We have left the Thames, it always feels sad for some reason and coming on to the Oxford canal it felt so claustrophobic, especially coming through Dukes cut. Once on the canal it seemed that the boat had a mind of its own, gone was the deep water that lies under the boat that you get on the Thames.
Entering Roundham lock I ran aground, I had let the bow move out across the canal in a rather relaxed and careless way only to find the boat aground when I moved off; of course you have no control over the bow from a stationary position. I reversed off but could not get the bow around because of a strong cross wind. Solution, shuffle down the gunwale and throw a rope to the bank for Frances and throw the stern rope to a kind lady from the boat that had pulled up behind and they both pulled me off the side as I moved forward. Who needs a bow thruster, when you have two strong able bodied women to provide the required sideways momentum?
We are now moored up at Thrupp next to Bones and Maffi. I have cooked a Corsican beef stew in the dream pot, we can only sit and wait with our feet up for the outcome. I think that maybe I should have started cooking it about an hour earlier.
Today we did 13.58 miles 7 Locks and 1 swing Bridge
Statistics so far:-
732.96 Miles, 522 Locks, 48 Swing Bridges, 27 Lift Bridges, 6 Tunnels.
Posted by nblazydays 