Breakdown on the Napton flight

We set off at 9:25 in overcast and breezy weather intending to ascend the 7 Napton Locks and the two at Marston Doles. UNfortuately events decreed otherwise.

After the 2nd lock the engine got stuck in reverse and the boat travelled backwards only stoppng when it hit against the entrance to a lock. Putting the gear lever into neutral or forward had no effect. I managed to turn it off. WTo make matters more difficult the locks were leaky and the water level very low so there was a danger of the boat grounding.

The only option was to pull the boat backwards into the lock and return to the previous pound where the water level was stable. We then called out River Canal Rescue (the AA of the waterways).  Their engineer turned up about 90 minutes later and diagnosed that the cable from the gear lever to the gear box was broken. Once it was fixed we set off again at 13:30 up the Napton flight.

After 3 locks it seemed to me that the boat was no responding properly to the gear lever.  So we called hm out again to adjust the setting. So by 5pm the boat was ready but it was too late to make any further progress so we have moored for the night with another 5 locks to do.  This delay is likely to make our planned trip as far as Windsor impossible, but we will see how much progress we make over the next few days.

Moored above lock 11 on the Napton flight

Todays travel statistics

Distance 2.63 miles
Locks: 4
Duration: 3 hours 10 minutes (moving)

Towards the Thames

 We started a new voyage today.  The plan is to travel down the South Oxford Canal to the Thames at Oxford and from there to Windsor.  We will then retrace our steps to get back home in July.

At 10:15 we left the marina and turned south towards Braunston.  The weather was wet and cold with a breezy wind so we needed full waterproofs.  After conditions improved later in the journey we enjoyed a quick lunch on the move and reached the South Oxford Canal, mooring up near Napton Locks at 13:30.  The early stop was due to Denise's presence rquired at a Zoom meeting in the afternoon.

While Denise was zooming I walked the mile or so into the appropriately named Napton-on-the-Hill, the nearest village to the canal ,and bought a few items at the very useful village shop.  

Daily cruise details:

Distance: 8.94 miles
Locks:0
Duration: 3 hours 15 minutes

Home again

 We set off from Anstey at 9:10 in cold blustery weather made less comfortable by light rain blown in the wind.  By 12:30 we had reached Rugby where we stopped for a rest and some lunch on board.

Approaching the swing bridge at Sutton Stop

Passing by the swing bridge

Canal scenery soon after Sutton Stop

We set off again at 13:15 and when we reached Hilmorton Locks we were pleased to be assisted by volunteer lock keepers on 2 of them.   The gusty wind continued throughout the journey and could have made manoeuvring in the marina very difficult.  Fortunately the wind direction pushed the boat directly towards our moorings.  We finally tied up at 16:05.

Daily Statistics

Distance - 16.17 miles
Locks 3
Swing bridges 1
Duration 6 hours 15 minutes

Total Journey Statistics

Distance 50.41 miles
Locks 8
Swing bridges 2
Duration 20.83 miles
Average speed 2.91 miles/hour
Average cruising time 2.98 hours/day

Returning home from Coventry

 After an enjoyable day and a half in Coventry it is now time to head back.  We left our moorings in Coventry Basin at 10:05, turned the boat around and stopped just beyond the entrance to fill up with water.

Then made good progress averaging 3mph to join the Oxford Canal again at Hawksbury Junction. We continued cuising until the visitor moorings just after the small village of Ansty where we moored up for the day at 14:00.

Passing below the M6

Artistic footbridge on the Coventry Canal

Entry to Hawkswood Junction and the Oxford Canal

View from Hawksbury stop lock towards the entry

First ducklings of the year

Moored near Ansty

Daily Statics

Distance 9.1 miles
Locks 1
Duration 3 hours 55 minutes

A day moored in Coventry

We stayed at Coventry Basin all day. Denise had a Zoom meeting in the morning whilst I did what shopping I coud at the nearby Sainsburys city centre shop.  Sadly it seemed rather rundown with half the self scan tills not working and several of the items on the shopping list not available.

After lunch at the small Portugese cafe in the Basin we walked into the centre again, found most of the groceries we needed at M&S and returned to the boat.

Into Coventry

 For only the second time ever in our boating career we went into central Coventry where we hope to stay until Friday.

We set off at 10:15 after filling up with water.  Firstly we had to descend the 1-foot stop lock down from the North Oxford Canal to the Coventry Canal and then turn left at the subsequent junction towards the end of the canal at Coventry Basin in the city centre.

Hawkesbury Junction Stop Lock

Modern canalside housing on the way to central Coventry

Impressive footpath bridge over the Coventry Canal

A tight squeeze at the entrance to Coventry Basin

The journey was uneventful but quite interesting with, for the most part, tree-lined sections separating areas of attractive modern housing.  We passed through the narrow bridge at the entry to the basin and temporarily stopped at 12:30 at some no-mooring signs to look for somewhere to moor. 

At first sight the whole basin seemed full of narrowboats but we then saw an area off to the side with convenient mooring rings and bollards where no-one else was moored.  Since there were no signs saying otherwise we tied up there for the night.

Moored in Coventry Basin

Daily Statistics

Distance 5.73 miles
Locks 1
Duration 2.5 hours

Hawksbury Junction

 Another bright and sunny morning.  We left our moorings near Brinklow at 9:55 and arrived at Hawkesbury Junction visitor moorings on the outskirts of Coventry just before 1pm.  Very pleasant scenary but the only photo today is of stationary traffic on the M45.

Daily Statistics

Distance 7.84 miles
Locks 0
Movable bridges1 (photo on our return journey)
Duration: 3 hours