Marina's and wind. Not a good combination

 Oct 17th

 Mat and Jen phoned at 4.30 pm, "Traffic is really bad, we are at junction 9 on the M1 and at a standstill". They were trying to get to us from Tilbury and had no idea what they had let themselves in for. We should have told them to leave early, should have mentioned the Friday rush hour traffic, but we forgot. Coming from Oz, the main highway from Sydney (where my brother lives) and Newcastle (Mats and Jen's home town) is called the Pacific Highway and traffic hardly ever builds up as it does in the UK. So it was a bit of a shock to them both. They eventually arrived just after 7 pm. We phoned our son to see if the family would like to join us in the pub and for him to get reacquainted with his cousin. He jumped at the chance.

Showing Jen and Mat, FS

Left is our son Colin, next to him is grandson Oliver, behind Oliver is Ian and next to Ian is Jen. In front of Jen is Mat, I'm behind Mat, then daughter-in-law Iwona and lastly grandson Oscar to the right.

 

The evening was over all too soon, quite when we will see Mat and Jen again is yet to be decided, but certainly not next year. Our 5-week motorhome safari in South Africa will be the main holiday then.

Oct 18th

No great distance to go today, only as far as Milton Keynes Marina. In fact, we could have stopped at Campbell Park, and we would have done if it hadn't been completely full! 

 

In the end, we stopped about a mile from the marina. We had arranged to go in on the 19th for 5 weeks, somewhere to leave the boat when my brother Andre and partner Sally come over early November. We will all be staying with our son.

 Sunday 19th

Of all days to go into a Marina, it had to be the first day of wind and rain we have had in ages! Marinas are notorious for the effect wind has on them, swirling in different directions, and this one was no different. Our first task was to find the office. I do wish some sort of signage could be present. It would make life so much easier! Anyway, we turned through the entrance to our right, luckily we chose wisely!

Heading in

Having sorted the paperwork, walked with the manager to where we would be berthed, a challenge then to get FS turned around. Unfortunately, we didn't have enough room to do that manoeuvrer, so had to reverse back through the marina entrance before then turning to the left.

 Our berth was on the other side of the marina, meant we had to travel right to the end and then do a sharp turn to the right.

 

Wind was blowing directly toward us, not good for where we needed to be.

On the pontoon were the geese and ducks. Great, as this was where we had to be, lots of poo to contend with!

 

Gosh, there was hardly any room to reverse in. In fact, the wind was such a hindrance that Ian really struggled, so I did no more than, when Ian put the bow up against the bank, jump off with the bow rope  (yep, I can do that with my new knee) and haul her around. That worked a treat but left me on the opposite bank. Oh well, just have to walk to the gate pictured in the distance, a walk all the way to our pontoon.

 Ian will fetch our car tomorrow, a taxi to the bus station and then a National Express to Nottingham, followed by yet another bus to Sandiacre. We will stay on the boat for the next few days and then drive to our son's for his delayed 50th birthday party. 

 

So who gets the lock

It was a fairly early start, 4 locks to do before we reached the bottom lock, and we wanted to be ready to descend for the 10 am opening. By 9.20 am, we were waiting for the volunteer to arrive and unlock the chain. The day was calm and the colours of the leaves this time of year were stunning.

Waiting for the volunteer

I took myself to the lock, noticed it was half full. Hmm, the volunteer now had a choice, lock us down first or bring up the two boats waiting at the bottom, it could go either way. 

 A lady volunteer arrived dead on 10 am, unlocked the padlock holding the chains together, then came back to us,  "Oh dear", she said. "Are you in any hurry because I feel I should get the two boats up first. It's 50/50 who has the lock". It was agreed that the lock was to be emptied for those boats.

Unlocking the padlock

 

 Once we got going, it was a 2-hour steady cruise to Cosgrove. And yet again another cruiser slowly heading for the depths

Coming into Cosgrove is Bridge 65 also called Ornamental Bridge. It's grade 11 listed

  

Crikey, it's a good job we didn't want to stop at Cosgrove because the moorings above Cosgrove lock were chock-a-block, not a space to be had. Water and loo emptying required, so onto the services we went. OMG that tap....how slow? After 20 minutes enough was enough even though the water tank was nowhere near full.

Cosgrove lock had a boat just coming out. I could see them, they didn't see me and started to close the gate. Wow, Ian can turn a bit of speed when he needs to and with a loud hail plus hand gestures, they kept them open.

Below lock moorings at Cosgrove.

 Took forever to reach Gifford Park. I can't remember the last time so many boats were moored along the 8-mile stretch, Ian even got shouted at by two dubious looking characters on equally dubious looking breasted up boats. Said their pins were being pulled out. Well if they knew how to secure the boats properly it would have helped and as for Ian speeding, a snail could go faster than him! 

At Gifford Park, a space very near to the facilities was grabbed. It's 7-day mooring, and it's the perfect place for us to meet up with Jen and Mat, they come for a visit tomorrow late afternoon.

And seen on the way

 

Looks like part of the wall collapsed. 

Why do this to such an iconic steam train mural? Even the locomotive has been wiped out!

Another dash to meet the 2 pm closing.

 15th Oct

It was quite noisy moored at the bottom of Buckby flight. Motorway and trains right on the doorstep, now I remember why we usually give this mooring a miss! We got underway by 8.30 am, many lock free hours ahead before reaching the top of Stoke Breurne Locks. On the way, a couple more sunken boats. CRT's hands are tied, difficult to get them removed, and plenty more throughout the system. It's a long-drawn-out process of finding the owner and more often most have been abandoned, which makes the process even harder

  Gayton junction moorings had this boat near the junction. I thought the floating fenders a bit OTT, although the state of the boat was such that the slightest knock could have had it sinking into the depths!

 

We reached Blisworth Tunnel and time was getting on. Our window of opportunity to get through Stoke Breurne Locks was getting shorter. It had already taken us 4.5 hours from leaving Buckby, a cruise of 12.3 miles. A widebeam was waiting for its assisted passage through tomorrow morning. With the tunnel two-way, it has to be closed to narrow boaters 'cos one may have quite shock if this was met halfway through! 

 

The race was now on to get through the tunnel as quickly as possible, as the lock would be closed at 2pm. Nearly 3 km in length, one can get a good head of speed if nothing comes the other way. At first all was clear but quarter way through and a headlight appeared. I continued to motor, it's a long tunnel, and they had only just entered. By the time I throttled back, the boat was getting close. On tickover and well on the right side, why was it not getting any closer? Crikey, it's not that blooming ghost again??? Those of you who are new to this blog, to see what I'm talking about, click HERE. Anyway, after a good while, I did eventually meet it. Blooming boat was almost stationary, no wonder it took an age to reach! This had all taken time, and we eventually exited the tunnel at 1.51 pm.  I checked my watch! Anyway, we debated whether to just moor or give it a go to the locks, we chose the latter. 1.59 pm....that's when the volunteer lockkeeper saw us pulling onto the lock landing. I asked if we could go down, but my answer depended on whether we wanted to go through the whole flight of 7 locks or just the first two and moor in the long pound. We said to moor, so he helped us down both locks. Phew...that's the second time we have only just made the deadline. Chains once more went on as I descended the first lock, we were last boat again!

Only one other boat moored in the long pound, and the volunteer said it's been left unattended for a while. Tomorrow we make sure we are on the bottom lock landing for opening at 10am because we plan to get to Gifford Park. Friday our niece Jen and husband, Mat, (over from Australia) will visit. They are only in the UK for 5 days and Gifford Park has a nice pub where we can all meet at.

Two lock flights done...just!

 14th Oct

 It was an hour run to get to Braunston this morning, no need to set off too early as the locks wouldn't open until 10 am. We timed it just right, arrived at Braunston bottom lock just after 10, two boats were already on their way up. Quite rightly, the volunteer lockie asked if we would wait to see if another boat joined us. We didn't have long to wait.

First sighting of Braunston church

Oxford canal continues to the right. Grand Union to the left.

Bottom Lock.

 

 5 locks to do, which took an hour. Most of the locks had volunteers, which helped immensely. 

 

Several pounds were low, and I was advised not to stray from the middle.

Our locking buddy moored, he decided not to go through the tunnel today. For us, fingers were crossed no boats would be met along the 1.17miles, but as we entered Braunston tunnel, a headlight was seen in the distance. This tunnel is notorious for its bendy bit, often called by old time boaters 'bendy bird'. 

The phrase "Braunston tunnel bendy bird" refers to the famous "bendy" (curved) canal tunnel on the Grand Union near Braunston, Northamptonshire. The "bendy bird" part likely refers to a common nickname or inside joke among canal boaters, as there is no official "bendy bird" associated with the tunnel.

 Guaranteed to meet another boat at the most awkward moment, it did indeed happen to me. We crept past each other, with the only scraping noise heard as both boats made contact with the tunnel walls.

 

With the time coming up to midday, we felt sure we would get through the Buckby flight. After all, the deadline was 2 pm. As we came through Norton junction, two boats had just ascended. I pulled onto the landing and Ian went off to see the volunteers. When he returned, he said we were lucky. Apparently this flight is shut from 1 pm and as there was still 5 minutes to go, they allowed us through but said we would be the last to descend that day. 

Top lock

 

This gate is being replaced during the winter stoppages. It can't be used at the moment.

It took about 90 minutes to reach the bottom lock, not bad considering there were 7 locks in the flight.

Bottom lock

 

 A mooring was found and while I was sorting the stern rope, Ian happened to go into the lounge area. What greeted him was a broken bottle and my red wine making a river from the bow to the galley bulkhead! Blast....only bought the bottle yesterday! I know what happened. Coming through the bridge hole at Norton junction, I turned too soon. A boat had turned up and was waiting to come through the bridge, I tried to be quick and cut the corner, which consequently made FS hit that concrete hard. The jolt must have been sufficient to send that bottle flying! And then, to add insult to injury, I went into the bathroom and discovered water all over the floor. It must have been the water peeing across the side of FS from the lock. The hopper window was open and in it poured, 

I took this thinking what a good boat wash it made, Not so happy about it now.

 A good excuse, I suppose, to wash all the floors. I was leaving that task until we reached MK.