A struggle into Wigrams then lucky with moorings at Braunston

Napton to Braunston, Oxford Canal, 7.5 miles 1 lock

Just the one lock to do this morning when we pulled the pins, and as we left, NB Shalamar pulled into our mooring of the last two days.  We almost bought Shalamar from Virginia Curry at Slough when we first were on the lookout to buy a livaboard.. a beautiful narrowboat, one with a vintage engine and vintage controls, not like the throttle lever we have on this modern boat.  But at the time we felt that we did not have the experience to handle that sort of boat, and in any case she was 70 foot long.. too long to take to the Leeds and Liverpool Canal.. that was one canal we really wanted to do.  Of course we have now done that, and even now our boat of today, No Problem, is 67 foot long, and that is also too long to fit in the locks over the Pennines.  We decided last year that we would not be wanting to travel on that canal again..

Oh, here is the pic of the Nicholson Guide that I have that I tried to emulate the picture of on the front.  You can just about see that BW barge on the left above the lock.. wonder if it has ever moved!! ..

Oh and also, I forgot last night to introduce you to our Fred.. As I had said the other night..

Popped into the marina there to get a couple of bulbs that had blown, and also to pick up another ‘Fred’… Now the old ‘Fred’ had been left on Tara and a couple of the grandchildren wanted to keep him.  Well girls, I had to get a new ‘Fred’ to go with the new No Problem.. I will take a photo tomorrow for your approval.. Tis our secret until the next blog as to who or what ‘Fred’ is then!

So here he is for your approval girls..

He needs a cork to sit on though. and no doubt I will get one as it is party night on NB Balmaha later!

It sure was windy today.. well that is my excuse anyway as I tried my best to turn right into Wigrams Marina.. missed!.. I always miss these marina entrances.  I am useless at turning into them.  I seem to turn far too late… but with a bit of a fiddle it wasn’t long ‘till No Problem was through the gap and heading towards the wharf at the far end.  Our first pump out today of the ‘grey tank’.  Trouble is there is no way of knowing just how full it is.. I think we might invest in a gauge of some sort.. I would hate to have it full up.. but we do have a cassette type loo now just in case it ever did get full..

“Braunston is full up” came the message from Vanessa who was moored with Balmaha in Braunston.. But as we got closer a lot of boats came past us, and I asked if there was some sort of mass exodus of the place.. “We have just come out of a space outside the Mill House” said one boater.. perfect, as long as nobody else got there first.. but still more boats were coming out, and in the end there was plenty of spaces as we arrived… Moored opposite the Mill House then..

I remember this place back in the 70’s when we used to come here on our hireboat holiday.. it was called the Rose and Castle then, and had wooden planked jetties outside.  We would ‘double park’ or even three abreast it was so popular.  In the morning after a good night out we would not be able to move until the one in front or outside of us had left.. they also had a narrowboat where you could have dinner if I remember rightly.. caught some good fish off the jetties.. ho hum, memories, memories..

All the moorings are now full up in Braunston …

It is nice to see the sun after a couple of hefty downpours on the way here today.. stuck my camera though a port hole a little further along and…

Hey it’s Mo and Vanessa aboard this boat…

Gonna take Lucy for a quick stroll along the towpath, then need to get ready to party…