Off and Boating!

 

We got a late start because of our orientation and some trouble shooting of systems and necessary paperwork.  David proved himself a worthy captain by maneuvering the boat sweetly out of the marina.  John was aboard and guided us to the first lift bridge which was operated by a key. After we squeezed under it, John left us on our own to fend for ourselves.

Not long after John’s departure, we came to our first lock. I walked up with my trusty wrench in hand.  I must have been born under a lucky star because greeting me was a canal volunteer who immediately sensed my trepidation. He kindly guided me through the lock process. It was such a gift. First one down.

We had six locks to navigate this day, and all went fine until the fourth one. I didn’t have the strength to crank those paddles up to let the water in. David had to climb out of the boat and help and even he struggled. Closing one of the gates at that same lock took me four attempts to close. It wouldn’t budge. My arm and back muscles were screaming.

We came upon a lift bridge that had a chain dangling for me to pull down. Once the beams were down and the bridge was up, I sat on one of those beams for insurance.  We were fortunate to find the rest of the lift bridges in the “up” position just waiting for us to pass on through.




 

It had rained most of the day which was tiring. The stern where we drive the boat is all open so whenever rain falls, it pours on us. And it was a steady pour all day. In the afternoon the winds picked up and blew our boat diagonally across the canal. I was armed with the pike pole at the bow, and we pushed the boat from the shores fighting the wind to get straight.

We had been boating for 5 ½ hours and it was getting dark. We went through one more lock, and then we became concerned with the loss of light and the wind. We both agreed it was time to call it for the day. Thankfully, the heaters inside the boat provided a warm cozy escape from the wet weather.  We have a big bag of coal for the fireplace, but it is a new concept for both of us. Keeping them lit has been a challenge.

We showered, popped the pot pie in the oven and popped a couple of Tylenols to ward off the aches creeping up on our bodies. The Oxford Canal so far has been a real challenge.




  







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