Retirement with No Problem

Wooton Rivers to Great Bedwyn, Kennet & Avon Canal, 6 miles 11 locks

We never did find the wood.. yes we saw something chopped down before we got to Wootton Rivers, nothing substantial, but the towpath telegraph said the tree was down between the locks and the tunnel.. well there was no evidence of that anywhere..

Oh well, I am sure we will find some somewhere..

Young Jessica really did help on getting through the 11 locks today.. in fact she is becoming quite an expert at working the locks… Mostly the paddle gear is not heavy and she was able to lift quite a few herself.. she was a dab hand at reaching down to grab the front rope with our ‘rope grabber’.. as you can see it was her favourite job!

Tunnel today, Bruce Tunnel.. nothing coming so on we go… last time we were here in the other direction a widebeam (14ft)  came out.. I had decided to wait although two boats (of 6′ 10″) can pass inside this one.. how right I was then!

We were going to stop at Crofton on the good moorings by the Pumping Engine building, but we had heard that boats moored there last night had grounded because of leaking locks.. it had taken ages this morning to get them floating again..

Defo one mooring to miss, so on to Great Bedwyn where we found a good deep mooring in a very overgrown area on the towpath.. no choice now, only the visitor moorings from here to the Thames is mown.. anywhere else and the vegetation is not touched.. It’s OK though on a long gangplank, at least we are floating tonight!

All Cannings to Wootton Rivers, Kennet & Avon Canal, 9 miles 1 lock

I managed to upload today’s images just about, but now it is very late after watching a DVD earlier as there is no TV around here.. The dot in the sky for the Satellite is in the trees and the Freeview aerial has no chance on getting a signal!

But here you go, we have another K9 aboard along with a mini human… “Grandma, I have a few days left of my holidays, can I come ‘til Saturday?”…. Young Jessica has been enjoying the glorious weather..

We are on the move tomorrow…

I picked up a story from the Wiltshire Gazette and Herald

“Boats heading along the Kennet and Avon Canal near Wootton Rivers on Sunday found their way blocked by a large tree that had toppled across the waterway, blocking it entirely.

The tree came down at a location known as Carrel Crown Bridge, about 400 metres to the west of Wootton Rivers lock……….”

We are hoping that some of that tree is going to don our roof for some winter fuel… watch this space!

Devizes to All Cannings, Kennet & Avon Canal, 6.5 miles 0 locks

Leaving Devizes this morning I was looking forward to the run to All Cannings.. it’s very rural and overgrown..

Yep, that’s the way through there!  It’s a good job there are very few boats cruising this waterway at the moment, and I don’t know how two wide beams would manage to pass.. but there is something about it that is so remote and serene.. to be honest I secretly love it, but that is foolhardy.. leave it like this for much longer and there will be no channel at all.. Talk about ditchcrawling, this is close to it!

We managed to pick up some odd bits of tree just outside of Devizes, I spotted it in the other direction a couple of weeks ago.. handily it was still there.  It’s been chilly in the evenings with the promise of a ground frost for us this evening.. we have yet to get any coal on the roof, but I resisted to light the fire tonight for the first time.. I’m trying to hang on to summer!

This swing bridge is destined not to be swung again by the look of it.. but there are a couple more between Devizes and All Cannings which are in very good order..

With wood chopped I got down to some admin aboard, catching up with some mundane stuff which I had shoved under the seat (my ‘to do’ filing cabinet) for the last month or so.. a nice break though when Barry and Sandra came through with Northern Pride on their way to Pewsey, stopping for a bit of a catchup..

Disappearing along ‘the jungle’ it would be the last time we would see them as they are selling the boat in a couple of months after visiting London.. they are on their way back to New Zealand at the end of the year..

Deer, falcons, herons, kingfishers, swimming grass snakes and tonight a clear sky with no white light.. It’s no wonder I like this bit..

Sells Green to Devizes, Kennet & Avon Canal, 3.5 miles 29 locks

Ah a grand night out at The Three Magpies at Sells Green on Saturday.  You know there is nothing better when you just decided to go out on the spur of the moment and end up having a wonderful evening.

Of course it was Bank Holiday Saturday, and the pub also owns the small caravan park adjacent to it, so it was full, but they had some entertainment on… a couple of guys who could really make their guitars talk with music from the 60’s and 70’s including some brilliant Shadows stuff.. not only that but someone from the park decided to join in with his spoons.. wow could he play them too!..

Oh I forgot I had this pic from a week or so ago at Dundas…

Oh my!  Look at Meg’s face!.. and with three other dogs inside this is one daring cat on the gunnel.. it eventually decided not to venture in, but to go and explore the other gunnel by walking around the bows.. a canalside view for it, until it made a daring turn… I was sure it was going to fall in, but it made it and wandered off.. back to it’s own boat no doubt!

And so to Caen Hill.. a late start, not just because of a heavy ‘night before’, but it would be more likely that boats would be on the way down from the top by just gone lunch time.. well the theory was right, but there were no boats in the flight when started from the bottom!

Wendie and Dan with Kiera and Niamh made slight work of the locks.. I did a couple, but it was quite blustery on Sunday and Vic preferred to pop ahead to make ready locks further up the flight.. The K9’s were loyal to me on the boat though…

Patiently waiting for NP to rise up!.

Bank Holiday Sunday should have been manic on the flight surely.. but we only met two boats coming down in the whole time.. There were plenty of walkers about though, and so many questions for Wendie and Danny to answer.. “How long does it take?”.. “What are you opening with that key?” even “Can you do the locks at night without lights?”…. Gawds sake!  Last lock then…

Is this the effect of the heavy ‘night before’?!!.. Give ‘er a cuppa tea and she will be OK!

Off they all went this morning to beat the inevitable traffic jams that would build later in the day to get home in record time with no hold ups..

It’s very quiet here at Devizes, not many boats in at all, although bloggers Barry and Sandra of Northern Pride pulled in later this evening.. we willjoin them later as we try some of the 6X beer that is brewed opposite where they are moored… the local pub is very close by.. I wonder if tomorrow is going to be yet another of those heavy ‘night before’ feelings!

Seend to Sells Green, Kennet & Avon Canal, 2 miles 3 locks

Mr Tesco phoned..”Can’t deliver to you this morning.. it will be later this afternoon before I can bring your stuff”.. Darn it, probably by the time we do the short planned trip today to Sells Green the moorings will have been taken up after the late delivery..

“Well you will have to fetch it somewhere else then”… It was hard for me to explain to Mr T that we move our home quite often!

Once he got the idea, he rescheduled to Sells Green moorings.. I just hoped that there was somewhere there that he could park the delivery van.. I couldn’t remember, but I do know there are bins there so the bin men must be able to get to it..

Granddaughter Niamh enjoyed time off No Problem today giving me a hand to do the three locks this morning.  It was good to teach the youngster how to handle a windlass, making sure she knew never to let go of it when winding up the paddles and making sure she took it off the paddle gear once a paddle was up.. she was very attentive..

See the K & A isn’t that bad, she managed to close this gate entirely by herself…  Kiera was enjoying some time away from little sister inside, but joined us later after we completed the locks…. Ummmmm….

By late morning we had arrived at Sells Green to find the moorings completely empty.. Mr T found us, the sun came out and the girls made strawberry jam and sponge cake as well as giving the boat a quick wash all ready for their Mum and Dad’s approval when they arrive tomorrow…

Bradford-on-Avon to Seend, Kennet & Avon Canal, 9.5 miles 6 locks

Some really cheap diesel at The Boatyard, 61.9 might even beat Norbury Junction and Turners Garage at Wheaton Aston on the Shroppie at the moment!

I spied it on the way towards Dundas, knowing I would stop on my way back.. Vic was well pleased with the price of the oil and filters too, in fact they had a good deal going for 5ltrs oil, oil filter, air filter and fuel filter for £30, but not wanting the latter two we just bought the first two…. oh well not quite, because we bought 2 lots of oil at a fabulous price.

Seend bottom lock was our target for the day on Tuesday, knowing that we would not move again until this morning.. How right we were, it didn’t stop tipping it down yesterday.. I felt so sorry for the hire boaters absolutely soaked as they passed us… I guess all private boats had stuck their pins in for the day like us!

Today after popping through a couple of locks and mooring opposite the Barge Inn, we took the little community bus that runs from here on a Thursday to Devizes for the day.. just once a week on market day.. well we had planned on climbing Caen Hill locks today but with a dot day yesterday that was not going to happen..

Lunch out was a treat for the grandchildren who are aboard at the moment, and once back it was time for Niamh to exercise some calories off…

Well not the whole roof got washed.. but there is a bit done!

Mr Tesco in the morning then to stock up for the weekend, then onward a bit.. in the sunshine I hope… Oh and PS, having put my links in for you I notice that Simon at Norbury Wharf Ltd has diesel today at 58.9!

“Cheapest red DIESEL (at a boatyard) in the country, currently 58.9 ppl (domestic rate). Subject to change without notice.”

Well done that boatyard!

Happy Birthday Dad! Lovely to talk to you today and glad you had a wonderful day, only sorry not to have been there to share that with you xx.

Dundas to Bradford-on-Avon via Claverton, Kennet & Avon Canal, 6.5 miles 0 locks

Wendie and Dan arrived on Friday evening to pick up their dogs Buddy and Tilly who had been staying with me while they went on holiday.. Oh and drop off the the grandchildren, Kiera and Niamh.. they have a couple of weeks left of their summer holidays and want to spend one of them aboard No Problem..

Great stuff, and after a grand evening aboard on Friday evening we woke to shake off our hangovers with bacon sarnies before setting off for a short cruise to Dundas..

It was ultra busy at the one and only lock for miles, there were boats perched everywhere.. and with one of the bottom gate paddles broken, it took very nearly two hours before it was our turn to hit what paddles worked to drop down a level.. I think it is the longest I have ever had to wait at a lock in 9 years of cruising!

We were very lucky to find a 48 mooring just before the aqueduct at Dundas, it was getting a bit late in the afternoon, then the fun began!..

Heh here comes Wendie after a good paddle.. then

My turn!  I was really looking forward to having a go in Dan’s inflatable canoe.. it sure has been a long time since I had a paddle like that in my hands I’ll tell you!.. Very enjoyable and very peaceful too!  The only problem I had was getting out of the thing.. I am a lot stiffer than I was 30 odd years ago, but everyone was on hand to drag granny out!

Sunday we stayed moored and enjoyed more exploring by quiet mode, ice creams and a good traditional Sunday roast aboard before saying goodbye to the labs and parents..

Away today then to Bathampton.. well that was the plan but I got a tad fed up on tickover past the miles upon miles of moored boats.. “This will do.. about turn here”.. Claverton..

Just too many boats on this canal at this end, far too many cover the banks one behind the other obviously not moving as they should do after 14 days, there sure is a problem round here that BW seem unable to deal with.

I spoke to the lengthsman today who clocked our name and number just as we cruised into Bradford-on-Avon 24 hour moorings.. “The canal is overun with boats.. there are only two of us between Reading and Bristol to try to deal with it all”..

We have had a super day today, and not enough time to do all that the children wanted to do… list on the go for tomorrow then..

Bradford-on-Avon to Dundas Aquaduct, Kennet & Avon Canal, 4 miles 0 locks

Yep… after a month of four dogs (well five for a short time) I now have two dogs aboard, my gals Lucy and Meg have the pad to themselves!

But I now have two grandchildren on board!

I have also been enjoying another mode of transport on the canals..

I’ll do a blog tomorrow with all the pics for you…. Oh and more on the new transport too!

Lower Foxhanger to Bradford-on-Avon, Kennet & Avon Canal, 11.5 miles 7 locks

We stopped yesterday at the bottom of Seend locks, a very quiet place with no noise from roads or rail.. Walking with the dogs I passed an apple tree with some beautiful looking rosy red cookers on it.. I’ll have a few of them on the way back for jam, but I am waiting for the blackberries in this neck of the woods to ripen.. they are very slow down south here!

Having run out of jam, I managed to get some cheap English strawberries in Devizes the other day, so a batch was on the stove in the late afternoon after they had been soaking in their preserving sugar since the previous day.. gosh it is a yummy batch too, I had some for breakfast this morning!

As long as it floats…

The Kennet & Avon is famous for all the things that float where people live.. And gosh there are a lot of them..

But today was one of those days… things not quite going right, but then it happens…. Approaching the first of the two locks, we slowed to wait for a day boat to come up through only to watch in disbelief as the crew shut the gates.. no amount of shouting and waving made any difference, the crew just ambling along the towpath.. Now I couldn’t get into the lock landing because the little boat was there picking up the crew!

“Oh we didn’t know the etiquette, so thought we better shut the gates!”… I didn’t know what to say, thinking that rocket science and stupid were words I best not say.. so after some faffle in the wind I managed to get Vic on the towpath by which time the lock needed refilling!

Vic and I swapped and I finished off the lock noting that there was a boat in the next lock.. I left the gate open for them, and couldn’t believe what I saw, when that crew also shut both gates behind them, walked past me on the towpath and thanked me for leaving a gate open for them!… I had no words for them, but hope my eyes gave enough of a glare .. Then as we passed “Sorry didn’t see you coming”.. Turning round I had to say something.. “Well I saw you, perhaps you need glasses!”

I liked this little boat, look carefully there is a chimney sticking out of the gunnel… I guess they have a cellar!… This must be owned by a single boater as there is a winch on the front which he probably uses to pull the lock gates open!

But the pièce de résistance so far along this bit of the canal has got to be this one…

Golly gee… 42 people.. there are no vents on this!  I wondered what it was like inside.. my imagination ran wild when I thought about the Tardis… Nah, surely not!… Heh, walking the towpath later I saw it had an overstaying sticker on it.. well not on it as it has no windows, the BW guy has tied it to the mooring rope!

Well if any of those boats are yours as you are reading this, then you are famous.. You’re on t’internet!