Slowly heading home from Bristol

Bristol heading towards The River Thames

Where is the summer cruise time going too !! Its the end of June already.!! We have had every sort of weather possible. Had to light the fire because we were frozen up to yesterday when we had 38 degrees in the saloon and 41 degrees in the cratch.

Carly and Jake have been suffering with the heat, so glad we bought some cooling blankets last year.

The last blog found us leaving the Floating Harbour in Bristol. There are two ways out.

One. . . back the way we came or . . . out of the harbour lock on to the River Severn,

turning right and going up to Gloucester. To travel this way you have to have an experienced pilot to navigate the tidal river, and of course this being boating world it doesn't come free. I believe its fee is about £150ish depending on the guy you have.

Jenny is not to happy about riding rivers and so after a short discussion.

ie. I’m not going to do it !! . . Jenny . . . . . so we turned around and headed back the way we came.

It’s surprising how different a canal is just going the other way. We tended to notice things on the way back that we missed on the way down. We were heading into the current so a different style of skippering comes into force. A few extra revs on the engine and moving about a bit differently, having said that, the ‘driving’ of the boat is now coming second nature. As with driving a car, you don’t think ...I must change gear now...you just do it.

The boat is the same. Only time I have to really concentrate is when it’s windy.

She develops a mind of her own!! turning left or right as she feels she want too.

I have loved the Kennet and Avon canal. Its so different running from rivers and man made bits. The canal falling into disrepair in the 1950’s the last commercial barge ran in 1960’s carrying grain, but after years of neglect it became unnavigable until a group of enthusiasts got together and raised money to bring it back to life.

The Caen flight is a great example. The various locks in the flight are dedicated to the local people who helped ether with time or money for the project.

Going down the flight we were luck to have the company of Annie and Allan both experienced boaters. Coming back up we had the company of a holiday making family. Father and Mother .. daughter and a dork .. sorry her boyfriend.

Jenny took control of the lock crews and I was in control of the boats in the lock. Dad under supervision . . . but…it can be hard work when you have to cope with people who don’t know what to do andprefer to look around at the scenery. Ie dork boyfriend. .

I believe he was punching well above his weight. Sarah the young lady was a bit of a flirt.

We got on very well, lots of giggles and sly winks. She made an old man very happy.

Good job Jenny is used to me and trusts me…

Sharing Caen Locks

The biggest problems have been mooring. Not many ..also the lack of maintenance by CRT. . locks with bricks falling out, locks which have such leaking paddles it’s a job to empty them. The water is leaking out as quick as its going in from the other way.

Such a shame. If they don’t do some repair work and spend money on them it will soon not be a viable way of travelling. The ‘charity’ sadly thinks it is better spending money on re-branding, new signs and uniforms for the wonderful volunteers who help on the locks.

Two Million pounds to put a new logo out to the public. Not money well spent in my opinion.

Leaving out over the summit we started to experience very low water levels. We had to keep very much to the centre of the canal because to far to the bank we were running aground. Hard work when we meet a wide beam boat. ….we were both scraping the silt.

The canal rises some 185 meters and water is pumped from a pump house at the bottom of the flight.

The pumps carry water to the top lock at the rate of about a lock full every few minutes. But a week after we rose up, the canal was closed due to a pump failure.

On inspection the other pump, (there are two), was taken out of service forcing the closer of the canal for a while luckily we had passed this point so it didn't affect us.

The White Horse

The hills here are the bottom end of the Cotswold’s passing through the rural areas, look to the right and you look uphill, look to the left and your looking down hill. Some lovely views on a clear day.

On one of the hills we passed is the world famous white horse (well, one of a few I believe) some years ago the local wag's, on I believe April 1^st, they turned the white horse into a black and white Zebra.

Locals were quite shocked when they saw the sight. However the perpetrators of the deed had the sense to only use black bin bags so no permanent damage was done to the ancient land mark. Quick pick up of said coverings and all was back to normal. 

Slowing down to a 3 miles an hour life style is now getting the norm. I never realised how much great things in life we missed, when, as needs must, we had to rush about to make a living. We are so blessed. Our close neighbours, beautiful Swans, families of ducks. All with little ones in tow. . wait for me mum !! I’m sure this is what the chicks are sometimes saying when they squeak towards they mum.

Then suddenly one disappears under the waterline.. the pike has just found its supper. All part of natures food chain. I read, of all the eggs that hatch a very small percentage actuality make it through to adulthood. Ducks seem to be hatching later this year and there a lots of old chicks in with new hatched ones.

Swans with cygnets

Canal Geese (I think)

On our travels we met a horse drawn widebeam canal boat at a lock. The boat was taking people out for a day with lunch provided. We had to wait for the boat to be towed out by the horse before we could enter the lock. Later we moored up for the evening when the widebeam came back. The horse towed the boat on the tow path with the crew lifting the rope up to clear the moored boats. Lovely to see the old ways are still used in some places.

Horse drawn boat in lock

He was happy, grabbing a snack of grass on the move

Waiting for boat to be towed out by horse

Horse taking boat home, crew holding rope up to avoid moored boats.

Sitting at the end of a day watching the local flies assembling to do their duties, flying about annoying us before they settle on the water and wait to be devoured by the local fish. The ones that are left gain altitude and wait for the local bats.

Its a wonderful different life.

Our senses seem to have changed also. Our sense of smell. We often cruise sniffing the air. With out the atmosphere which is contaminated with the exhaust fumes of motor vehicle in towns and cities, we can smell a bakery making bread...biscuit factories ..McDonald's…. pig farms.. our two closest friends run a pig farm in Wisbech, we can sniff out a piggery from a mile away. Brings happy memories of good times there, with more to come we hope. Dairy farms have a different smell and of course hay making in the summer.

Wild garlic was the aroma of the day last week. Thank goodness for Google to confirm what it looked like. But the one that always makes my mouth salivate and it carries miles up the cut !!! Someone cooking bacon !!

Guaranteed to make me hungry no matter what time of day it is.

We, as I write have a bit of a poorly doggie at the moment. Our Jake is not feeling him self.

He’s been off colour for a few days, started with sickness and a loose bum. Not his usual playful self. Mind you its very hot at the moment. It was the hottest day yesterday.

At Woolhampton today, well for the weekend.

A couple of days off before we head back to the Thames, after a big service stop tomorrow we will pass through the locks on to the river. Heading past Reading on to Brentford before rejoining the Grand Union and heading north towards home.

Bye Bye for now.

(no film this time as on return journey not so many photos taken).