Eventful trip to Fenny Compton

Napton to Fenny Compton, Oxford Canal, 9 miles 9 locks

I saw the postie at The Folly Pub as we filled up with water so went off to the Post Office to collect the mail, which really should have arrived yesterday.. “No the postman hasn’t come yet”  I told the post office that I had seen him at The Folly, but it seems he might have gone “Round the other way, and no I have no idea what time he will get here”.. That was a pain as we wanted to go to Fenny Compton to turn today.

I waited half hour and Mr Postie turned up with the package and we decided that we did have time for our planned cruise today, so we set off up the Napton Flight at 11.30 this morning.

Here the cottage I was talking about yesterday being done up, it is going to look great when it is all finished. 

I took the back canopy down today, it was overcast, but calm after the gales of yesterday.  The first time this year that it has gone down too.  It was just a smidge over two hours when we exited the top lock at Marston Doles, finding it very difficult to get No Problem round the sharp right hand bend after the lock.. I wish I had a bow thruster sometimes!

A narrowboat was patiently waiting for me to jiggle No Problem round the corner… And hey hey, I spy Debdale ….

The blogging Ownership narrowboat, although Adam is not aboard at the moment the chap at the helm expertly used his bow thruster to pop Debdale into the lock very neatly indeed.. corrrrr wish I had one!

We stopped briefly for lunch at the wharf there, then onward round and round the hills on this very remote part of the canal.  We nearly had a head on with a hire boat coming through one of the blind bridges, they guy just could not get his boat to turn on exiting the bridge, and both of us had to slam on the brakes.  I was well pleased with the way No Problem stopped beings she is a big boat.  The guy ended up across the canal in front of me, but being in no hurry I waited patiently while he sorted himself out..

Not so lucky at another bridge though, and this time the boat coming through for whatever reasons he had decided to slow down to snails pace as he came through the bridge putting me in a bit of bother I had anticipated his speed, but he slowed drastically at the last minute… NP this time did not respond as I went round him to go through the bridge I could not get the front to come back straight and scraped the chimney on the top… cruuuuuuuunchhhh!

All sorted now though, it didn’t come off just scraped the top and bent it a bit.. but the worst today was trying to turn here at Fenny Compton.  There is a boat with a mooring in the winding hole.  There was just not enough room to get round with the bow into the winding hole, and NP was broadside across the canal with bows touching the boat and stern touching the bank.. not half way round!!

Tried again this time putting the stern in the winding hole.. eventually with Vic pulling the bow round on the towpath and me pulling the stern on the winding hole side we managed to turn.  Trouble is the angle coming from the direction we did.  The winding hole is directly by the bridge so there is no chance to turn until going through the bridge.. I’ll take a pic tomorrow so you can see what I mean.

Getting a tiny Tesco delivery tomorrow, some bits and bobs in readiness for a family visit at the weekend.