What a time to get up....6.45am....unheard of for us! And it was all the fault of the canal planner program Ian has on his computer. Yesterday Ian phoned Anglo Welsh at Eynsham to check that the head casket had been ordered and was very surprised to learn it was ready and waiting and could we collect it on Sunday. So it was find out how long it would take from Shillingham to Sandford, a total of 15 miles and 5 locks. The estimate (canal planner) was nearly 7 hours. Ever mindful that it's a Saturday and all the weekend warriors would be trying to find a place to stop, arriving early afternoon to secure a mooring was high on our priority list. That left 13 miles and 6 locks to do on Sunday with probably another early start. But....we arrived at Sandford after only 5.5 hours, 90 minutes earlier than stated. Either we are travelling faster than we thought (our GPS shows us doing 4-4.2 mph) or the canal planner has a glitch! Anyway we wont be leaving at a silly time on Sunday morning, about 9am should be okay.....I hope!
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| Wonderful time to cruise the Thames 7.45am |
Days lock was unmanned. Well, at 8am the lock keepers would most probably be having a leisurely breakfast while silly idiots like us get going too early. In the lock with and nestled in behind FS, a 'le boat' hirer. Ian was already off doing his locking duties when one of the crew from the hire boat decided to take over. Now I know self service is slower than when the locks are manned because the sluices open in stages but by Jove this one was fierce and it took combined efforts of Ian and me to stop the surge back and hitting the cruiser. Not the hirer's fault as all he did was press the button. At least Clifton lock was manned by the time we arrived there.
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| Day's lock |
Had a treat in store as, unbeknown to us, the motocross bikers were out in force after Abingdon lock, at a place called Culham, some sort of race was going on and the Thames gave us a great view of the action.
Now why did I take a photo of this,
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| Just a wall one might think, well..... |
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| Takes some seeing but it is a narrowboat! |
Stopped on the EA mooring above Sandford lock by 13.00. The pub, Kings Arms, looked like somewhere to have a meal tonight, I walked over to look at the menu. Maybe not then, as the cheapest meal was about £12. (Expensive from two people who like Wetherstones!)
And todays wildlife,
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| Will it take him 30 minutes to perform? |
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| Another Heron but look at his poor leg. |
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| Lapwings |
2 comments:
The owner of the camouflage boat is definitely not in camouflage ... he wears his hair in a mohican style about 8" long (or I should say high) and dyed bright red!
Would like to have seen that! Why camouflage a boat though unless he is up to no good. The only other boat owner of a camouflaged narrowboat ended up in prison! Xxx
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