Wednesday, 30 April 2008
The Anchor Inn
Tuesday, 29 April 2008
Grumpy Old Man

Grumpy Old Man
nb ALACRITY
Monday, 28 April 2008
The Thames
Mort complained and eventually wasn't charged for her meal. My meal wasn't bad, but overpriced. I don't supposed we will be going there again!
We continued on down to Abingdon where Mort moored in her usual place and I found a space on rings just below the town bridge.
At the bottom of the Oxford
The heron is now on her front deck! The pot in front contains the remains of the last heron I found her way back last year.
Saturday, 26 April 2008
New to the blog roll
Friday, 25 April 2008
Aussies abound!
Today the weather was fine. So fine in fact that I stood in the rear hatchway enjoying the sun and reading a book, an interesting account of one mans journey from the source of the Severn to the mouth of the Thames by row boat. Just after lunch a boat came past which was unusual in that it was very slow. I was taken back to February last year when as I approached Apsley Marina I heard a voice say, "And I suppose you must be Maffi", in a broad antipodean accent.(Dereck and Dot nb Gypsy Rover) The same happened today. "I suppose you are Maffi? I'm Bill Kennedy", in an equally antipodean accent. Looking up from my book I set eyes on BK.
I had had email connections with Bill while I was in Saudi. The last heard of him was a while ago.
He said, "I have been keeping an eye out for you all down the Oxford canal". I invited him aboard Milly M but on entry we decided that with all Mort's washing about it would be more comfortable to sit on their boat. This was duly done. Bill and Mrs Bill are on their way down Old Father Thames. After a chin wag about this and that they were once again on their way to the river.
Fancy them just happening to pass by. It's kinda like meeting old friends and family along the way. I love this life I have.
Thursday, 24 April 2008
OOOOOOH!
What is also noticable is the sign on the wall where he is moored says, "One hour max".
It has been here to my knowledge for 2 days.
I mention this because I am taking on water at the water point and my 25 metre hose only just reaches the tap. Were I any longer with a 25 metre hose I would be hard pressed to get water without breasting up and climbing all over him. Most annoying when past the boat in front of him there are 48 hour moorings where he could overstay without inconvienence to anyone.
Wednesday, 23 April 2008
Tuesday, 22 April 2008
BALMAHA
I have passed them several times on my travels and only managed a passing 'hello'. I did tell them we were moored up along the way hoping they might stop for a while but it was not to be. Ho hum!
Carbon Monoxide
I'm not sure I would have done that myself. Had my alarm gone off I would have left the boat in the first instance because to my way of thinking my personal CO level would have been high. I would only then come back on the boat to open windows etc after I had filled my system with fresh air, but it is easy to say that from a distance.
However as Fi also says, "if you haven't got one get one".
Our lives are worth more than the cost of a CO alarm. It would be silly to lose ones life for the sake of a few pounds.
Monday, 21 April 2008
Cats are dumb!
At the pub on Saturday night while enjoying a pint together we overheard a funny story.
A man, Nick, was cleaning out his tropical fish tank. As he completed the task, and before he put the lid back on, his cat which had a habit of sitting on the top of the fish tank decided that it was now the right time to do just that. Nick looked around when he heard a splash to see the cat sitting on the bottom of the tank looking all confused with a stream of bubbles emanating from his mouth. The cat seemed to be making no attempt to do other than sit there looking bemused at his predicament. Nick had to grab the cat from the tank. Cats are dumb!
Saturday, 19 April 2008
Awayday to Pump Out
Eynsham was on the list so we set off there. Mort came along, she could work between locks and and give any other assistance needed. My Granddaughter Natalie was down for a few days so the pretty route would suit her.
Leaving at ten we made our way through Osney Lock and under Botley Bridge the up the Thames. Mort is something of a Jonah. Whenever she goes boating it is never simply 'boating' it's always extreme boating. The wind picked up as we passed the marina at Bessoms boatyard and by the time we got to Godstow Lock it was blowing at about 18 miles an hour. The boat, Milly M, was stuck firmly against the lock mooring being held there by the EXTREME wind that seems to accompany Mort everywhere she goes on any boat. Though I did manage to get the boat in the lock (Mort tried but failed) I decided that to proceed was a folly and came back out only to be stuck fast against the lock mooring again.
It took some time to get the stern out away from the side then across the river in order to turn around. Fortunately once across the river the stream took the bow about and pointed me in the right direction.
So now it looks like a £15 p/o on the canal much to my chagrin. Going under the bridge into Sheep Wash my bicycle was dragged off the roof by a branch and hung there by the ropes that secured it. It wasn't until Mort came up on deck that we realised the rear wheel was missing. DOH!
Then I managed to scratch the side panel on the old Rail swing bridge. DOH! again. Anyone wanna buy a boat?
After the p/o we moored up down the very bottom on the canal near Hythe Bridge ostensibly for water, but we could not get near the water point so went out to find dinner. Dinner was in the establishment known as Eumayls. It's a Chinese 'all you can eat' restaurant. Absolutely fabulous. Wonderful food and Cheap at six quid a pop.
We moved the boat back onto Sheepwash to get to a water point. I think I have said before that this area is not really good for mooring not even for going into the lock. Not to worry I managed a shower while there so I got back to Folly Bridge with a full tank.
Tuesday, 15 April 2008
Big Doh!
"We don't mind people living on their boats with this policy but the low value for a single item is to discourage people from keeping hi value personal possessions on board".
"We advise people to take out separate contents insurance to cover hi-value items".Well they didn't tell me! And why should I pay them for contents insurance that is not up to spec and then go and buy contents insurance from someone else. Seems like a crock of do-do to me.
"This provides a summary of the main features and limitations of the Craftinsure range of policies which are specifically designed to cover pleasure craft and protect pleasure craft owners against legal liability they may incur."
"The policies do not cover (among other things) • Use of the vessel for anything other than private pleasure."
Saturday, 12 April 2008
Bloody cheek!
What gets me is that the felon made no attempt to be quiet while trying to steal my bicycle, just blatantly tried untying it to steal it.
The bicycle is now secured out of sight from the towpth on the side of the boat.
Friday, 11 April 2008
Doh!
Stuff on the Oxford
Thursday, 10 April 2008
Heron on the cut.
Tuesday, 8 April 2008
Tuesday
Martin and Diane nb Ulysees are now moored back at CC where they work.
Monday
Sunday, 6 April 2008
Friday, 4 April 2008
Wednesday, 2 April 2008
Back to Thrupp
For nearly 12 hours today I stood at the tiller. The end result was I am now in Thrupp again, Mort came up to meet me which was nice because I had no energy to do that last lift bridge. I had spent all day with nearly every lock set against me. Locks like Aynho Weir and Shipton Weir are real buggers to open. I dropped my 'Bunbury Pole' in twice and both times it stayed under the bridges where it was dropped making retrieval difficult. Last time I spend so long on the tiller.
Nite Puddles XXXXX
Tuesday, 1 April 2008
Banbury
I set out early this morning to get to the marina at FC for a pumpout. Shame they didn't open early. The chap at the kiosk said "It will run for 20 minutes". Yeah rite! Standard 8 mins. Good job I didn't rely on him.
Along the tunnel embankment the wind started to get up and increased almost all the way to Banbury. Just after the M40 I encountered nb WYCHWOOD stern loose across the canal. nb DEBDALE had just come up the lock and together we moored the boat. Having to stop was a problem only apparent aftwards. The bank is shallow and I had to reverse back to the M40 to get a run up at the lock mooring. While doing that the lock was taken from me by a boat coming up nb The Tern.
At Cropredy I met with nb Monaco who were reluctant to admit to their error with HADAR.
I arrived in Banbury after 4. Bones made a lovely surprise visit. I was just getting in the shower. She couldn't stay long she was having dinner with her cousin.
Nite Puddles XXXXX