and Sue created a hearty chicken dinner for us.
So that was it, our first day out after more than six months had been very enjoyable despite the cold weather and it was still only the beginning of the Easter weekend.
Braunston via Napton
More blue skies when we got up and got going at eight o’clock. We turned as usual at Birdingbury wharf and then headed back in the direction of the junction with the Oxford canal. It didn’t take long to get to the three locks at Calcutt and we made short work of them, leaving the top one just half an hour after entering the bottom chamber. We turned right at the junction and made our way to Napton where we found a mooring just before the winding hole. There seemed to be a bit of a domestic dispute going on in the boat in front of us when we tied up. As we left the boat to walk to rubbish bins by the bottom lock, the skipper of the boat mumbled something about moving forward to give space for another boat. We left him, not sure what he was thinking about since he was already very close to the winding hole. After we had gotten rid of our bin bag, we wandered over to the little shop next to the Folly pub and bought an ice cream each. The pub wasn’t open so we made use of a bench in their garden and sat and ate the ice creams in the sunshine. We walked back to our mooring where we met the guy from the boat in front again and he asked us if we were staying. We told him that we were moving on but he then felt the need to explain that he had been going to ask us to move our boat either backwards or forwards to create space for another boat. We untied and turned around at the winding hole, giving a cheery wave to the self appointed harbour master as we passed.
We stopped for lunch just beyond the junction, almost opposite Wigrams turn marina. Sue picked this deliberately so that we would be on hand to view any ‘entertainment’ as boats tried to negotiate the turn. We weren’t disappointed as we ate our lunch out on the back deck. One boat turning too late and hitting the bank, another speeding through causing another to take avoiding action all added to the fun.
Once we were fed and watered we set off again, this time all the way to Braunston. The trip takes a couple of hours and on this occasion was relatively straightforward. We passed a boat being pumped out, it has been partially submerged for a few weeks now but the petrol powered pump was doing a grand job and she was almost afloat again. As we approached the last bridge before the turn with its iconic twin bridges, we were faced with two oncoming boats, nothing unusual in that except that a third boat which had been tied up at the bank decided to set off. It was all very confusing for a minute or two but it was soon sorted out and we went through first. As we got closer to the marina, Sue switched her iPad on and viewed the marina webcam page so that we could watch ourselves driving in.
We were pleased to see that Havoc II hadn’t returned which made our job of getting back into our berth very much easier than it sometimes is.
So that was it, another lovely weekend out on the boat dramatically enhanced by the superb late summer weather.
Lunch at the Buck & Bell
We were awake early, before the sun was up but we had our customary tea and then coffee before we finally got out of bed and got dressed. It was nine o’clock exactly when we set off towards Wigrams turn which we reached forty five minutes later. A few minutes later and we were at the first of the Calcutt locks. We dropped through the first one and then waited for two boats to ascend the middle lock before we made our way down and after we crossed over with a single boat we were down and through the bottom lock. It was half past eleven when we finally tied up above the Boat Inn at Stockton, a place that we have stopped on many occasions before.
We walked down to Long Itchington and had a drink in The Duck on the Pond before moving on to the Buck and Bell where we had an excellent lunch.
After walking back up the towpath we just relaxed in the sunshine for a few hours before retiring to the cabin of Phoenix III for the evening.
September sun
The weather has been absolutely glorious all week and although we were both thinking about boating this weekend, we were both a bit ‘matter of fact’ about it. We reached Braunston at four o’clock, loaded the few possessions that we had brought, filled the water tank and set off. The breeze, though light forced us to turn right out of the berth and then reverse before we could leave the marina by the main entrance.
Phoenix III ticked over gently as we made our way to the junction and turned left on to the Oxford section of the Grand Union. Within a few minutes it felt as if I had never been away from the boat as I gazed over the roof and down the cut into the distance. With the temperature in the mid twenties and a clear blue sky above it was easy to be deluded into thinking that this was a summer’s day but it was already the first week in September so the sun was already low in the sky.
The trip was very pleasant and we both enjoyed the time we had in the sunshine. We tied up on the little corner between bridges 102 and 103 that we stopped on a few weeks ago. We had a light meal on the back deck and joined the ranks of couples that we had already passed who were sitting either on their boats or on the towpath, eating and drinking.
By seven o’clock the sun had dropped below the hedge and as a result the temperature started to drop, not too cold but enough to push us back inside for the evening.
Home again
The final day dawned so we got up and got ready for half past eight. With thirteen locks in six miles we reckoned on a four or four and a half hour trip. We weren’t in a hurry to go but there was no point in delaying our departure either. Two boats had recently left the bottom lock so we found that chamber almost empty when we reached it. We worked up through the flight on our own, there were a couple of boats somewhere behind us but we didn’t meet anything coming down until the fifth lock. The sixth was in our favour and as we approached the top lock we could see that there was some activity there. We waited until the two boats in the lock left and then we used it, this the last of the uphill locks. As we left the lock, we saw a boat from the Ashby hire fleet pull away from the bank. He was almost out of sight by the time we reached Norton junction and within a few more minutes he was gone.
We reached Braunston tunnel half an hour later, switched the headlight on and slipped into the darkness. Immediately, we could see the headlight of an oncoming boat which would actually be the first of six that we would meet in the tunnel! There is easily enough space for two narrowboats to pass in the tunnel, unless that is, you meet them at that little kink of an ‘S’ bend that we all know and love! Naturally enough we met that first boat right at the point where the tunnel bends, where else could it have been? As usual it was a relief to get back into the daylight particularly since the tunnel traffic had been so heavy.
We joined the Ashby boat just above the top lock as they waited for a pair of boats to rise through the lock. The crew turned out to be a German couple who didn’t seem to be getting on with each other too well. They didn’t speak much english, either that or they just didn’t want to converse with us. As we worked the lock we could see that there were two boats in the pound below, heading down and two boats in the next lock coming up. With a volunteer lock keeper on the bank and the crew on one of the boats in the pound more interested in polishing their brasses than moving the boat, it looked like we had all the ingredients for a farcical end to our holiday.
With a steady stream of boats ascending, our passage down was relatively smooth but our German companions gave us a few laughs. As soon as the bottom gates were open on every lock, he was off at full speed, presumably he felt that since had arrived at the top lock first, he should remain in front to the bottom. This suited us because we watched him hit wall after wall, bank after bank all the way down the flight. Better to have someone like that in front of you where you can see them than behind you. At the bottom lock Der Kapitan picked up his wife and zoomed off down the cut, we followed on tickover leaving one gate open for an upcoming boat that was waiting for us to leave. This lock is number 1 of the old Grand Junction canal, we had been as far as number 86, Wide water lock. A few minutes later and we were passing under Butcher’s Bridge, again with the number 1, we had been as far as number 180. Our journey had taken us almost 79 miles away from Braunston, marked along the way by the black GJCCo signs, so it is fitting that our journey ended with this one, just inside the marina itself.
We shuffled our way into the berth and then had a light lunch before we packed up and cleared out the things that we needed to take home. Our long trip was over, the final one of the year, a bit of a slog in places but the weather was good. The boat worked perfectly well, we moored in all of the places that we wanted to and we had some laughs along the way.