Dunlin 2013

Dunlin

Dunlin 2013

In common with many others, we intend going on a cruise in our retirement, albeit a DIY affair. There will be no dressing for dinner at the Captain's table because she's fairly laid back about that sort of thing.

My intention is to write a travel log but I have no idea if we will have adequate broadband access on a daily basis and indeed whether I shall have anything worth saying. Please paste the link below into www.maps.google.com for our projected route plan, which is subject to change depending on:

canal stoppages
flood
drought
time
inclination

The red line is the minimum route and the purple lines are extras which we hope to travel if all is going well. We set off on 16th May and aim to be back at Caen Hill sometime in October, although we have the option to over-winter on the South Oxford Canal if necessary.

https://maps.google.com/maps/ms?authuser=0&vps=3&ie=UTF8&hl=en&oe=UTF8&msa=0&output=kml&msid=200470318429832524739.0004d23cb7cb2483ccb00

With luck our actual route will be updated each evening using the mapping tools on this website.

Visitors are very welcome if we're anywhere near you, as are offers of laundry facilities and battery charging. Obviously we cannot be certain of locations more than a week or so in advance and I can tell you now that 16-18th August is fully booked.

Day 122 - back to busy Braunston on our penultimate day.

Europe » United Kingdom » England » Northamptonshire September 14th 2013

Braunston - Jetty Field

Dunlin

5 locks, 467 in total. The cut has been busier than Piccadilly Circus today so the 'plonker alert' risk level was raised. I didn't enjoy Braunston Tunnel today – it may be only a mile long but don't forget the kinks in it and I met 5 boats coming the other way. I saw the bow light of the first boat as soon as I entered the tunnel but it is impossible to judge the distance until just before you meet. Then it was one boat after another, the plonker award going to a French helmsman who was wearing a powerful torch on his head; it must have ruined his night sight but imagine what it did for the rest of us as he darted from side to side on his boat, looked down to make ... read more

View from Pocket Park to beyond the canal.

In the window of the best canal shop ever!

Day 121 - and the sad tale of Matilda.

Europe » United Kingdom » England » Northamptonshire September 13th 2013

Ooops.

Dunlin

7 locks, 462 in total. The crane flies of yesterday afternoon became a veritable plague during the evening – in our hair, hiding behind the curtains and then zapping us; they had to go and, by fair means and foul, they did (apart from the one I could hear in the bedroom for most of the night!) We had a mere 15 minute wait to go down the Watford Flight and staircase and this was long enough to wait in such close proximity to the M1. We went down 65 feet in the 7 locks and then motored past the back of the Watford Gap Services. I should have liked to have walked through the lorry park and into the services as, after all, there can't be many of these places accessible by foot but it ... read more

Day 120 - bats in the tunnel.

Europe » United Kingdom » England » Northamptonshire September 12th 2013

The Wharf, Crick -

Dunlin

0 locks, 455 in total. A dry day with a little sun so Dunlin has dried out after yesterday's rain – a damp boat is so cold. We walked into Crick for some supplies; they have a Co-op, such a relief after Spar and Londis, not to mention Bargain Booze! Crick is friendly and pleasant, especially now there's a small bypass – nothing special architecturally but it appears to be thriving and comfortable. There are two marinas, the larger one hosting the annual Crick Show which Jenny and I once visited to drool over brand new narrowboats with better kitchens and furnishings than we have at home. There's also a canalside pub but we didn't want to hang around until lunchtime and then perhaps be motoring in the rain again. In the end we had an ... read more

Day 119 - up the Watford flight.

Europe » United Kingdom » England » Northamptonshire September 11th 2013

Canal bridge carrying the A5 - Watling Street.

Dunlin

8 locks, 455 in total. We moored just one lock below the top of the Buckby flight yesterday and by 9am had worked that lock and were taking on water. A dog walker asked John if we were stopping for breakfast now we'd completed the flight; the walker looked suitably impressed when John told him we breakfasted already! To Norton Junction and turning northwards onto the Leicester Line of the Grand Union, a very scenic canal although quite narrow in places. We were heading for the Watford Flight – 2 single locks, then 4 in a staircase and one more single, all in quick succession. And it was at this flight that our luck ran out and we had to queue for almost 2 hours to get through. There is a permanent lock keeper here to ... read more

Far-reaching views on the Leicester Arm.

Day 118 - back up most of the locks towards Norton Junction.

Europe » United Kingdom » England » Northamptonshire September 10th 2013

Sunny but really cold.

Dunlin

6 locks, 447 in total. A cold day so wearing some extra layers. There were so many boats moored along the first part of our route that we were running at tickover for almost half an hour, just when I wanted to get a move on because of the cold wind. We looked in at the 'Heart of the Shires' shopping village, housed in what are termed model farm buildings, although we're not quite sure we understand. Anyway, it was old but beautifully renovated buildings around a courtyard, with more than 20 shops. It was a little like going to a very large garden centre, minus the plants – gift shops, local preserves and chutneys, toys, old-fashioned sweets. The best shop by far was one selling kitchenware. It must be very busy at weekends because it ... read more

Day 117 - back to Weedon.

Europe » United Kingdom » England » Northamptonshire September 9th 2013

Some of the 13 Rothersthorpe locks.

Dunlin

0 locks, 441 in total. Last night and this morning we had rain – not a great deal in daylight hours because I wore my witch waterproof to ward it off - but now (5.30 pm) it is torrential as we smugly watch people rush by. We could have had a head-on collision, in part due to Dunlin travelling a little faster now the prop is clear. As I approached a bridge on a bend John, who was further forward than me, saw a boat coming. He called out, I decided I was almost at the bridge and therefore committed although it would appear that the other boat was only marginally less committed than me. I made the bridge first (yes!!) and we both took avoiding action, neither of us being novices – no harm done ... read more

Gayton Marina - getting the boat hoist ready.

Day 116 - to Gayton Junction

Europe » United Kingdom » England » Northamptonshire September 8th 2013

Dunlin

0 locks, 441 in total. Sun, cloud, wind, smattering of rain – but mainly sun. We seem to have been on an embankment all day, masters of all we survey although often we couldn't see through the trees. We passed about six old wharves – some still in use for boaters but others now part of private residences, mostly well extended but still not too large for their surroundings. We looked in at a pub called The Wharf in Bugbrooke (Northants not the Derbyshire one we'd previously visited), ever hopeful of a celebratory meal, and we struck lucky. We were expecting a variety of roast dinners as it's Sunday but there was a very broad menu; calves liver and pancetta, warm sticky toffee pudding and a liqueur coffee – mmm, that'll do nicely! As we left ... read more

Day 115 - Weedon - where it all began.

Europe » United Kingdom » England » Northamptonshire September 7th 2013

The 'waves' just look so messy.

Dunlin

2 locks, 441 in total. This is the first time that we've seen leaves floating in the cut – coupled with the condensation on our windows this morning I fear that autumn is upon us. We had a short motor into Weedon this morning – back to our roots as this was where we hired our very first narrowboat from Concoform Marine, who had a narrowboat shell made of concrete in their boatyard. I took a group of Sea Rangers on Hawkweed and the rest is history! Today, sadly, our hopes were dashed of finding a good place to celebrate our ruby anniversary tomorrow – 2 pubs had closed down, the third was being refurbished and the last one didn't serve food; the Chinese was only takeaway and John doesn't like Indian food – looks like ... read more

A ferret and hutch on the back of a boat.

Day 114 - through Braunston Tunnel and heading south.

Europe » United Kingdom » England » Northamptonshire September 6th 2013

Dunlin

5 locks, 434 in total. A book about canals that I read recently kept launching into highbrow poetry quotations; brace yourselves..... 'One misty moisty morning, when cloudy was the weather' (Nursery Rhyme – anon) was very apt today. Our plan of sheltering from the rain in Braunston Tunnel worked well but only so far - and it would be an exaggeration to call the precipitation 'rain', the nursery rhyme was more accurate – and we had to emerge sooner or later. Braunston Tunnel is about 2000 yards long and 14 feet wide so in theory you can meet and pass oncoming boats with a whole 4” to spare, however I think everyone else was hunkered down, unable to comprehend the meteorological phenomenon – we had a clear passage through the ironstone outcrop with sections of quicksand. ... read more

Day 113 - back onto the Grand Union canal, heading eastwards.

Europe » United Kingdom » England » Northamptonshire September 5th 2013

Early this morning - calm with just a slight mist rising.

Dunlin

6 locks, 434 in total. We awoke to the warmest morning yet on the boat – the sun was out very early and shining on the non-towpath side of the boat where the the curtains had been left open – it was so snug! The temperature hadn't dropped much overnight either for which I was grateful – Hattie had an upset stomach and was out on the towpath about 4 am. As there were no lights near us the stars really stood out (even without my glasses). We turned eastwards onto the Grand Union canal and pottered slowly into Braunston Marina to see the brokerage man; we had to fill in an enormous questionnaire which didn't quite ask if we kissed the boat goodnight daily but that was the level of detail. We will leave Dunlin ... read more

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