His and Hers

The ultimate arrangement? His and Hers narrow boats.

Here are Sue and Vic from No Problem with their old and new narrow boats. Sue is steering their  new boat which they are moving onto, while Vic is steering their home for several happy years.

Their former home is up for sale and they are heading towards Braunston to sell the boat there - unless someone takes up this once in a lifetime opportunity to purchase the boat with the lovely happy past before they get there.

Sue and Vic had left Devizes and cruised to just short of the first locks at Wootton Rivers on Wednesday.  I travelled by train to join them for 2 days to help work through the locks to Hungerford.

It was great fun and lovely to be with these friends again.  Their dog, Lucy, was a little uncertain when she saw me in the distance on a folding bike, having not seen me on one before, but as soon as she recognised me I was given her special welcome.

 

Lucy often trots along the towpath alongside the narrow boat as they move along.  She was a little confused and not sure which boat to follow or to ride on.

We used the folding bike for lock wheeling - cycling along the towpath between locks.  This enabled one of us to close the gates and paddles at one lock, then ride to the next lock to have that ready for when the boats arrive.

Here’s Lucy running ahead of Sue, while looking backwards to make sure she’s following.


 

The weather was glorious providing the opportunity to photograph the boats breasted up as we tried different ways to move them between locks.

Posted on Friday, April 27, 2007 at 18:29
Comments (1) Category(s): Kennet and Avon , No Problem

No Problem is up for sale

Don’t miss this once in a lifetime opportunity to purchase a narrowboat with a great history. Regular readers of this blog will have seen many references to Sue, Vic and Lucy on No Problem. Well, now they are about to move onto a new boat and the first No Problem narrowboat is up for sale. Have a look at Sue’s Blog to see the happy adventures aboard the boat and, perhaps, follow the links to make a great purchase. Go on . . . the blog makes a good read . . .

Posted on Saturday, April 21, 2007 at 13:48
Comments (0) Category(s): No Problem

Waterway Walks

We are proud to announce the launch of Waterway Walks.

The project started with an idea from Sue on No Problem some time ago.  With lots of useful feedback and encouragement from Sue we’ve turned that idea into reality.

Now we have the Cotswold Canals Walks to complement to best selling Cotswold Canals DVD from Waterway Routes.

Each set contains 10 circular walks based along the route of the Cotswold Canals.  They cover both the Thames and Severn Canal, and the Stroudwater Navigation.

Each walks is contained in its own 11 page booklet and has step by step instructions supported by pictures with arrows to show exactly which was to go.

Each step shows the distance from the previous step, and the Ordnance Survey Grid reference for those who are interested (although you don’t need to understand these to follow the walks).

The centre fold of each walking booklet shows an extract of the Ordnance Survey Landranger (1:50k) map with each step marked with numbered arrows.

Further details and ordering information are available on the website.

The Cotswold Canals Trust have already seen a sample and they placed an immediate order.

They will be stocking it at their Saul Junction Heritage Centre just as soon as I can get the stocks to them.

We will be publishing further sets of walks along canals and waterways later this year.

Posted on Friday, April 20, 2007 at 13:59
Comments (1) Category(s): Recent

Back to Base

We’ve completed our return trip from Fenny Compton to Oxford. The boat is back with the builders for 2 weeks to complete the build and deal with a few snagging items. Then we will collect the boat and start heading northwards. The initial plans are to head for Birmingham via the narrow canals - Oxford, Coventry etc. Thank you to all those we talked to on route and to those who left comments on the Blog - please keep the comments coming.

Posted on Sunday, April 15, 2007 at 21:05
Comments (1) Category(s): Build our Boat

Going Slowly

We’re beginning to relax and move out of what Sue on No Problem calls “Motorway Mode”.

Susan and I are heading northwards after dropping Christine, Andrew and Megan at Oxford to catch trains to Nailsea and Manchester.

We’re moored between Lower Heyford and Upper Heyford and it quiet and peaceful.  Just the other side of the towpath is the River Cherwell which shares its course with the canal from time to time.

Tomorrow were off to Banbury to pick up Christine from the station.

Posted on Tuesday, April 10, 2007 at 15:27
Comments (1) Category(s): News , Recent

Easter Sunday Geocaching

Yesterday, Susan wanted to see if we could find any of the geocaches positioned along the canal. You can find these on the internet with clues, often including an OS Grid Reference and then you have to search out the container which is hidden so those not in the know can’t find it.

Inside there is often something interesting and a list you can add your name to.

Here’s Andrew, Susan and Christine adding their name to the list in the one we found yesterday.

 

Then, this morning, Easter Sunday, we saw a father on the towpath giving his son instructions on using a hand held GPS receiver.  They didn’t look like they were going far and this was rather too early on a Sunday morning to be going for a walk.

A quick shout from his Dad hinted at what was going on.

Then we look at the foot of the next tree. It’s hardly visible in the photograph but there was an object wrapped in silver foil and looking just like an Easter Egg.

Does hunting for Easter Eggs with a GPS count as Geocaching?

Then we continued on through Pigeon Lock where we chatted to several people and a very nice family, leaving someone clutching a business card and keen to check the blog when they got home.  I do hope they leave their names in a comment.
 

On towards Oxford.  Progress is very slow as there seem to be miles and miles of moored boats to slow down for.

Posted on Sunday, April 8, 2007 at 14:35
Comments (0) Category(s): News , Recent

South to Upper Heyford

A leisurely start today, then on through Banbury to Upper Heyford.

I was lovely to cruise slowly past the line of moored boats in Banbury in silent electric mode and watch all the heads turn.

Then at the lock in Banbury a lady waiting to bring a boat up the lock looked familiar.  I was only as we were leaving I though it must be something to do with the Cotswold Canals Trust and I asked her.

Yes, she said, and she had not only seen the Cotswold Canals DVD but had sold several.  Then I pointed to the name panel on the boat and she spotted it was the same as on the DVDs.  I still can’t remember her name - so if you are reading this then please leave me a comment or send me an email.

A few little niggles are starting to appear with the boat, but nothing to worry about.  The central heating has stopped working which is probably related to the fact that the header tank needed topping up with 2 pints of water every 5 minutes and then we found water dripping down the back of the electric cupboard at the stern.  We’ve stopped adding water and we can manage without central heating for a few days.

South to Oxford tomorrow.

Posted on Saturday, April 7, 2007 at 20:08
Comments (2) Category(s): News , Recent

Maiden Voyage

We finally made it to our maiden voyage.  Christine, Susan and I were off to Fenny Compton again.

First was an end to end tour of the boat to check everything was alright and for Ian to demonstrate how things worked. Then we loaded everything on board and starting stowing things away in the cupboards.

I made a quick trip to Banbury to collect Andrew and Megan from the station and returned to the boat.

Then the maiden voyage.  A cruise northwards to the winding hole at the Wharf Inn with Andy and Ian showed the diesel was still working.

Then we headed back south under electric power to drop Andy and Ian off at the marina and continue on our own.

We are trying with diesel power on the longer stretches to propel the boat and charge the batteries, then electric power in and around the locks.

Everyone commented on how new the boat looked and most were puzzled by the lack of engine noise.

We started to relax and took a few pictures, including the classic one at Cropredy where our hull was first put onto the water on 2 October 2006.

Posted on Friday, April 6, 2007 at 21:04
Comments (0) Category(s): News , Recent

Going up in the World

Another day in a busy week.  This time it was a trip to Devizes to help No Problem and Moore2Life ascending the Caen Hill flight.

It was the hottest day of the year so far with splendid sunshine.  Parking the car near the top I strolled down the flight to meet them at the bottom lock.

Gentle progress during the morning and we were at the top in less than 3 hours.

Sue, on No Problem, and Chas, on Moore2Life, steered the boats side by side from one lock to the next.  That avoids the problem of holding one boat at the side of the broad locks until the other arrives.

I left them moored safely at the top of the locks next to the swan which was sitting on the bank.  It was there when we arrived and it simply watched everything going on without bothering about anything.

Then I headed home to complete the packing.  Tomorrow we are heading back to Fenny Compton but, for the first time, not returning the same day.

We will start our maiden cruise on our boat, Waterway Routes.

Look out for us on the Southern Oxford Canal and say Hello if you see us.

Posted on Thursday, April 5, 2007 at 18:14
Comments (1) Category(s): No Problem

Proving Trials

Off to Fenny Compton yet again.  I think the car knows its own way by now.

Today the electric motor was used for our trail run to the winding hole at the Wharf Inn and back.  Manoeuvring around the marina was an excellent demonstration of how the bow thrusters worked.

Departure was using the diesel engine, then as soon as we were straightened up on the canal we shut down the diesel and turned the key for the electric motor.

Silence.  Then we moved the throttle and we heard the rush of water and some noise from the electric motor.

Well the engine trap doors were open so we could take measurements and check everything was working.

There is just one problem, to be fixed later.  The meter which shows how much current we are taking is reading too high.  For now we have to remember that when it reads 100 amps it’s only drawing 75 amps and so on for other readings.  It can easily be fixed later.

We made measurements of current drawn and speed from a GPS then put the engine covers on and cruised silently back to the berth in the marina.  It was lovely to talk to people on other boats without shouting.

The next trip to Fenny Compton will be on Friday for the maiden voyage.  All being well we will leave Fenny Compton around lunchtime and head south towards Oxford, returning the following Thursday or Friday.  Please say Hello if you see us around.

Posted on Wednesday, April 4, 2007 at 18:18
Comments (1) Category(s): Build our Boat