Thursday 15th November 2018



I have the idea of fitting shackles to the ends of the gangplank brackets on the roof to fix ratchet straps to, to secure roof fittings down. Gangplank, boat hook and pole etc for both safety and security. The brackets are stainless steel and my drills won’t touch it.

We did housework, prepared the dinner and then left the mooring. We had really enjoyed the peace and quiet here and will return.

We had a very slow meander over just 5 miles to the bottom of Napton Locks. It was a lovely day and very quiet on the canal passing just a few boats. To the west the views are over flat, green farmland stretching into the distance, to the east a series of hillocks with small villages gathered around them. We passed Napton Junction, where the Grand Union leaves on its way to Warwick and Birmingham, and the marina’s at Wigram’s Turn and Napton Narrowboats from where we once hired their honeymoon boat, with a bath. Most boats never leave their marina’s and those that do mostly only leave for the weekend. There are so many large marinas with hundreds of boats in them, that it is just as well the majority never leave. The canal would quickly become grid-locked.

At Napton, we winded before the locks and reversed a few hundred yards to the water point. Reversing is so easy with a bow thruster, it is like having a tiller on the front of the boat. After taking on water, we moved around the corner and moored up.

We are about a hundred yards from the Folly pub at the foot of the locks. These locks are closed for winter maintenance, so in effect the canal here is temporarily a dead end.

The Folly pub is well known on the canal. It is absolutely full of artefacts hanging from the walls and ceilings. A fascinating place that you could spend hours exploring. We got to the pub as the lunch time clientele were leaving and the pub became quiet with just a few regulars and ourselves. The landlord is one of those larger than life characters. He was wallpapering a world map onto the ceiling and I kind of got roped in. It was a right laugh. Brenda reckoned it was like watching the wallpaper stripping scene from “The Royal Family” and brought up the “Mamba No5” music on her phone to accompany us.









 
Weather: a lovely mild day



Day Total: 0 locks; 5 miles; 0 Tunnels; 0 Swing Bridges; 0 Boat Lift; engine running hours 2.4

Overall Total: 313 locks; 567 miles; 25 tunnels; 4 Swing Bridges; 2 Boat Lifts; engine running hours 346.1













   





  

     


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