Homeward Bound

The last section of the south Oxford Canal proved to be the best.  Maybe it was because we had such a glorious day’s weather, but the meandering of the canal through some lovely countryside and the descent down through the locks to Napton on the Hill made for a magical day’s cruising on Friday.  We [...]

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Onwards and upwards

Today we completed our ascent to the summit of the Oxford Canal.  Admittedly that’s not very high, but it’s taken us four slow days to get here from Oxford (five if you count Saturday’s effort) to cover 35 miles, 30 locks and 17 lift bridges.  The Coventry and Grand Union Canals earlier in the trip [...]

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A slow start on the Oxford Canal

Well, after two days of blistering heat we started Saturday with torrential rain which didn’t let up till after lunch.  We laid low till it stopped, then set off at about 2.00pm. We hadn’t been travelling more than 15 minutes when our way was blocked by the fallen branch of a willow tree – well, [...]

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Farewell to the Thames

After 14 days cruising with the big boys on the Thames we are back on the canal system at Oxford. We had a eventful time meeting new people, being laid up waiting for the alternator to be fixed and catching up with the family at Henley and Abingdon. Now back to where we left you [...]

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My family and other animals

We stayed in Henley in Sunday as it was a convenient place for Jenny, Phil, baby Martha and Toby the spaniel to visit us on their way back to Grantham from holiday in the West Country.  It was lovely weather and we had a picnic by the boat in the park and a walk into [...]

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Pimms on the deck – not

Finally left Bourne End at 9.30am and did a relatively short hop up to Henley.  We’d not intended to stop but by the time we arrived the next the lock-keeper along would have been on his lunch break, and at the far end of town we found some great moorings in Mill Meadows.  What was [...]

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Laid up

Well it had to happen sooner or later.  10 weeks of cruising after months sat on the mooring on shore power – something had to give.  On Wednesday morning, we noticed an odd smell from the vicinity of the engine, a quick check at the next lock revealed the batteries weren’t charging.  Luckily we were [...]

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Wildcat Island

We are writing this from the most idyllic mooring we have ever found.  In Cliveden Reach, on one of the four Bavin’s Gulls Islands, part of the National Trust’s Cliveden Estate.  No roads anywhere near, no noise, very few other boats and most of those passing us by.  For a while this morning we had [...]

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