Happy Winter Solstice

Being as I  think there might possibly be a deity singular or indeed plural or even just poor old Mother Earth, but that I do not believe in Religion and all its permutations I have decided to wish everyone a good time off over the Winter Solstice.


Enjoy the present giving family day

and have a

Happy New Year

Bobcat has been put to bed

I had a lovely cruise from Fradley (Coventry line) up to Kings Bromley on Thursday, meeting a couple of boaters that I had met before on the cut including a friend on their new boat.  Unfortunately it was as he was exiting a lock and I was going in so just time for a quick hello/goodbye.

I will hopefully get a chance for a neb around their boat next year.

I managed a perfect reverse entry onto my designated pontoon (shame no one was watching) and was very glad I didn't wait until Sunday to go into the Marina as the weather would have been against me. As it was Thursday was a lovely warm day with hardly a breeze and the sunshine burst through in the afternoon in time for the walk back for the car.

So that is the end of boating for the year.

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to everyone.

Lechlade back to Oxford Canal

We winded just through the bridge where the Thames goes left and another river joins to the right.

No pictures as it was a little fraught due to shallowness both sides and two currents to deal with.

And of course two opinions as to how it should be done!!!

We saw a family swimming and it looked such a good idea that as this lock was self service we decided to join in.

So we moored up got our swimming togs and walked around over the lock and weir back upstream to where a picnic site met the river and swam back to the boat.

Having got acclimatised and managed to get back onto boat I went back in hence the photo opportunity.

Lady off the boat in front joined me.  She had apparently been looking for an excuse all day.

She did it properly though - holding a glass of wine!

This is where the cut out deck comes in useful.  

Plenty of bits to hang on to (tie downs for motorbikes etc) 

and with your toes on the baseplate no problem to get out.

Might be harder fully clothed.

Watering up in Oxford this lady kindly went under the pipe but her husband blithely rode over it.  Ignorant Numpty.

I was concerned that as it is an xhose and it was fully expanded at that point that it might burst.  It didn't luckily- presumably the pressure would have sent the water out the other tap like it does when you turn the tap off ?  (Rob got very wet as he wasn't aware of how quickly the hose retracts)

Definitely no more Rivers this year.  

The anchor is back on the roof and the rope and chain back in the front locker.

Oxford to Lechlade (and beyond)

Bit of yoga

The Tomcat next to Bobcat 

My Nemesis.

Radcot Bridge successfully negotiated upstream just need the same luck going downstream when we will be the ones not in control.

Then we took the canoe as far up the Thames hoping to get to at least Hannington Road Bridge but after limbo-ing under one obstruction

We were met by a further obstruction just short of our destination

Which proved too much for us to negotiate

The Thames up here is not only more intimate than the lower reaches but positively up close and personal!!!

Abingdon

Taking advantage of the fact that the constant drizzle on Monday and Tuesday had loosened the sooty marks on the roof of the boat I set to work cleaning it off with the scrubbing brush.  Dolloping clean river water on with the manky mop.

Better late than never to remove the winter soot.

What a lovely clean roof.

Brief lunch stop in Abingdon.  Shame we couldn't stay longer and take advantage of the 5 day mooring availability 

Praying to the gods of ... ?

And now we have role reversal.  Him on boat and me at home.  That is so not right.

Weybridge to Marlow

Saluting his boss

I think she is in

Nice

Priorities

We set off from Pyrford yesterday and made it to Runneymede which was a bonus as plan A only got us to Weybridge.  Today we set off at 8.30am and made it to just above Marlow by 5pm.  We had lunch at Cliveden Woods and Rob took the bike to go look for milk while I continued up thro Cookham Lock and we met up again at Marlow Lock and moored up just below Temple Lock in the undergrowth.  First use of motorbike ramp with locking pin in place.  Since this is also my rail for the curtain between the bathroom and galley we will now be al fresco.  Rob has just returned from another trip to find a paper and fish and chips.  woo hoo

Pyrford to the limit

The River Wey Navigation is lovely.

Leaving Pyrford Lock

Approaching Newark Lock and Priory

Papercourt Lock (No really!!)

the locks on the Wey don't have ground paddles so you have to rope to a yellow pin near the lockgates at the bottom of the lock so you are as far back as possible from the fierce gate paddles.

this is the limit of navigation with a horse boat waiting for the horse and the punters.

to the right of the picture a brand new Sainsburies and they were giving out reusable jute bags with designs done by the local kids.  So we now have two.

My Dad posing by the sign for me.

Blurb

When we moored back outside the Manor Inn (Beefeater) again the horse boat went past.  Each time the first we knew of it was when the horse plodded past so we didn't get the best photo opportunity!