Weather the weather

Hello everyone.

We have been pushing on up the Oxford canal and the weather has not been kind.

We've had sun,


We've had rain,


We've had cloud,


We've had howling winds.

Usually all on the same day too!



Though we are back to narrow locks, which are a joy.



The captain's love of high and dangerous got the better of her.



Plus a very interesting tunnel.



We have now turned onto the Birmingham and Fazeley canal. Where we are having a day off, before going into Birmingham itself and the small matter of 36 locks in the way.

The Grand Union

Hi Gang,

For the last few days we have been traveling up the Grand Union. We've not blogged because this canal doesn't do or go anywhere interesting. The only things of note have been Milton Keynes which you don't get to see much of as it's hidden behind trees most of the time.

Then we had a very windy day!




Then there was Stoke Bruerne which has the third of the national waterways museums. Tiny little place compared to Gloucester and Ellesmere Port, but you did get a very unusual view of some lock gates.



Then we had a very wet day or two. We kept out of the rain for a while going through Blisworth tunnel, all 3,057 yards of it. That's about 2 miles and 40 minutes underground.





Then today we went through Braunston tunnel a bit shorter at 2042 yards but felt longer because of all the oncoming boats.

That lead us onto the Oxford canal towards Rugby, tomorrows destination.

Get outta town

We spent a night in the big city and that was enough for us. After breakfast we set off into the heart of London. We went out through Mile End, Hackney and Islington.

Then Camden town and it's famous market.





Then Regents park with it's grand houses



and london Zoo


I was hoping for Lions and Tigers or even monkey or two, alas no just some rather dull black and white birds and the African hunting dog pound and they were hiding.

Then past Paddington, Wormwood scrubs skirted Wembley and Northholt. Passing Southall and heading for Uxbridge to get us as far away from the city as we could. Stopping briefly for supplies, we decided to press on and find somewhere green. Which we found near Denham.

Today we teamed up with a boat we met in Limehouse basin. They were waiting for an incoming tide as we arrived on the ebb tide. Each of us going the opposite way around London.

We made good progress but it was a very workman like day, nothing of real interest just covering the ground has got us out of the M25 ring and just south of Hemel Hempstead. Tomorrow we keep heading north and hopefully the summit pound.

Terror on the high seas

We made it and we survived, just.

We set off bright and early this morning to arrive at Teddington lock in time to catch the tide to take us through London. We'd been dreading it. The lock gates opened and the Thames was as placid as it has been all the way.



Though the tide was pulling us through the water pretty quickly. We saw 8.3 mph might not sound much but when you spend your days at 3.5 mph that's quick! We quickly grew accustomed to our new found speed, settled down and watched the sights go by.




We only met two or three boats all the way to Vauxhall bridge. Though their wakes threw us about a bit it was nothing to worry about. We passed by the MI6 building, James Bonds, head office.



Things got a little bit more interesting! The boats got bigger, faster, closer and more frequent. Each adding to the waves caused by the last. Pitching in two or three feet of swell may not sound much, but on a boat made for still water it's terrifying. Though nowhere near as " oh my god we are going to die " scary as rolling side to side. Mix in both together and it makes for an adrenalin soaked thrill ride.

It might not look like much, you had to be there. Which we were and have photos to prove it.



We ticked off the must see sights as we went. All credit to the captain, taking photos in those conditions was no mean feat.




Then came the main goal of the trip.

Tower Bridge.

Thankfully things calmed down after this, though a sight seeing boat gave us a final farewell by swamping our rear deck on his way by. Then it was just the last mile to Limehouse.



I have never been so relieved to see a lock.




We celebrated with pizza, ice cream and lashings of ginger beer. Then broke out the Champagne we had saved from the wedding. It seemed fitting, the highlight of the trip also marks our furthest point from home and the start of the return journey.

Will canals ever be the same again after today?

New crew and a grand day out

We left you just after Henley on Thames from where we carried on down stream to Maidenhead to pick up some extra crew.



And a big sister.




With our crew complete we set out for Windsor.



Where we had a lovely afternoon messing about in the water.



Though I have my suspicions the captain is training up a new comms officer.




Then in the morning we all got on a bus



and set out for Lego land





Where we studied in detail the London section so we know where to go when we pass through in Maya.




We also saw a very familiar face, Mr B ?????



The following day we took our crew down to Staines where we had to say goodbye to them,




before heading to our last overnight mooring on the Thames.



Where we booked our passage through Limehouse basin tomorrow, all being well at 1:30 we shall be passing under Tower Bridge.

Watch this space !!!

The Thames

Hi everybody,

Sorry it's been a while, we've been back on the wild stretches of the K&A where the phone signals are all but non existant.

We left you at the foot of the Caen hill.



Though we had the help of Celtic Dream and her happy crew, thanks guys !




It being a Sunday and glorious weather there was no shortage of gongoozlers to watch proceedings.



Just as we entered the last lock of the day our relief crew arrived, nice timing Mr B.We finished the run up to Devizes and went for a well deserved pub lunch. After a very pleasant afternoon Mr B left on his bike, hope you had a good ride home.




The next morning it was time to go in search of the mystical laundrette, well not so difficult to find this time as we'd walked past it on the way to the pub! Then resupply the ships stores.




Then it was time to be underway again. Where an old form of transport met new.




Then old met even older!



We rattled through locks and places we passed through on our way in, it all seems so different in the other direction. We had a closer look at the pill boxes,



Most have been left to nature but this one has been converted into a bat roost, if you look closely you can see their entrace holes in the smaller gun slot.



There are many stories to be told on the cut. Some may be true but they don't all have a happy ending !


We were getting close to the end of the K&A now it's been hard work all the way!





But the final lock eventually arrived and we were back on the Thames

yes I know it's not a good look, but long coat, shorts and crocs mean no wet trousers, socks or shoes. Though you do feel a bit of a pratt walking through Reading town centre.



Oh what a pleasure to be back on the river. Plenty of room for everybody, no crashing through the undergrowth. Best of all when you get to a lock, a nice man opens the gates for you and does all the hard work.




We have just passed through Henley on Thames,




Found a lovely mooring and stopped for the day. Five minuets later the heavens opened. We have been very lucky so far on this trip. It has only rained for a whole day on us once and that was yesterday. Otherwise we've missed it like today.