Set the alarm to put the heating on, just so that I could have a hot bath before going to the water tap later this morning. Thought an hour would be long enough, so was disappointed when the water was lukewarm. Three kettle fulls of water and 2 saucepans boiled up did the trick of making it warm enough to just make it an enjoyable, though speedy, experience! Now here’s a joy of boating those of you with copious amounts of hot water may turn your nose up at. Once out of the bath I took a bucketful of the water, added detergent and the few clothes I wanted to wash (nowhere near a washing machine at present so trying to keep enough smalls clean!) and left them to soak. It’s the rinsing out that seems to take alot of changes of water so I still try and double up water usage when possible to eek out the tank. Once the boat is running I can spin them in the washing machine. I have given up any attempt to wash clothes in it – you can put hardly anything in weight wise and it takes 3 and a half hours to process. That’s a ‘quick’ wash at the recommended 30°! Even a sparse bucketful of clothes needs to be spun in two loads or the spin won’t work.
Had to empty the dreaded Elsan – no R to do it for me! Cost all of £2.50 as at a private boatyard. They sold beer so I got a bottle for BBT to enjoy as he assisted me at the locks. He’d already been to Thrupp to assess the mooing situation and found three spaces vacant at that moment. A narrowboat was being blackened under the bridge near to me, before the water point, so I did wonder if that would hold me us as there was no room to pass. However the job didn’t take too long so at just past midday I took my courage in both hands and moved the boat alone – a first time for everything! I was slightly nervous, especially as the wind was ‘moderate’ but I got round that by alighting under the bridge and, using the midrope, walked the boat the remaining short distance to the watertap. Remembered to empty the rubbish (R usually does that) and then went to meet BBT off the train. We planned to head to Thrupp confident that one of the three spaces would still be available. Otherwise am not sure how R could find me. It’s easy to forget that the canal does not necessarily follow a road or anywhere you can easily find parking so just stopping the boat canalside is not always a good option!
BBT
We set off with 5 locks ahead of us and quite a lot of meandering along the canal, at times making slow progress because there were quite a few moored boats that need to be passed ‘on tickover’. It took 4 hours and then BBT had to walk back to his car, so a long day for him. It all went smoothly although there was one lock that was hexagonal in shape, like the one at Aynho, and it proved tricky to fill as the bottom gate didn’t shut properly. It only had to rise 12″. A ‘first’ for me was taking the boat on the river – BBT said it reminded him of the Mississippi whereas in reality it was the Cherwell! Still it was a good river to cut my teeth on as the tide was not too strong so I didn’t feel out of control and I managed to moor up OK. Another of the locks had so much debris in the water I got hold of my windlass, like I’ve seen R do countless times and hauled a great big pile of it out of the canal. There’s even a picture of it, so pleased was I with my effort!
When we arrived in Thrupp we had to go through an electric bridge at a right angle so that took a bit of navigating and on the other side I was relieved to find BBTs sighting of the mooring earlier in the day still available. Thrupp consists of a length of canal that is chocca with boats and I felt blessed to find anyway to moor. Usually you can only stay on the moorings for a limited time but in lockdown boats have been allowed to stay indefinitely so the popular places have filled up and remained static. There’s a really great looking pub very nearby but sadly that remains closed until the 16th apparently. But there’s also parking which will be great for R’s return.
I felt pretty tired and was glad to find leftovers in the fridge to heat together – reminded me a bit of my mum’s ABC soup – all bit’s combined! I had a phonecall from my mother in law, very unusual. R had been allowed to see her today and she’d given him a bag of her old clothes to bin. However she thought he hadn’t paid attention so was letting me know what I had to do when I found a strange bag of clothes in the car. I asked how she thought he looked and quick as a flash the word ‘dreadful’ came out, meaning she hated his longer hair! Mother’s never change. I hardly ever got a compliment about my hair from my mum. She was firmly of the opinion all hair should be curly and tried for years to get me to perm mine. It was always a great disappointment to her that I had straight boring hair!
Finished the evening watching two series I just don’t think will appeal to R. ‘Line of Duty’ and ‘Behind her Eyes’, the latter having been recently recommended although I have to say psychological thrillers leave me feeling anxious so am not sure I will finish the course on that one!
NarrowboatTLC 