Wednesday 17th April
We got up late again today (lazy buggers!) and were not very quick off the mark but as we only had to visit Aynho Wharf for services and moor again the other side of Aynho Bridge it didn’t matter.
The wind was strong again today but we didn’t have too much trouble getting off our mooring and on to the moorings at the wharf because it was in our favour. We did the necessary and got a couple of bags of coal, we don’t want too many left to move into the cratch when we leave the boat at Thrupp next week, so we now have 4 on the roof and one in use, which should be enough to be going on with now it’s warmed up a bit!
Just before we had finished filling with water a boat approached from under the bridge wanting to get on the water point. They had to breast up to a moored boat while they waited. When we had finished we had to winkle our way between them and a boat moored on the opposite side of the canal, then get through the bridge. Ken managed this, in the wind, without touching anything, brilliant.
We then wanted to moor just through the bridge, on the 48 hour moorings, before the Permit Holders moorings start. There is not much length to the 48 hour moorings (about 2 boat lengths) and as we approached a huge gust of wind caught the boat. I managed to jump off while Ken was trying to get the back in. By the time the boat was near enough to the bank for him to get off we had ended up in the Permit Holder moorings and had to pull the boat back to the 48 hours.
We had quite a struggle to do this and keep it in to the bank at the same time. The mooring rings are not spaced quite right for the length of our boat and we had to get the front and centre on then bang a mooring pin in for the back. We finally got securely moored which was a relief.
Later on we walked up to Bridge 192 then across the fields to the road and over the river to Clifton. The fields were a bit squidgy in places but not too bad. Once over the bridge on the road to the village there is no footpath and cars seemed like they were coming off the grid at Brands Hatch through the village (supposed to be 30 MPH!) and flying round the corner straight at us. We had to leap up the bank several times!
We were glad to get to The Duke of Cumberland’s Head for a pint of Old Hooky. It is a very nice pub but a bit expensive, 20p a pint more than The Great Western! By this time it had started raining a bit so we had to stay. We again took our lives in our hands and walked back by road. Think we’ll stick to The Great Western from now on.
With the wind bordering on gale force this afternoon we had to rush out (well I did, Ken was already out there trying to fish) and help a hire boat from Twyford Wharf moor up when they went broadside across the canal after getting the crew off with only a front rope. There were three of us hanging on to a rope each in the end and it was still really difficult to get the boat in to the bank. Boating in the wind – very tricky.
Haven’t a clue what we are doing tomorrow.
