Busy days around Braunston and Napton

7th Feb to Today – Braunston to Napton via Calcutt Locks, Oxford Canal, 6 miles 0 locks

Busy day in Braunston for me, sorting a computer and internet connection via a mobile phone for a friend moored in the Marina.. post to collect from the Post Office, a couple of bits from the super butcher.. he always recognises me and welcomes me back.. milk, bread and more computers to sort left me quite tired by the time we pulled the pins there yesterday to travel on to Calcutt Marine for a good ‘ol boat engine sort out.

Ah, but before leaving Braunston I popped into Midland Chandlers to pick up a ecofan… I had never heard of ecofans, but came across one on google, did some more research and realised that it just might solve our cold bottom half below knee level on No Problem.  It is very cold below the knees, and more so this winter.  I think this has been a colder winter than any we have experienced before, either that or I am getting really old.  Standing up in No Problem the warm air is all on the ceiling… would the ecofan bring it down to below knee level I wondered.  Quick answer… Yes!

An amazing item, no batteries, no plugs… this fan just sits on our stove and magically the two fins fly round dispersing the warm air from the stove evenly throughout the boat… no more tucking socks into jeans, no more wrapping a blanket round the knees.. If you are interested as to how it works do click on this link although it is a Canadian site it does explain it quite well

We arrived at the top of Calcutt locks yesterday evening and witnessed one of the best sunsets we have seen in a long while… I took a pic across the roof of the narrowboat.. I need to describe the view.  In the foreground is No Problem’s roof, the dark outlines in the centre left and right are narrowboats moored on the opposite side… then a short area of offside towpath, the water on the far side is Napton Reservoir.  The sunset has even cast it’s red hue onto the roof of NP..

Roger at Calcutt Boats did us proud today and asked Gill, his fitter, to give our narrowboat a really good checking.  He was disappointed that the engine had been causing us problems, and he went a long way to make sure that everything was checked out.. engine mountings, batteries, fuel pipes, water pipes alternators, including re-aligning of that problem alternator and belt with new spacers, replacing stuff that other engineers had done wrong.… well a lot of time was spent this morning by the mechanic.  We feel happier now.

At lunchtime John Sinclair popped in.  Always a very welcome visitor to No Problem.  We first met John way back last year at Bedford, followed by a very welcomed visit from him to help us up the Northampton Flight in October last on our way back from East Anglia.  We were all joined by David Butcher of NB Maria Jessie, and we all chatted for a couple of hours.  Thanks to you both, we totally enjoyed your company.

Should we, or shouldn’t we move on to The Folly at Napton.  Decisions made we pulled the pins on Calcutt, and very late in the day started to make our way back to the Oxford Canal turning right in front of the new Wigrams Turn Marina.  John and David both moor their boats there, but had never met before today.  John rushed off as we left Calcutt to go back to the Marina to capture NP exiting the junction… Thanks for the super pic John!

Been in the Folly tonight, well I can’t resist not doing.. still is my most favourite pub on the system.  The open log fire was just as I hoped on this very cold evening… pies and beer are still good too!