England Narrow Boating: 3 Grand Union Canal

Sunday, June 13, 2010

Yesterday we continued along the Grand Union Canal but now the scenery was much improved by well kept homes with pretty gardens and lots of wildlife. Our evening stop was near a pub with an Italian menu - the food was not up to the standards we have become used to, however they were all set up for a big night with people coming to watch England play the USA in the world cup. Unfortunately we had to press on, managing another 3 hours of locks and cruising before mooring for the night.

This morning I was up at 5 AM to move the boat to the next lock. By then everyone else was up at well and we set out on the day's marathon. We were doing not badly when the engine started acting up again - it had started to lose power occasionally yesterday, but today it was quitting. Bob phoned the rental company and they sent a mechanic to meet us - a delay not needed with the pressure on time we already have.

We were all quite impressed that Sam, the repair man, arrived within about an hour of our arrival at the agreed location with a well equipped portable shop. It took another hour for him to fix the problem, put some diesel in the tank and send us on our way. We ended the 13 ½ hour, 31 manually operated locks day moored alongside the canal in an area of farms a few hours away from the city of Leighton Buzzard. A delicious chicken dinner was served on board followed by drinks and a game of cards.

Another problem came about 1:30 AM when the boat tilted over sufficiently for Bob to be rolled out of bed, damaging his ribs. Marilynn shouted that we were sinking, which got me out of bed pretty quickly. The boat was listing well over to the right, so my first thought was that when I'd hit the metal canal edge at a fair clip during the afternoon I'd put a hole into it. We inspected the hold and found no water, and then Bob checked the edge of the canal to find it had dropped about 18 inches (½ meter) so we knew we were sitting on the bottom and there was nothing we could do about it. Sleeping the rest of night at an increasing angle was interesting, particularly when the high side cupboards all emptied, however most of the dishes and bottles survived unbroken.

Monday, June 14, 2010

On my way to inspect the nearby locks I met a fellow who moors his boat in this stretch of the canal. He was saying it was not unusual for canals to lower overnight and that our problems were caused by people on a party boat leaving the sluices open at the locks. All boats in this stretch of canal were sitting on the bottom. Another fellow who lives on a boat in the area said he knew the people at British Waterways and that Mr. Lee King would arrive by 8 AM to sort things out. An employee in charge of locks whose name is pronounced "leaking" seemed somehow appropriate.

The fellow arrived as promised, and in about three hours diverted enough water from the upper locks to float us again. The delays have made it impossible to get the boat back in time, so Bob phoned the rental company. We were instructed the leave the boat as far along as we could and they would pick it up. We decided to return it to a location of the same company about 40 miles ahead.

Once able to proceed, I called our friends Brian & Sandra Carter, who Marilynn and I met on the Island of Grenada years ago. Brian picked us up when we reached the city of Leighton Buzzard and took us to their beautiful home for drinks and an absolutely superb lunch of perfectly cooked salmon, shrimps, chicken and other good things. The trifle desert was unbelievable, enhanced by a bottle of sherry. No one had room for the chocolate cake, so when Brian drove us back to the boat we had half a cake with us!

The going was very slow the rest of the day due to the large number of boats moored along the narrow canal. To avoid disturbing them it was necessary to maintain a speed that allowed elderly ladies strolling along the canal side path to pass us. Moving faster resulted in angry shouts from people in the boats. The rental company should have given fair warning that to attempt this route in two weeks is something to be left to people who enjoy triathlons or marathons! It requires at least three weeks.

We moored early to walked the short distance to an ancient waterside pub for drinks before returning to the boat for a dinner of chocolate cake. After stuffing ourselves on

lunch no one wanted a big meal.

Tuesday, June 15, 2010

We are enjoying the freedom to take our time, and didn't get underway until about 9 AM after a good sleep. There were only two locks before we once again tied up by a pub where we had a couple of beer.

Dinner was cooking on the portable BBQ beside the boat when a sudden cough put Bob out of action. He felt he had cracked his ribs when he was tipped out of bed, and now was sure of it. A friendly fellow who was walking his dog called a taxi company, so in about 5 minutes Bob and I were on our way to Milton Keynes hospital.

Hospital reception said it would take at least 2 hours for a doctor to see Bob, so he insisted I return to the boat. That proved challenging, as neither of us knew the name of the place where the taxi picked us up. The helpful reception people called the taxi company, whose card the driver had given me, and the same driver came to take me back. We left the name of the place so Bob could find his way back.

He arrived after a couple of hours with news that his ribs were not broken, but that two muscles had been badly damaged and it was expected it would be a month before they would heal - this will leave Marilynn and Gaybrielle for lock duty.

Wednesday, June 16, 2010

A leisurely start saw us in the town of Wolverhampton, where the canal comes close to a train station. It was necessary to cancel our tickets from Heyford and find a station close to Stowe Hill, where we will leave the boat. It turned out that the closest station would be Northamption, about 8 miles away. The good news was that we could leave an hour later, there would only be one train change instead of 2, we would arrive in Carlisle an hour earlier and it cost 115 pounds ($US181) less. We celebrated this in a pub on the main street with a large, inexpensive English breakfast.

It took about 3 hours to reach Stoke Bruerne where we explored the fascinating canal museum. Canals were started as early as the 15th century, with most being constructed in the 17th century, including the Grand Union we are now using. This is a delightful spot. We had drinks and snacks in the Navigation Pub while watching the world cup game between Switzerland & Spain, back to the boat for a siesta and a game of cards, then to the Boat pub across the canal for dinner and to watch Uruguay play South Africa.

Next morning was another leisurely start with two locks to navigate first thing, and shortly after that the 9,228 ft (2,814 meter) Blisworth Tunnel, which was built in 1800. This is the third longest operating boat tunnel in Britain. As there is no tow path in the tunnel for horses to pull barges, as they once did on most of the canals, "leggers" took the barges through. These were men who would lie on their backs on the top of barges and push them through by using their legs on the low tunnel roof. Later steam tugs pulled lines of barges through. Loads of soot created by these tugs still clings to the wall, as is evidenced by the mess on my hat which hit the wall occasionally as I leaned to the side to keep the boat tight against the edge in order to pass boats coming the other way.

We also crossed a couple of aqueducts. These carry the water of the canal over rivers, roads or railways in lower valleys. It is an interesting feeling to be in a boat on a bridge and look down to see cars zooming along a motorway below.

We stopped for lunch, then to fill up with water at one of the water stops provided by the canal authority, and finally at Bugbrooke, across the canal from the pub where we had a good dinner. We will stay here for two nights, as we are close to the boatyard where we will end our trip.

Saturday, June 19, 2010

Yesterday we played cards, read and strolled through the Village of Bugbrooke, which boasts three streets, two footpaths, a small convenience store and two pubs. Dinner was at the pub across the canal from the boat and once again was delicious.

This morning we left at 7 AM for the one hour cruise to Stowe Hill to return the boat. Unfortunately I didn't keep the receipt for the diesel fuel we had purchased, as fuel was included in the price and we would have received a refund.

We said a fond farewell to Bob & Gaybrielle before taking a taxi to the train station in Heyford. A car had been left at the boatyard by Bob's sister and her husband for them to use, as they are now headed for Wales. It has been an interesting and eventful couple of weeks!

As the train we are on to Carlisle has good wireless internet I'm sending this from the train.