Bablock Hythe

We've travelled 7.51 miles today, and passed through 2 oldskool hand operated locks, Eynsham and Pinkhill.

Deployed the Chaspole, with our Devon pennant stuck on the end, which I'm pretty sure, saved us from being rammed by a couple of plastic cruisers who were speeding wayyyy too fast around the bends. Thanks for the tip, Roy.

Passed Sue & Vic (nb 'No Problem') and gave them a wave.

Shortly afterwards we avoided what looked like a certain collision, by ramming on "Full Astern", and hoping for the best. A narrowboat had seriously oversteered around a bend to avoid a canoeist, and was heading straight for us! Thankfully, he managed to straighten himself up in time, so neither of us ended up in the trees and bushes. Then we passed through some very winding bends, and some beautifully picturesque countryside, before mooring ourselves up at "The Ferry Inn", by Bablock Hythe.

Wytham

We've travelled 4.03 miles today.

Osney Lock was very busy.

ah... The chimney was stuck solid, and it wouldn't come off. Thankfully, we didn't lose it going under Osney bridge, but it was very close thing. Inches to spare.

Sumo enjoyed the new sniffs.

On past Rainbow bridge, the river opened out into a wide flat expanse, with a huge meadow on the right hand side. Though it was very warm and sunny, there was a nasty wind blowing right across it. So, again, I feel like I've been sandblasted.


Godstow Lock was a bit of a pig to get into. The layby was short, and the wind across the meadow threatened to blow us onto a very shallow beach. Thankfully, a small burst of "Full Ahead", saved us from any potential embarrasment.


By the time we got to Kings Lock, it was baking hot, and we were on the lookout for a place to stop. It was our first manual lock with beams. They've all been pushbutton so far. But thankfully, the lockkeeper appeared with a big pole, and we were through in less than 5 minutes. There are a couple of beautifully tended garden type moorings after the lock, so we've decided to stay here for the night..

Tucked up at the King's Lock mooring, just before the Duke's cut turnoff to the Oxford canal. What a lovely spot to spend a summer's evening.

Oxford

ah.. Guess when Oxford's regatta week starts? Today! Hordes of people, and billions of boats. Plonked ourselves on a scenic mooring just below Folly bridge.

Iffley

We've travelled 6.84 miles today.

Sustained, in part, by our OatyCoconutCherry&Berry biscuits.

Filled dogma up with diesel, and got ourselves a spare gas cylinder at Abingdon boat services. Then pumped out just past Abingdon Lock.

Bit of a mixed bag, weatherwise. When we cruised through 'pylon land' (Nuneham) it was grey and overcast, but by the time we'd travelled up past Sandford Lock there was full on sunshine.

Sandford lock, despite being the deepest one on the thames, was easy to navigate. Thanks to a long straight run up to it, and a helpful smiling lock keeper with a boat pole.

The meadows and windy bends past the lock were much more pleasant to travel through. Passed under the Isis bridge, and arrived at...

A nice mooring spot, just before Iffley Lock.

Abingdon #2

Our second day in "The Vale of the White Horse".

The sun came out strong, the annoying wind dropped, and Abingdon was bathed in 'picture postcard loveliness'. It looked the way it appears in tourist brochures. There were boats of every size, shape and description cruising up and down the river. And everybody had a smile on their face.

In the afternoon, we strolled upstream a bit, to scope out the next lock we'll have to go through, and bumped into Roy, from hotel barge 'Baglady'. He was busy attempting a spot of impromptu DIY, but stopped when he saw us, and kindly made us a cup of tea. We all enjoyed a nice sit down, and chatted with him and Sue for a couple of hours in the early evening sunshine.

One handy tip he gave us for our journey up to Lechlade, was to get a long pole, and put a flag on it. This is so that fast moving cruisers can see us coming around bends, and they will have plenty of time to react, slow down, or take evasive action. We have a Devon flag we've been meaning to find a use for. And Chas got us a 12ft extendable paint pole for our satellite dish. Sorted.

Abingdon

We were the first boat through Culham Lock this morning. At 7' 11", it was very deep, but thankfully the lock keeper was on hand to offer us the end of his boathook, on which we hung our mooring lines, so he could run them round a bollard and hand them back to us. It was a fast filler, with a lot of water pouring in through the sluices, but as we were far back in the chamber, we didn't get banged around. Our thames guidebook told us there was a waterpoint just past the lock. Unfortunately, it's out of date, and the waterpoint is no longer there.

A short, but pleasant little cruise in the early morning rain followed, before we arrived at Abingdon. Sue & Alan (Mv 'Latitude') were there, and helped us to tie up. There are good walks and new sniffs for Sumo here, and later, we'll be enjoying a nice fire, a chicken casserole and some boatbaked coconut oat biscuits. It's still pizzling it down with rain, but this is a very nice place to spend a bank holiday.

Respect for Abingdon's kind and generous attitude towards boaters. Much appreciated by all on the 'dogma'.

Culham

We saw lots and lots of this today. 11.75 miles of it! With a strong wind in our face all the way, and no place to stop that didn't already have a boat on it. Bank holiday weekend not a good time to be going upstream.

We travelled through three locks today, Benson Lock, Days Lock and Clifton Lock. None of which were particularly thrilling with an overcast grey sky and a blustery wind blowing us about. But we got through them all OK, without bumping into anyone or damaging anything.

Eventually rewarded with some evening sunshine, and a nice spot to stop just before Sutton bridge and Culham Lock. Good sniffs for Sumo, who hadn't had a chance to get off the boat all day.

Tucked up for the night. Knackered.